Cathodic Stripping Voltammetry of Uracil. Experimental and Theoretical Study Under Conditions of Square‐Wave Voltammetry

Abstract The electrode mechanism of uracil at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) is studied under cathodic stripping square‐wave voltammetric mode owing to the cathodic dissolution of a sparingly soluble compound formed between the electrode material and uracil. The experimental results can be partly explained in the light of the recent theory for cathodic stripping processes of insoluble salts under conditions of square‐wave voltammetry. It is established that the electrode reaction is complicated by attractive interactions between the deposited species of the insoluble compound. To elucidate the electrode mechanism completely a novel theoretical model is developed considering adsorption of the reacting analyte and lateral interactions between species of the insoluble compound. With the help of numerical simulations the effect of interactions is studied in detail, emphasizing the properties of the response that can be used as diagnostic criteria for recognition of the type of interaction forces. Theoretically predicted voltammetric properties agree well with the experimental results enabling clarification of the complex electrode mechanism of uracil at HMDE.