Fast Sweep Differential Pulse Voltammetry at a Dropping Mercury Electrode with Computerized Instrumentation

When used with computerized instrumentation enabling correction for background current and automation of readout, the technique of differential pulse voltammetry at a dropping mercury electrode combines the features of high sensitivity and reproducibility, rapid data acquisition, low noise level, simplicity of use, and other advantages. Sufficiently fast scan rates to obtain all the required data from a single drop of mercury can be obtained by employing much shorter periods between pulses than used in most previous work. Cadmium is determined down to the 10-9 M concentration range by a pulse width of 40 ms and a duration between the commencement of each pulse of 80 ms.