Review—Voltammetric Sensors with Laterally Placed Working Electrodes: A Review

Abstract

Voltammetric sensors with laterally placed working electrode are an interesting alternative to classic electrodes since they offer enhanced performance in electroanalysis. Their characteristics include easier preparation for measurement, removal of interferences and gas bubbles, amplification of mass-transport, and possibility of miniaturization and automation. In this review, construction and characteristics of the custom-designed in our team cyclically renewable, silver, gold, bismuth, glassy carbon, ceramic and amalgam annular band, bi-band, ring, and multidisc electrodes are discussed in detail. They represent the current trends in electroanalysis, aimed at reducing of amount of the used toxic electrode materials, like mercury and its compounds, and organic solvents used for a sample preparation, and are coherent with the concept of Green Chemistry. For each sensor type available strategies for mechanical and electrochemical surface renovation/activation before measurement are elucidated and evaluated on the basis of interpretation of voltammetric and tensammetric curves. Particular attention is put on electrochemical characteristics of the described sensors and their application for determination of trace amounts of metal ions and their complexes, organic compounds, and surface-active substances by means of tensammetry, and anodic, cathodic, adsorptive and catalytic adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Final considerations are addressed to the possibility of measurement automation and related future prospects.