Sonovoltammetric behavior of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid at glassy carbon electrodes: Analysis using pulsed sonovoltammetry

Abstract

The effect of power ultrasound on the voltammetric behavior of ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid at a glassy carbon electrode is described. The voltammetric characteristics of both compounds were found to be modified by ultrasonically formed radicals. In the case of dehydroascorbic acid the single sweep voltammogram shows an anodic signal in the presence of ultrasound which probably results from the formation of an oxidizable radical known to be an intermediate of ascorbic acid oxidation. In the case of ascorbic acid pulsed sonovoltammetry is applied and characterized regarding the time dependence of the current decay and the reliability of its analytical performance. The utility of pulsed sonovoltammetry is demonstrated analyzing a pain killer tablet regarding the ascorbic acid content.