Single-point potentiometric titrations with ion-selective electrodes

A single-point potentiometric titration method is described for the determination of silver(I), chloride and sulphate with ion-selective electrodes. Relative standard deviations in the range 0.1–1.25% can be obtained, depending on the quality of the electrodes used.     

A microcomputer-based system for potentiometric measurements with ion-selective electrodes

A comparison, on completely equal terms, of a microcomputer-based system with manual measurements is described in detail. The main features compared are the precision and accuracy of the results and the number of determinations per time unit. The example used is a standard addition measurement of fluoride in toothpaste. The microcomputer system and its interfacing to the peripheral units are also described. The microcomputer system for control, supervision and evaluation of the measurements results in a significant gain in precision and speed. Accuracy requires the use of a non-theoretical value of the Nernstian slope. The memory effect of the ion-selective electrode is large when the type of sample is changed.     

Solid-state ion-selective electrodes for the potentiometric determination of phosphate

A number of solid-state ion-selective electrodes for the potentiometric determination of phosphate have been made and their properties investigated. The most successful of these electrodes, which had a membrane comprising silver sulphide, lead sulphide and lead hydrogen phosphate, had a theoretical Nernstian response to orthophosphate ion at concentrations down to 5 mug/ml total phosphate at pH 8.3. The electrode had a slow response and its standard potential changed with time. Anions such as sulphate, bicarbonate and nitrate did not interfere; chloride had a transient effect, but even at its worst the interference was less serious than with other phosphate electrodes. The electrode was used as an indicator in the potentiometric precipitation titration of phosphate and lanthanum.     

Direct potentiometric water hardness determination using ion-selective electrodes

Summary The use of ion-selective electrodes for direct potentiometric water hardness determinations is restricted to relatively soft waters if they are to be competitive with other techniques in terms of uncertainty on the water hardness scale. The selectivity factorK _MgCa ^Pot must be within 1.1% of unity if a hardness of 10 degrees on the German scale is to be measured to within 0.1 degrees in the composition rangec _Mg:c _Ca=0.25 to 25. The expressionK _MgNa ^Pot ·a _Na ² / (a _Mg+a _Ca) must be less than 0.001 if freedom from sodium interference is to be achieved. Under these conditions a 1% relative standard deviation can be obtained for an uncertainty of the EMF100V.

---

Direkte potentiometrische Bestimmung der Wasserhärte mit ionen-selektiven Elektroden

Zusammenfassung Die direkte potentiometrische Bestimmung der Wasserhärte mit ionenselektiven Elektroden kann nur für relativ weiches Wasser verwendet werden, sofern sie mit anderen Methoden konkurrenzfähig sein soll. Der SelektivitätsfaktorK _MgCa ^Pot sollte nicht mehr als 1,1% von 1 abweichen, um eine Messung von 10 deutschen Härtegraden auf 0,1 Grad genau zu ermöglichen, wenn gleichzeitig das Mischungsverhältnisc _Mg:c _Ca im Bereich 0,25 bis 25 schwankt. Der AusdruckK _MgNa ^Pot ·a _Na ² /(a _Mg +a _Ca) sollte 0,001 nicht überschreiten, wenn eine Störung durch Natrium vermieden werden soll. Unter den obigen Bedingungen läßt sich eine Wasserhärte auf 1% genau bestimmen, wenn die Unsicherheit der gemessenen EMK100V.

     

The potentiometric titration of fluoride without fluoride ion-selective electrodes

Graphite and platinum sensors were investigated as indicators in the potentiometric titration of fluoride vs lanthanum(III) and thorium(IV). In every case a partially nonaqueous medium yielded larger breaks than in aqueous solution, similar to the fluoride electrode. All the sensors yielded endpoint breaks which were smaller than those obtained with a fluoride ion-selective electrode. The largest breaks were obtained with the vitreous carbon, pyrolytic graphite, and platinum sensors. Conditioning in neutral permanganate solution significantly enhanced the breaks for all types of graphite, except vitreous carbon. The break obtained with the platinum electrode can be enhanced by application of a polarizing current of 2.0 μA in the reducing direction.     

The response of halide ion-selective electrodes to redox systems : A comparison between silver/silver halide electrodes and silver sulphide- based halide ion-selective electrodes

Silver/silver chloride and bromide electrodes, prepared by anodizing ordinary silver electrodes, and the corresponding ion-selective electrodes based on silver sulphide, were tested for their susceptibility towards redox systems. It proved that the latter type of electrode responded significantly to strong oxidants. In contrast, the silver/silver halide types were highly resistant to redox interference provided that the silver halide layer was free from open pores. This could be achieved by generation of sufficiently thick layers and by selection of suitable current densities during electrodeposition (<20 mA cm^-2). The interrelation between the conditions of silver chloride film generation and redox resistance of the resulting electrodes is described in detail.     

New conventional coated-wire ion-selective electrodes for flow-injection potentiometric determination of chlordiazepoxide.

New chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (Ch-Cl) ion-selective electrodes (conventional type) based on ion associates, chlordiazepoxidium-phosphomolybdate (I) and chlordiazepoxidium-phosphotungstate (II), were prepared. The electrodes exhibited mean slopes of calibration graphs of 59.4 mV and 60.8 mV per decade of (Ch-Cl) concentration at 25 degrees C for electrodes (I) and (II), respectively. Both electrodes could be used within the concentration range 3.16 x 10(-6)-1 x 10(-2) M (Ch-Cl) within the pH range 2.0-4.5. The standard electrode potentials were determined at different temperatures and used to calculate the isothermal coefficients of the electrodes, which were 0.00139 and 0.00093 V degrees C(-1) for electrodes (I) and (II), respectively. The electrodes showed a very good selectivity for Ch-Cl with respect to the number of inorganic cations, amino acids and sugars. The electrodes were applied to the potentiometric determination of the chlordiazepoxide ion and its pharmaceutical preparation under batch and flow injection conditions. Also, chlordiazepoxide was determined by conductimetric titrations. Graphite, copper and silver coated wires were prepared and characterized as sensors for the drug under investigation.     

Solid-state ion-selective electrodes for the potentiometric determination of hexacyanoferrate (II)

Hexacyanoferrate(II)-sensing electrodes were prepared by mixing Ag₂S and Ag₄Fe (CN)₆. The 6:1 Ag₂S/Ag₄Fe (CN)₆ provided the best potentiometric response and speed of response. The log concentration vs. potential curves were linear with Nernstian slope (14.8 mV/decade) over the range 10^?1-10^?6 M hexacyanoferrate (II) at pH 7.00 with constant ionic strength. Interferences included iodide, sulfide and bromide. This electrode was used as indicator in potentiometric titrations of hexacyanoferrate (II).     

The potentiometric titration of surfactants and soaps using ion-selective electrodes

Summary Several quaternary ammonium halides have been evaluated for the precipitation titration of anionic surfactants and soaps. The titrants were hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride and bromide, hexadecylpyridinium chloride, and diisobutylphenoxyethoxyethyl(dimethyl)benzylammonium chloride. Hexadecylpyridinium chloride yielded the highest precision and largest potentiometric break. Titrations were monitored with a commercically available fluoroborate ion-selective indicator electrode and a double-junction reference electrode. Commercially available perchlorate, nitrate, and calcium electrodes may also be used for emf monitoring. This obviates the need of preparing special liquid membrane or other electrodes mostly used heretofore in the potentiometric titration of surfactants and soaps. Electrophoresis purity reagent sodium dodecylsulfate is recommended for the standardization of the quaternary ammonium halides. The reverse titration, of cationic surfactants vs. standard sodium dodecylsulfate, is similarly feasible.Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory under contract number W-7405-ENG-48.     

An XPS investigation of silver bromide-coated ion-selective electrodes

XPS data of AgBr-coated ion-selective electrodes exposed to high concentrations of Ag⁺, Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, and NH₃ revealed a change in the surface properties of the original electrode. A 40 min to one week exposure of the silver bromide ion-selective electrode surface to solutions containing high concentrations of chloride ions leads to the formation of a mixed halide layer, as the chloride ions are incorporated in the surface. Exposure to high concentrations of iodide-containing solutions results in a new silver iodide layer on top of the original silver bromide laver. Silver ions diffuse to the newly formed layers. NH₃ results in the rapid degradation of the AgBr surface as the diamine complex, Ag(NH₃)⁺₂, is formed.     

Novel potentiometric and optical silver ion-selective sensors with subnanomolar detection limits

Ten Ag⁺-selective ionophores have been characterized in terms of their potentiometric selectivities and complex formation constants in solvent polymeric membranes. The compounds with π-coordination show much weaker interactions than those with thioether or thiocarbamate groups as the coordinating sites. Long-term studies with the best ionophores show that the lower detection limit of the best Ag⁺ sensors can be maintained in the subnanomolar range for at least 1 month. The best ionophores have also been characterized in fluorescent microspheres. The so far best lower detection limits of 3 × 10⁻¹¹ M (potentiometrically) and 2 × 10⁻¹¹ M Ag⁺ (optically) are found with bridged thiacalixarenes.     

Real-time probing of the growth dynamics of nanoparticles using potentiometric ion-selective electrodes

This Communication demonstrates the ability of potentiometric ion-selective electrodes (ISE) to probe the growth dynamics of metal nanoparticles in real-time. The new monitoring capability is illustrated using a solid-contact silver ISE for monitoring the hydroquinone-induced precipitation of silver on gold nanoparticle seeds. Potential-time recordings obtained under different conditions are used to monitor the depletion of the silver ion during the nanoparticle formation and shed useful insights into the growth dynamics of the nanoparticles. Such potentiometric profiles correlate well with the analogous optical measurements. The new real-time electrochemical probing of the particle growth process reflects the direct, rapid and sensitive response of modern ISE to changes in the level of the precipitated metal ion from the bulk solution and holds considerable promise for probing the preparation of different nanoscale materials.     

Influence of decyl alcohol on the potentiometric behavior of three p-alkylbenzenesulfonate ion-selective electrodes

The influence of decyl alcohol on the potentiometric response of three para-alkylbenzenesulfonate (p-RBS) electrodes is analyzed. The results are clearly dependent on the membrane surface polarity due to the presence of the alcohol. The ionophore was the complex trioctylmethylammonium-p-RBS, (TOMA+)-p-RBS-, with R=H, CH3, and C2H5. The nature of the complex plays a fundamental role on the potentiometric behavior of the electrode showing that the more hydrophobic the complex, the better the potentiometric responses. Moreover, the electrodes selectivities for several hydrophilic and hydrophobic interfering anions were determined. The potentiometric results with interfering anions were coherent with the Pearson's hard and soft acid-base character of these anions.     

Differential potentiometric titrations of binary mixtures of halides with two ion-selective indicator electrodes

Differential potentiometric titrations with two different ion-selective indicator electrodes are described. Ion-selective electrodes for Cl^-, Br^-, I^-, F^-, S^2-, as well as glass and silver billet electrodes were used. The method was tested in the determination of binary mixtures of halides (Cl^-, Br^-, I^-, and F^-) by titration with solutions of silver nitrate, alone and mixed with lanthanum or thorium nitrate as required. Various factors influencing the determination were investigated. Results of simultaneous determinations of mixtures were in good agreement with the results of separate determinations within certain concentration limits. The method was successfully applied to the determination of a four-component halide mixture. Titrations of mixtures of fluoride with thiocyanate or hexacyanoferrate(III), and some other possibilities, are also reported.     

Standard potential values of “cyanide-sensitive” silver iodide and silver sulphide ion-selective electrodes

It is shown that the equation for the potentials of semiconductive sulphide membranes given by Sato 25 years ago is valid also for the calculation of E⁰ values of “cyanide-sensitive” ion-selective electrodes. The only requirement for such an approach to the problem is information on the activities of relevant species in both the solid and the liquid phases. In this way, the E⁰ value given by Pungor and Toth for the silver iodide membrane in cyanide solution was confirmed, and E⁰ for silver sulphide in cyanide solution was evaluated for the first time.     

Coated-wire ion-selective electrodes

Coated-wire ion-selective electrodes were first developed in 1971, and comprise a film of polyvinyl chloride or other suitable polymeric matrix substrate containing a dissolved electroactive species, coated on a conducting substrate (generally a metal, although any material with conductivity substantially higher than that of the film can be used). Electrodes of this sort are simple, inexpensive, durable and capable of reliable response in the concentration range of 10^?1 to 10^?6 M for a wide variety of both organic and inorganic cations and anions. The principles on which these electrodes are based, as well as their application to a variety of analytical problems, will be discussed.     

Neutral-carrier-based ion-selective electrodes

Neutral-carrier-based ion-selective electrodes for the assay of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations have advanced to become the most frequently used potentiometric sensors in clinical chemistry. The major developments since the realization of the first potentiometric cell assemblies utilizing electrically neutral complexing agents (valinomycin and the macrotetrolides) in 1966 are presented.