Determination of various insecticides and pharmaceuticals using differently modified glassy carbon electrodes

The applicability of differently modified glassy carbon (GC) electrodes for direct or indirect determinations of various physiologically active compounds (insecticides and pharmaceuticals) in different formulations and some real samples was investigated. Samples of selected insecticides from the group of neonicotinoids with nitroguanidine (thiamethoxam and imidacloprid), cyanoimine (acetamiprid) and nitromethilene (nitenpyram) fragments, prepared in an appropriate manner, were determined by voltammetry on bare and surface-modified GC electrodes, while in the case of pharmaceuticals such as Trodon and Akineton, the chloride anion titration was followed using bare GC and phosphorus doped (P-GC) electrodes. The P-GC was also used to monitor the chloride content in the photocatalytic degradation of the (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid herbicide. It was found that apart from the nature of the electrode material, the analyte and supporting electrolyte, as well as the pretreatment of the electrode surface essentially influences the applicability of the employed sensors.