Recent advances in the modification of electrodes for trace metal analysis: a review

This review paper summarizes the research published in the last five years on using different compounds and/or materials as modifiers for electrodes employed in trace heavy metal analysis. The main groups of modifiers are identified, and their single or combined application on the surface of the electrodes is discussed. Nanomaterials, film-forming substances, and polymers are among the most used compounds employed mainly in the modification of glassy carbon, screen-printed, and carbon paste electrodes. Composites composed of several compounds and/or materials have also found growing interest in the development of modified electrodes. Environmentally friendly substances and natural products (mainly biopolymers and plant extracts) have continued to be included in the modification of electrodes for trace heavy metal analysis. The main analytical performance parameters of the modified electrodes as well as possible interferences affecting the determination of the target analytes, are discussed. Finally, a critical evaluation of the main findings from these studies and an outlook discussing possible improvements in this area of research are presented.

A Review of Recent Advances in the Inhibition of Sweet Corrosion

This review paper discusses the research work published in the last decade on the use of organic compounds and natural products as corrosion inhibitors for steel in CO₂ and CO₂ /H₂ S coexisting environments. The carbon and mild steel samples tested are mostly immersed in CO₂ -saturated NaCl/brine solutions or simulated oilfield waters. The influence of temperature, immersion time, CO₂ partial pressure, pre-corrosion, flow rate/rotation speed, and the synergistic effect of other compounds on the corrosion inhibition effectiveness of organic compounds and natural products is presented. Primarily, weight loss and electrochemical techniques were used to evaluate the corrosion inhibition effectiveness of these compounds.

Cyclic Voltammetry as an Electroanalytical Tool for Analysing the Reaction Mechanisms of Copper in Chloride Solution Containing Different Azole Compounds

Background:

Cyclic voltammetry is widely employed in electroanalytical studies because it provides fast information about the redox potentials of the electroactive species and the influence of the medium on the redox processes. Azole compounds have been found to be effective corrosion inhibitors for copper in chloride-containing solutions. The aim of this work was to investigate in detail the influence of the addition of various azole compounds on the oxidation mechanism of copper in chloride-containing solutions, using cyclic voltammetry.

Methods:

The influence of thirteen azole compounds, at three different concentrations on the electrochemical/ chemical reactions of pure copper immersed in 3 wt.% NaCl solution was studied using cyclic voltammetry at different scan rates. The change of the peak current and potential with the scan rate were investigated. The possible linearity was compared with the theoretically derived mechanism. The possible reaction mechanisms were discussed based on the linearity of these parameters (peak current and potential) with the scan rate compared to theoretically derived models.

Results:

Both the peak current and peak potential of the copper samples immersed in chloridecontaining solutions with additions of the majority of azole compounds showed linearity with the square root of the scan rate, suggesting that copper follows the Müller-Calandra passivation model. The same behavior was also found for copper in chloride-containing solutions without additions of azole compounds. A linear variation of the peak potential with the natural logarithm of the scan rate and linear variation of the peak potential with the square root of the scan rate was observed for the copper samples immersed in chloride-containing solutions with the addition of 10 mM of 2-mercapto-1- methylimidazole, imidazole, or 2-aminobenzimidazole. This suggests that copper follows irreversible redox reactions under a diffusion controlled process. No other linear relations of the peak current and peak potential with the scan rate were found.

Conclusion:

Copper oxidation in chloride-containing solutions is controlled by passivation (following the Müller-Calandra passivation model) upon the addition of the majority of the selected azoles. In the minority of cases, irreversible redox reactions that follow a diffusion-controlled process were identified. None of the systems followed an adsorption-controlled process. Moreover, none of the tested systems underwent reversible redox reactions that followed a diffusion controlled process.

A combination of interdisciplinary analytical tools for evaluation of multi-layered coatings on medical grade stainless steel for biomedical applications

In this comprehensive study several analytical techniques were used in order to evaluate multi-layered biomedical surface coatings composed of a drug (diclofenac) and a polymer (chitosan). Such a thorough examination is of paramount importance in order to assure safety and prove efficiency of potential biomedical materials already at the in vitro level, hence leading to their potentially faster introduction to clinical trials. For the first time a novel technique based on thermal diffusivity and conductivity measurements (photothermal beam deflection spectroscopy - BDS) was employed in order to analyse in a non-destructive way the thickness of respective layers, together with their thermal diffusivity and conductivity. In addition to attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), BDS confirmed successive surface layers of the prepared coatings. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to examine structural information on the macro- and micro/nano-scale, respectively. Surface hydrophobicity was measured with the contact angle analysis, which clearly showed differences in hydrophobicity between coated and non-coated samples. Considering the targeted application of the prepared coatings (as implant in orthopaedic treatments), the in vitro drug release was analysed spectrophotometrically to examine the coatings potential for a controlled drug release. Furthermore, the material was also tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic polarisation techniques, which were able to detect even minor differences between the performance of the coated and non-coated materials. As the final test, the biocompatibility of the coatings with human osteoblasts was determined.

Green corrosion inhibitors for aluminium and its alloys: a review

A comprehensive review on natural compounds as corrosion inhibitors for aluminium and aluminium alloys in different solutions is presented.

The first electrochemical and surface analysis of 2-aminobenzimidazole as a corrosion inhibitor for copper in chloride solution

High corrosion inhibition effectiveness of 2-aminobenzimidazole is proven after a long-term immersion period in 3 wt% NaCl solution.

Organic corrosion inhibitors for aluminium and its alloys in acid solutions: a review

Corrosion inhibition of aluminium in acidic solutions using different organic compounds.