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Electrodes fouling associated with the electroenzymatic phenols determination was characterized in this work, applying various techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, EQCM, and optical microscopy. An approach to overcome the fouling effects and hence to improve the precision of the phenolic compounds determination was suggested and tested. This approach consists of pulsed potential waveform application with a cleaning potential step of + 1.4 V vs. Ag, AgCl/KCl sat with a duration of 166.66 ms, while the determination was carried out at 0.0 V vs. Ag, AgCl/KCl sat applied for 66.64 ms. As a result a RSD of 2.97% for 0.6 mmol L −1 o-catechol determination was achieved, compared with 6.53% without the cleaning step application. The method was successfully used for the precise phenolic and triazine pollutants determination.

Public health and environmental protection concerns provoked by phenolic compounds pollution impose the development of sensitive, rapid and cost effective methods for in situ phenols monitoring. Given that biosensors based techniques could face these challenges, a variety of such devices was suggested and applied for phenolic compounds quantification. Their majority are based on the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) catalyzed phenols oxidation to catechol and then, to quinones, coupled with the registration of the quinones reduction current. Nevertheless, quinoid products polymerization involving electrode passivation corrupts the biosensors operational stability. Thus, to avoid this drawback, in this work is proposed another approach for phenolic compounds quantification based on the electrochemical detection of the oxygen depletion during PPO catalyzed catechol oxidation using a Clark type electrode with a disposable active enzyme membrane. The oxygen probe was modified in comparison to the commercial ones: its flat front allowed ensuring a good contact with the active enzyme membrane and the gold multicathode uniformly dislocated on the surface of the flat front permitted eliminating O2 diffusional constraints. The active enzyme membrane was prepared by drop-coating of a mixture of PPO and gelatin onto a gelatin-saturated cellulose filter. A linear calibration graph for catechol determination was obtained in the range up to 0.7 mM with a slope of 0.902 μA/mM, at pH 6.5 and ambient temperature. The steady-state response to catechol of the biosensor was reached in 120 s. The biosensor had an excellent reproducibility (RSD2 reduction. Another biosensor advantage is associated with the use of disposable prefabricated active enzyme membranes.