Electrochemical Reduction of Ellman's Reagent : A Novel Selective Detection Protocol for Thiol Compounds

Herein we detail a novel approach to the detection of total sulfhydryl thiol species based on an electrochemical adaptation of the classical Ellman's reaction. The ability to electrochemically reduce the nitro moieties of both the parent 5,5-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and the resulting 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoic acid (TNBA) species provides a selective means of detecting thiol compounds. The use of the reductive sweep means that electrode passivation as a result of oxidative electrochemical procedures can be avoided and the selectivity improved through positioning the analytical signal within a region where few interferences reside. The electrochemical protocol enables the detection of the thiols in both acidic and basic media, which the colorimetric method is unable to do.