The fact that different concentrations of Cu(II) were found using both methods in the samples analyzed is not surprising since the coffee samples were produced in areas distant from one another. As a consequence, the mineral soil composition, as well as the fertilizers used, could influence the

results. Similar results were found by other authors ( Oleszczuk et al., 2007 and Onianwa et al., 1999) for the content of copper in solid coffee samples from different areas around the world, however, no results could be found in the literature concerning the content of copper in samples of instant coffee. The standard addition method and the recovery experiments were carried out using the electroanalytical BIBW2992 clinical trial sensor. The recovery values ranged from 90.0% to 110.0% for sample A, 112.0% to

120.0% for sample B, and 118.0% to 120.0% for sample C. According to the literature ( Ribani, Bottoli, Collins, Jardim, & Melo, 2004), the acceptable range of recovery values is generally between 70% and 120% and, depending on the analytic complexity of the sample, may be extended to 50%–120%. The results obtained indicate that the accuracy of the proposed method using the CPE-CTS is not affected by the matrix complexity. Taking into consideration these results we can conclude that the sensor is suitable for Cu(II) determination in instant coffee samples. A novel click here carbon paste electrode containing chitosan crosslinked with the chelating Grape seed extract agent 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulphonic acid and glutaraldehyde was developed for determination of Cu(II). The analysis was carried out employing a pre-concentration step at controlled-potential and detection by square wave voltammetry. The results showed that the response of the proposed modified

electrode was more than six times better than that of the bare carbon paste electrode. The optimisation of experimental conditions showed that the pH of the solution strongly affects the voltammetric response and pH 6.0 was the optimal value found. The validation parameters determined using the optimal experimental conditions showed a linear range for quantitative determination of Cu(II) from 5.0 × 10−7 to 1.4 × 10−5 mol L−1 and good detection limit with a pre-concentration time of 180 s. The analytical application of the method employing standard addition showed a recovery that was only slightly dependent on the matrix complexity, verifying the viability of the proposed sensor for Cu(II) determination. The use of the spray drying technique in the preparation of CPE-CTS highlighted the great potential of this technique as an alternative for developing new compounds for further use in the construction of modified carbon paste electrodes and for application in various electroanalytical processes. The authors are grateful to CNPq-Brazil for financial support. L.V. wishes to thank Prof. Valfredo T. Fávere for providing the microspheres of chitosan and 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulphonic acid.