Cathodic stripping voltammetry is a voltammetric method for quantitative

Quantitative property

A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured with a number. Measurements of any particular quantitative property are expressed as a specific quantity, referred to as a unit, multiplied by a number. Examples of physical quantities are distance,...

 determination of specific ionic species. It is similar to the trace

Trace radioisotope

A trace radioisotope is a radioisotope that occurs naturally in trace amounts . Generally speaking, trace radioisotopes have half-lives that are short in comparison to the age of the earth, since primordial nuclides tend to occur in larger than trace amounts...

 analysis method anodic stripping voltammetry

Anodic stripping voltammetry

Anodic stripping voltammetry is a voltammetric method for quantitative determination of specific ionic species. The analyte of interest is electroplated on the working electrode during a deposition step, and oxidized from the electrode during the stripping step. The current is measured during the...

, except that for the plating step, the potential is held at an oxidizing potential, and the oxidized species are stripped from the electrode by sweeping the potential positively. This technique is used for ionic species that form insoluble salts

Salt

In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...

 and will deposit on or near the anodic

Anode

An anode is an electrode through which electric current flows into a polarized electrical device. Mnemonic: ACID ....

, working electrode during deposition. The stripping step can be either linear

Linear sweep voltammetry

Linear sweep voltammetry is a voltammetric method where the current at a working electrode is measured while the potential between the working electrode and a reference electrode is swept linearly in time...

, staircase

Staircase voltammetry

Staircase voltammetry is a derivative of linear sweep voltammetry. In linear sweep voltammetry the current at a working electrode is measured while the potential between the working electrode and a reference electrode is swept linearly in time...

, squarewave

Squarewave voltammetry

Squarewave voltammetry is a further improvement of staircase voltammetry which is itself a derivative of linear sweep voltammetry. In linear sweep voltammetry the current at a working electrode is measured while the potential between the working electrode and a reference electrode is swept...

, or pulse.