"One-touch" voltammetry of microparticles for the identification of corrosion products in archaeological lead

Voltammetry of microparticles is applied to the identification of lead corrosion products by means of an essentially non-invasive 'one-touch' technique based on the use of graphite pencil. This methodology permits the mechanical attachment of few nanograms of sample from the surface of lead archaeological artefacts to a paraffin-impregnated graphite electrode, which, upon immersion in aqueous electrolytes, provides distinctive voltammetric responses for litharge and cotunnite- anglesite-, cerusite-based corrosion products. The reported method is applied to the identification of corrosion products in archaeological lead pieces from different Iberian sites in Valencia (Spain). © 2011 WILEY-VC…