Electrocatalytic oxidation and flow-injection determination of sulfur amino acids on a glassy carbon electrode modified by a nickel(II) polytetrasulfophthalocyanine film

The electrochemical oxidation of sulfur amino acids, i.e., cysteine, cystine, and methionine, is studied on a glassy carbon electrode modified by a film of nickel(II) polytetrasulfophthalocyanine ( poly-NiTsPc ). Poly-NiTsPc demonstrates a selective mediator activity in the oxidation of sulfur amino acids, depending on the pH of solution. The proper conditions for fabricating a polymer film on the surface of glassy carbon are found and the conditions of registering the maximal electrocatalytic effect on the modified electrode are determined. A procedure is proposed for the voltammetric determination and amperometric detection of cysteine, cystine, and methionine on an electrode coated by a poly-NiTsPc film under the conditions of flow-injection analysis ( FIA ). The linear relation of the electrocatalytic response of a composite electrode to amino acid concentration is observed to the level n × 10 −6 M in the static mode and n × 10 −9 M under FIA conditions.