Voltammetric and amperometric applications of silver amalgam electrodes for monitoring of reducible organic compounds

Possibilities, limitations and practical applications of many existing types of silver amalgam electrodes (AgAE) for voltammetric/amperometric determination of trace amounts of electrochemically reducible biologically active organic compounds in different matrices are reviewed. Polished and mercury meniscus modified AgAE, AgAE based on amalgam paste both with and without pasting liquids, single crystal AgAE, tubular AgAE, composite AgAE, porous AgAE, and AgAE with renewable surface are discussed together with their application for batch analysis and for measurement in flowing systems (HPLC and FIA with amperometric detection). Attention is paid to the combination of AgAE with a preliminary separation and preconcentration (e.g. with solid phase extraction) for determination of nanomolar concentrations of biologically active organic compounds in different matrices.