Method and device for the detection of phenol and related compounds

• US 4,145,255 A
• Filed: 02/25/1977
• Issued: 03/20/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Schiller, Julian G., Liu, Chung C., Fletcher, James C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Raymond N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/772,167
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 195/127, 195/103.5 R, 204/1 E, 204/195 B
• US Class Current: 205/778
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/004 mediator-assisted
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/817 Enzyme or microbe electrode

Abstract

Phenol or a phenol related compound is detected in an electrochemical cell comprising a cathodic compartment containing a cathode in an electrolyte solution containing ferrocyanide ion and an anodic compartment containing an anode formed by coating a gel containing a phenol or phenol related compound oxidizing enzyme onto the conductive substrate of said anode immersed into an electrolyte solution containing ferrocyanide ion into which pure oxygen is passed; means for maintaining a conductive relationship between anodic and cathodic compartments; and means connected to said anode and cathode for measuring the potential of the oxidation of said phenol or related compound.

Claims

1. An electrochemical cell for the detection of phenol and phenol related compounds which comprises:

a cathode compartment containing a cathode in an electrolyte solution containing ferrocyanide ion;

an anodic compartment containing an anode formed by coating a gel containing a phenol or phenol related compound oxidizing enzyme onto the conductive substrate of said anode immersed into an electrolyte solution containing ferrocyanide ion;

means for directing oxygen into said electrolyte solution in said anodic compartment;

means for maintaining a conductive relationship between anodic and cathodic compartments; and

means connected to said anode and cathode for measuring the potential of the oxidation of said phenol or phenol related compound.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said oxidizing enzyme is phenolase (E.C.1.14.18.1).

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said means for maintaining a conductive relationship between said anodic and cathodic compartments is a salt bridge.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said conductive substrate of said anode is a member selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, silver and nickel.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said anode is a platinum screen upon which is coated a polyacrylamide gel containing phenoloxidase.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said anode contains from 30-300 units of phenolase.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, wherein said anode and cathode compartments are a single container containing said electrolyte solution into which oxygen is passed.

8. A method for electrochemically measuring the oxidation of phenol and phenol related compounds which comprises:

adding a sample containing phenol or a phenol related compound to the anode compartment of an electrochemical cell provided with an electrolyte containing ferryocyanide ion solution equipped with an anode of a conductive substrate upon which is coated a gel containing a phenol or phenol related compound oxidizing enzyme, said anode compartment being in conductive contact with a cathode compartment containing a cathode in the same electrolyte solution of the anode compartment containing ferrodyanide ion, said anode and said cathode being conductively connected to a potential measuring means, and directing oxygen into said electrolyte in said anode compartment then,

measuring the potential of the oxidation of said phenol or phenol related compound at the anode of said cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said phenol or related compound is selected from the group consisting of phenol, cresol, resorcinol, catechol, orcinol, L-hydroxyphenylalanine, hydroquinone, 2-methylhydroquinone, phenyl-4-catechol, 3,4-dihydrocinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-hydroxyphenol acetic acid, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2-aminophenol, α

-naphthol, pyrogallol, gallic acid, shikimic acid, quinic acid, phloroglucinol, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said gel is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide, collagen, zein and agar.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said enzyme is phenolase (E.C.1.14.18.1).