A specific enzyme electrode for urea

A truly specific, simple enzyme electrode is described for the assay of urea in blood serum. The sensor used is the newly developed air-gap electrode of R??i?ka and Hansen, and has advantages of speed of response and specificity over earlier enzyme electrodes for urea. Potassium, sodium and ammonium ions and other organic and inorganic species present in blood do not interfere. Linear curves are obtained from 2 · 10^-2M to 1 · 10^-4M urea with slopes close to Nernstian (about 0.90 pH/decade). Urea in blood was assayed with an accuracy of 2.2% and a precision of 2.0% with immobilized urease; only 3–5 min is required per assay. The electrode was used for a month and almost 500 assays with excellent results. Since the sensor never touches the sample solution, problems caused by blood components which block membrane pores are avoided.     

Polymer membrane electrodes: Part I. A choline ester-selective electrode

An electroactive Polyvinylchloride membrane can be prepared which has a Nernstian response towards choline and choline esters. The membrane is prepared from a solution of acetylcholine tetra-p-chlorophenylborate in a phthalate ester which serves as the plasticizer for PVC. The membrane electrode can be used for the kinetic assay of acetylcholine esterase activity. A rate equation is derived which describes the response of the electrode towards simultaneous substrate disappearance and product formation during the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetylcholine.     

A coated-metal enzyme electrode for urea determinations

A potentiometric enzyme electrode is reported in which an enzyme immobilized in polyvinyl chloride is used to coat an antimony metal electrode to detect changes in pH when the electrode is immersed in a solution of the enzyme substrat. As an example, urea is determined in solution by using immobilized urease on an antimony electrode, giving a linear concentration range of 5.0 × 10^-4–1.0 × 10^-2 M urea with a slope of 44 mV per decade change in urea concentration. The response slope is stable for about 1 week, with response times in the range 1–2 min, but with absolute potential changes occurring from day to day.     

Tungsten electrode for urea

Tungsten electrodes for urea were prepared via covalent linking of urease on oxidized metal surfaces in different ways. The most stable electrodes were obtained when tungsten was silanized and activated by glutaraldehyde or hexamethylene diisocyanate. The electrode with urease coupled via glutaraldehyde was tested for optimum conditions of use. The nature of the buffer and its concentration and ionic strength are particularly important.     

An enzyme reactor electrode for urea determinations.

An enzyme reactor electrode system for the determination of urea is described. A buffer is pumped through an enzyme reactor (0.4 ml) containing urease immobilized with glutaraldehyde to glass. The effluent is mixed with sodium hydroxide pumped through a second channel and fed through an ammonia gas electrode. Samples are introduced via a third flow channel and mixed with the buffer. The conversion of urea to ammonia is quantitative for sample concentrations of less than 0.03 M for a flow rate of 40 ml h^-1. The reactor electrode shows a Nernstian slope of 57 mV/decade for 5·10^-5–3·10^-2 M urea. The response is independent of variations in the flow rate, enzyme activity or temperature of the reactor.     

A specific enzyme electrode for L-phenylalanine

A specific enzyme electrode procedure is described for the rapid assay of L-phenyl- alanine. The enzyme L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase is used, which cleaves L-phenyl-alanine to ammonia. The ammonia liberated is measured with an air-gap electrode. The procedure is specific; L-tyrosine and other amino acids do not interfere, nor do Na⁺ or K⁺ ions. As little as 5 · 10^-5 M L-phenylalanine can be determined.     

A miniature enzyme electrode sensitive to urea

Summary Miniature enzyme electrodes sensitive to urea have been made with tip diameters ranging from 50 to 500m by immobilizing the enzyme urease on the tip of an antimony electrode. These electrodes give a linear response in the concentration range of 1.0×10^–4-1.0×10^–2 M urea with a slope of 40–45 mV per decade change in concentration. The response time of these electrodes is less than 1 min and the wash time is 1–2 min. This type of electrode has a minimum life time of 3 months.

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Eine kleine, harnstoffempfindliche Enzymelektrode

Zusammenfassung Harnstoff-sensitive Enzymelektroden mit Spitzendurchmessern zwischen 50 und 500m wurden durch Immobilisierung des Enzyms Urease auf der Spitze einer Antimon-Elektrode hergestellt. Diese Elektroden verhielten sich linear im Konzentrationsbereich 1,0×10^–4–1,0×10^–2 M, und hatten eine Steigerung von 40–45 mV pro Dekade der Konzentrationsänderung. Die Antwortzeit dieser Elektroden liegt unter 1 min und die Auswaschzeit beträgt l–2 min. Diese Art Elektroden hat eine Lebensdauer von mehr als 3 Monaten.

     

Solvent effect on standard electrode potential: Part I. Silver-silver iodide electrode in methanol-water mixtures

The standard potentials of the Pt, H₂ (1 atm); HI (m), X % CH₃OH, Y % H₂O; AgI, Ag cell have been determined in nineteen methanol-water solutions (0–90 wt. % methanol) at eight different temperatures from 20 to 55° C at five intervals. The primary medium effect on hydriodic acid and the thermodynamic functions of the cell have been calculated and discussed in terms of solvation effects.     

Coated wire thorium ion selective electrode: Part I

Coated wire ion selective electrode for thorium ion selective potentiometry was developed. Thorium ion selective coated wire electrodes were prepared by depositing a membrane comprising of Aliquat-336 loaded with Th(NO₃)₆²⁻ ions and poly vinyl chloride in varying proportion. A linear near-Nernstian response with a slope of −29.5 ± 0.3 mV over thorium concentration range of 1 × 10⁻¹–3 × 10⁻⁵ M in constant total nitrate concentration of 6 M was obtained for the electrodes of almost all the composition studied. In spite of small drift in response potential from composition to composition, day to day as well as from electrode to electrode, the slope of potential response line was constant within experimental error. Moreover, the electrode once prepared could be conveniently used over a period of one and half month.     

An iridium-based mercury-film electrode: Part I. Selection of substrate and preparation

A mercury-film electrode with iridium as the substrate has been developed. Various metals were considered as potential electrode substrates, but only iridium was found to possess the desirable properties as a Hg-film substrate. After testing several pretreatment procedures the recommendation is to polish with 1 μm diamond, rinse with chromic acid and cathodize at −2.0 V vs. SCE. Different deposition conditions and solutions were tested for optimizing the conditions of film formation. The use of a square-wave deposition potential and 0.1 M HClO₄ as electrolyte resulted in a dramatic improvement in the formation of a stable Hg film. Finally a complete procedure is given for the formation of a stable Hg film on iridium.     

Potentiometric determinations with the silver sulfide membrane electrode : Part I. Determination of cyanide

The possibilities of the silver sulfide membrane electrode for the determination of cyanide are described; determinations by multiple standard addition and titration have been studied, and interferences have been checked. The determination of cyanide in solutions containing various metal complexes, and the evolution method for separation of hydrogen cyanide are discussed. Automatic titration can be used for samples containing 1 p.p.m. cyanide, and the standard addition method for 1 p.p.b. cyanide.     

A pyrolytic carbon film electrode for voltammetry : Part1. Preparation and General Characterization

The preparation of a pyrolytic carbon film material is described. The stationary silica tube used in the deposition process contains only the graphite substates of a suitable form and size for direct electrode mounting. The deposition conditions were studied systematically at temperatures below 1150°C. The carbon material produced exhibits favourable qualities as an electrode material. The voltammetric behaviour is exemplified with cyclic voltammetry on o-dianisidine (3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine) in 1 M H₂SO₄ and on hexacyanoferrate(II) in 2 M KCl. The results show a satisfactory combination of good electrode kinetics with small reproducible residual currents. Submicromolar levels of o-dianisidine can be determined by differential pulse voltammetry. Dopamine in 0.04 H_sSO₄−0.01 M Na₂SO₄ exhibits quasi-reversible behaviour with no sever poisoning effects. Characteristic microstructural features of the carbon film material are discussed.     

An improved electrode for the assay of urea in blood

An improved urea enzyme electrode is applied for the determination of urea in blood samples. The electrode is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea, and potentiometric detection of the ammonium ion produced. A silicone rubber-based nonactin ammonium ion-selective electrode serves as the sensor. The selectivity coefficients of this electrode were 6.5 for NH₄⁺/K⁺; 750 for NH₄⁺/Na⁺, and much higher for other cations. The reaction layer of the electrode was made of urease enzyme chemically immobilized on polyacrylic gel. The prepared gel was stable at 4° for over four months. The electrodes retained their activity for over one month. A three-electrode system, which allowed dilution to a constant interference level, was applied to avoid interfering effects in blood samples. Analyses of blood sera showed good agreement with a standard spectrophotometric method. Routine clinical assays of blood urea are feasible.     

A self-generating third-order electrode: Part II. Analytical applications of the silver—silver sulphide electrode

Analytical applications of the silver—silver sulphide electrode are illustrated by potentiometric determinations of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions. The stability of the electrode potential in the presence of oxidizing agents is demonstrated by various titrations with silver(I) solutions. The influence of pH on the electrode potential in pure acidic solutions is noted. The electrode used was prepared by electrolytic deposition of silver sulphide on a silver rod; after 2 years, it remained reliable, and was unaffected by light under normal laboratory conditions.     

Athrotaxis alkaloids. Part I. Alkaloids of A. Cupressoides

Eleven homoerythrina-type alkaloids ($\text{tilda1}$-$\text{tilda9}$, $\text{tilda11}$, $\text{tilda12}$) have been isolated from A. cupressoides (Taxodiaceae), of which six ($\text{tilda6}$-$\text{tilda9}$, $\text{tilda11}$,$\text{tilda12}$) had not previously been reported.     

A calixarene-based ion-selective electrode for thallium(I) detection

Three new calixarene Tl⁺ ionophores have been utilized in Tl⁺ ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) yielding Nernstian response in the concentration range of 10⁻²–10⁻⁶ M TlNO₃ with a non-optimized filling solution in a conventional liquid contact ISE configuration. The complex formation constants (log β_IL) for two of the calixarene derivatives with thallium(I) (i.e. 6.44 and 5.85) were measured using the sandwich membrane technique, with the other ionophore immeasurable due to eventual precipitation of the ionophore during these long-term experiments. Furthermore, the unbiased selectivity coefficients for these ionophores displayed excellent selectivity against Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Al³⁺ with moderate selectivity against Pb²⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, H⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺ and Cs⁺, noting that silver was the only significant interferent with these calixarene-based ionophores. When optimizing the filling solution in a liquid contact ISE, it was possible to achieve a lower limit of detection of approximately 8 nM according to the IUPAC definition. Last, the new ionophores were also evaluated in four solid-contact (SC) designs leading to Nernstian response, with the best response noted with a SC electrode utilizing a gold substrate, a poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) ion-to-electron transducer and a poly(methyl methacrylate)–poly(decyl methacrylate) (PMMA–PDMA) co-polymer membrane. This electrode exhibited a slope of 58.4 mV decade⁻¹ and a lower detection limit of 30.2 nM. Due to the presence of an undesirable water layer and/or leaching of redox mediator from the graphite redox buffered SC, a coated wire electrode on gold and graphite redox buffered SC yielded grossly inferior detection limits against the polypyrrole/PVC SC and POT/PMMA–PDMA SC ISEs that did not display signs of a water layer or leaching of SC ingredients into the membrane.     

Hydrodynamic voltammetry at an interdigitated electrode array in a flow channel: Part I. Numerical simulation

This paper describes the numerical simulation of convective diffusion at an interdigitated electrode array, consisting of multiple pairs of microelectrodes held at alternating applied potentials on one wall of a flow channel. The downstream microelectrode of each pair detects species generated at the upstream microelectrode. Concentration profiles in the channel, amperometric response, and signal-to-noise ratios for the detector electrodes are calculated. The simple backward implicit finite difference (BIFD) simulation approach is applicable for a wide range of channel conditions. The upper number of electrode pairs treatable is limited only by computational time. The agreement of the simulation with previous results for a single pair of electrodes under comparable conditions is very good. Substantial improvements in signal-to-noise ratio are predicted for the multi-electrode interdigitated electrode array relative to a single generator-detector pair of equal overall area. Electrode dimensions are discussed for optimum signal/noise ratio. Relative enhancement increases significantly with the number of generator-detector pairs.     

An Enzyme microsensor for urea based on an ammonia gas electrode

A urea microsensor was fabricated by immobilizing urease at the tip (10-μm diameter) of a rapidly responding ammonia gas microelectrode based on antimony. The construction and evaluation of both the urea senson and the ammonia electrode are described in detail. The urea sensor responds to 10^?2?10^?4 M urea in 30–45 s.