Electrochemical determination of copper ions in spirit drinks using carbon paste electrode modified with biochar

This work describes for first time the use of biochar as electrode modifier in combination with differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetric (DPAdSV) techniques for preconcentration and determination of copper (II) ions in spirit drinks samples (Cachaca, Vodka, Gin and Tequila). Using the best set of the experimental conditions a linear response for copper ions in the concentration range of 1.5 x 10(-6) to 3.1 x 10(-5) mol L-1 with a Limit of Detection (LOD) of 4.0 x 10(-7) mol L-1. The repeatability of the proposed sensor using the same electrode surface was measured as 3.6% and 6.6% using different electrodes. The effect of foreign species on the voltammetric response was also evaluated. Determination of copper ions content in different samples of spirit drinks samples was also realized adopting inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and the results achieved are in agreement at a 95% of confidence level. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.