Electrochemical reduction mechanism of citrinin in acetonitrile plus 0.1 mol L-1 (C4H9)4NClO4 at both bare and modified with multi-walled carbon nanotube glassy carbon (GC) electrodes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis. Results allowed to infer a complex electroreduction mechanism with chemical and electrochemical steps coupled to the initial electron transfer reaction. Citrinin shows a single cathodic peak that corresponds at least to two electron reduction steps and two homogeneous chemical reactions, conforming to an ECEC (electron-transfer coupled with proton acceptance) self-protonation mechanism. The chemical reactions are originated in the intermolecular proton transfers from the substrate to its basic reduction intermediates, featuring a self-protonation mechanism. Kinetics analysis by simulation procedures of voltammetric results permitted a fully characterization of the mechanism of citrinin heterogeneous reduction.
citrinin; mycotoxins; multi-walled carbon nanotubes; cyclic voltammetry; square wave voltammetry
