Determination of trace amounts of estriol and estradiol by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry

Estriol and estradiol are electroinactive in the potential range from -200 to -1000 mV versus a silver-silver chloride electrode at a mercury electrode. The conversion of these estrogens into electroactive nitro derivatives of estrogens, which are used for voltammetric determination, was studied. Such nitro derivatives give a well defined cathodic stripping wave at -600 mV in pH 10.5 borate buffer. Estriol and estradiol are determined in the ranges 1 x 10(-9)-1.5 x 10(-6) and 5 x 10(-9)-2 x 10(-6) mol dm-3, respectively, by differential-pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode. Some steroids, such as estrone, interfere because the three estrogens have almost the same molecular structure and have similar nitro derivatives, but progesterone does not interfere and is reduced at significantly more negative potentials than the nitrated estrogens. It can be determined simultaneously with estriol or estradiol. A method was developed for the assay of estriol in pharmaceutical preparations.