Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Selective Determination Of Methylmercury By Flow-Injection Fast-Scan Voltammetry, Rebecca Lai, Eva Huang, Feimeng Zhou, David O. Wipf

Rebecca Lai Publications

A simple flow-injection system, suitable for solution flow rates at microliters-per-minute, has been combined with fast-scan voltammetry for selective determination of methylmercury. A thin Hg film was formed at a Pt microelectrode prior to the measurement. Detection of methylmercury is carried out by measuring the oxidation of methylmercury radicals that have been generated at the Hg microelectrode. At slow scan rates, the electrogenerated methylmercury radicals undergo a follow-up dimerization reaction to form dimethyldimercury (E_rC_i² mechanism). At fast scan rates, it was found that methylmercury radicals can be quantitatively reoxidized (reversible electron-transfer). Optimization of the experimental conditions …