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Abstract
A preliminary examination of a simple and rapid screening method for quantifying a
range of toxic organohalides directly in aqueous solution based on their electrocatalytic
reduction with a metalloporphyrin catalyst is described. Homogenous catalysis is described
as well as heterogeneous catalysis using precipitated cobalt(II) tetraphenylporphine
((TPP)Co) at a graphite foil electrode which permitted the sensitive detection of
a wide range of different organohalides, including a number of chemically diverse
industrial pollutants such as 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) and carbon
tetrachloride, representative of haloalkane compounds, haloalkenes such as perchloroethylene,
and aromatics, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, pentachlorophenol, and the
insecticide DDT. The coordinating effect of solvent on the thermodynamics of the Co(II)/(I)
electrode reaction is used to practical advantage to build an amperometric detector
that is insensitive to interference from oxygen, a parameter that varies considerably
in environmental samples. Devices also appear relatively insensitive to the ionic
composition of the analyte sample. The work provides the basis for developing a prototype
sensor for screening toxic organohalogen pollutants for use in environmental monitoring
situations.