Electrochemical reduction at mercury electrodes and differential-pulse polarographic determination of pentamidine isethionate

Abstract

Reduction processes are observed for pentamidine isethionate at a dropping mercury electrode above pH 7: the reduction potential is independent of pH below about pH 10. Below pH 10, adsorption of the reduced species is observed, whereas above pH 10 there is a large contribution owing to adsorption of pentamidine isethionate. For the polarographic determination of pentamidine isethionate, a pH of 8–9 is recommended with the addition of Triton X-100 as a maximum suppressor. Pentamidine isethionate can be determined by differential-pulse polarography down to about 5 × 10^–6 mol l^–1.