Abstract: Carbon paste electrode modified with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane copper (MPTMS-Cu) encapsulated in molecular sieve MCM-41 was prepared. The electrocatalytic behavior of the modified electrode towards the reduction of nitrite was studied in detail, including pH-dependence and composition-dependence studies. A microchip capillary electrophoresis-electrochemical detection system with the modified carbon paste as electrode was fabricated. The application of the system for the detection of nitrite is discussed. The detection was finished within 40 s under the following conditions: 50 mmol/L sodium acetate buffer at pH 5.8, -1.6 kV running voltage. The peak current was linear with the concentration of nitrite over 10.0 μmol/L-5.0 mmol/L and the detection limit was 4.0 μmol/L in pure water.

Key words: , modified carbon paste electrode, nitrite, microchip capillary electrophoresis