The main aim of this work was to use traditional mercury electrodes for the development of voltammetric methods of determination of organic xenobiotics and for the electrochemical study of the interaction between double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and these compounds. In relation to my previous research work (conducted in the framework of my diploma thesis), firstly, 4-nitrobiphenyl (4-NBP), the suspected carcinogen, was studied. Interaction of DNA with 4-NBP was studied using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronocoulometry at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), and using CV and alternating current voltammetry at a DNA modified HMDE. Using CV, the reduction mechanism was investigated. The interaction of DNA with 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP), a metabolite of 4-NBP, and 4-NBP reduction intermediates was studied. It was found that the interaction of DNA with 4-NBP or 4-ABP results in a formation of a DNA aggregate with these analytes. The second studied analyte was methyl violet 2B (MV). For determination of MV in a buffered solution were used: direct current tast polarography and differential pulse polarography at a dropping mercury electrode, and direct current voltammetry, DPV, and differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPAdSV) at HMDE. The...

Main goal of this Ph.D. thesis is to develop voltammetric methods for the electrochemical study of novel antimycobacterial compounds hydroxynaphthalene- carboxamides. Firstly, this study was focused on the miniaturization of voltammetric methods and construction of an electrochemical microcell due to usually small volume of samples that are associated with an analysis of biologically active compounds in biological matrices. Therefore, all aspects of the voltammetric procedure were studied in a relation to miniaturization. Microcells were based on commercially available electrodes: glassy carbon electrode as a reliable electrode material with well-described characteristics and a novel silver solid amalgam electrode. This study was carried out with analytes 4-nitrophenol, pesticide difenzoquat, and 1-hydroxy-N-(4-nitrophenyl)naphthalene-2-carboxamide. Attention was paid especially to the optimization of oxygen removal procedures in the drop of a solution. Developed miniaturized methods had the same parameters for the determination of studied compounds as in bigger volumes. The proposed electrochemical microcell can be generally used for voltammetric analysis of those samples of biological or environmental origin that are usually available in very limited volumes. Second part of the thesis was focused...

This dissertation thesis presents newly developed electrode materials based on porous boron- doped diamond (BDDporous) and their potential applications in electroanalysis. Particularly, these novel BDDporous electrodes (twelve in total) were thoroughly electrochemically characterised and compared, and the ones with the most promising properties were selected to develop reliable voltammetric methods for detecting the neurotransmitter dopamine. Initially, the impact of selected fabrication parameters on the final properties and electrochemical behaviour of novel BDDporous electrodes was clarified; the following factors were specifically studied: (1) deposition template used, (2) boron-doping level, (3) growth time of the individual layers (i.e., porosity), (4) number of deposited layers (i.e., thickness), and (5) content of non-diamond (sp2 ) carbon impurities. Alterations in deposition conditions naturally resulted in BDDporous electrodes with diverse (i) structural and morphological features, which were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and (ii) physical and electrochemical characteristics, examined by cyclic voltammetry. Besides, to assess the suitability of selected BDDporous electrodes for dopamine detection, other parameters, such as susceptibility to...

This master thesis deals with qualifications of the catalytic materials for positive electrode low-temperature fuel cells. The teoretical part focuses on the physical and chemical properties of low-temperature fuel cells. There are described methods of hydrodynamic RDE and RRDE. RRDE study utilizes methods linear and cyclic voltammetry for qualifying performance of catalytic materials and presentation of results. The practical part describes the preparation various types of carbon materials. There are monitored the oxygen reduction using RRDE. Catalytic materials are evaluated: CV, stability, kinetic parameters, creation of intermediate H2O2 and kinetics of electrode reactions.

The interaction between three selected representatives of environmental pollutants - naphthalene, anthracene, and 2-aminoanthracene - and DNA was investigated using an electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and low molecular weight DNA from salmon sperm (DNA/GCE). The interactions with DNA were monitored using square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). For naphthalene, there was no DNA damaging interaction observed. In the case of anthracene, the formation of an intercalation complex [DNA-anthracene] was observed. However, its formation does not cause DNA strand breaks. The formation of similar intercalation complex was observed for 2-aminoanthracene [DNA-2-aminoanthracene], where we suppose on the basis of the results obtained that the intercalation of 2-aminoanthracene into the DNA double helix induces a tension and subsequent formation of single-strand breaks, which cause that the fragments of DNA fall away from the electrode surface. The intercalative interaction of DNA with anthracene a 2-aminoanthracene was used in the development of electrochemical methods for determination of these compounds at the GCE and DNA/GCE. At the development of the methods, DC voltammetry (DCV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used....

This master's thesis deals with alkaline battery characteristics and it has special consideration of nickel-cadmium cells. There are three main experimental parts in this paper. First one is concerned with positive electrode materials properties and is aimed to investigate impact of magnesium ions formed into nickel hydroxide electrode structure. Second part deals with battery charging/discharging and response measurement tool design. National Instruments hardware PXI modules for data acquisition was used and program in LabView environment was made. Last one is concerned with nickel-cadmium cell properties changes during increased temperature stressing. Investigation of cell self-charge changes during lithium hydroxide addition into electrolyte was made.

Presented work investigates the problem of secondary lithium-ion cells and the different available cathode materials. We have prepared samples of LiFePO4 with the addition of different kinds of carbon materials such as Super P, Vulcan and expanded graphite. We have always created the sample with and without surfactant. Developed samples were compared by measuring electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry, charge and discharge cycles and impedance spectroscopy). We also modeled the three-point cell for measuring electrochemical electrode materials.

This master thesis deals with nanotechnology, nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces, electrochemical methods, especially voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and contact angle measurement. One part is focused on electrodes primarily nanostructured and modified by substancies with thiol bound. Tutorial for preparation of gold nanostructured electrods is introduced in practical section including SEM photos of electrode surface. Nanostructured and bare gold electrodes were modified by 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, streptavidin, glycine and biotin and measured by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and contact angle.

Presented Diploma Thesis is focused on electroanalytical determination of genotoxic 4-nitroindane, one of the nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs). A hydrocarbon indane (a component of petrol) is a precursor of 4-nitroindane. NPAHs are produced all above by combustion processes in gasoline and diesel engines. It has been shown that NPAHs can be many times more mutagenic or carcinogenic than their parent PAHs, so the analysis of these dangerous pollutants becomes important for modern environmental analytical chemistry. Optimal conditions for determination of 4-nitroindane have been investigated in buffered water-methanolic solutions and electrochemical transformations of 4-nitroindane have been studied by DC voltammetry (DCV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and cyclic voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) and at a mercury meniscus modified silver solid amalgam electrode (m-AgSAE). For voltammetric determination of 4-nitroindane, the following techniques were used: DCV (limit of quantification (LQ) ~ 7. 10-8 mol. l-1 ), DPV (LQ ~ 1. 10-7 mol. l-1 ) and adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV; LQ ~ 7. 10-9 mol. l-1 ) at HMDE, and DCV (LQ ~ 1. 10-7 mol. l-1 ) and DPV (LQ ~ 1. 10-7 mol l-1 ) at m-AgSAE. The applicability of the newly developed...

9 Abstract In this Ph.D. thesis possibilities of using our proposed potential programs for a multiple-pulse amperometry and a fast scan differential pulse voltammetry in combination with flow systems are presented. The development of new sensitive amperometric and voltammetric methods for the determination of oxidisable biologically active organic compounds is another aim of this work. In the first part of the work, the flow injection system and multiple-pulse amperometric detection were employed to develop and optimize a simple, low-cost, and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of natural and synthetic antioxidants. This technique involves the application of an appropriate potential waveform consisting of a suitable sequence of pulses on a single working electrode, thus allowing distinguish the analytes in a mixture with no need of separation. Conditions for the determination of antioxidants and modelling of the potential program were tested and studied, respectively. Second part of the work describes and characterizes the application of the fast scan differential pulse voltammetry (FSDPV) in combination with the flow systems. FSDPV is the electroanalytical technique that use high scan rate to record voltammograms within several milliseconds and ensures high temporal resolution. This technique...