Solid-state reference electrodes based on carbon nanotubes and polyacrylate membranes

A novel potentiometric solid-state reference electrode containing single-walled carbon nanotubes as the transducer layer between a polyacrylate membrane and the conductor is reported here. Single-walled carbon nanotubes act as an efficient transducer of the constant potentiometric signal originating from the reference membrane containing the Ag/AgCl/Cl⁻ ions system, and they are needed to obtain a stable reference potentiometric signal. Furthermore, we have taken advantage of the light insensitivity of single-walled carbon nanotubes to improve the analytical performance characteristics of previously reported solid-state reference electrodes. Four different polyacrylate polymers have been selected in order to identify the most efficient reservoir for the Ag/AgCl system. Finally, two different arrangements have been assessed: (1) a solid-state reference electrode using photo-polymerised n-butyl acrylate polymer and (2) a thermo-polymerised methyl methacrylate:n-butyl acrylate (1:10) polymer. The sensitivity to various salts, pH and light, as well as time of response and stability, has been tested: the best results were obtained using single-walled carbon nanotubes and photo-polymerised n-butyl acrylate polymer. Water transport plays an important role in the potentiometric performance of acrylate membranes, so a new screening test method has been developed to qualitatively assess the difference in water percolation between the polyacrylic membranes studied. The results presented here open the way for the true miniaturisation of potentiometric systems using the excellent properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes.     

A Three‐Dimensional Origami Paper‐Based Device for Potentiometric Biosensing

Current paper‐based potentiometric ion‐sensing platforms are planar devices used for clinically relevant ions. These devices, however, have not been designed for the potentiometric biosensing of proteins or small molecule analytes. A three‐dimensional origami paper‐based device, in which a solid‐contact ion‐selective electrode is integrated with an all‐solid‐state reference electrode, is described for the first time. The device is made by impregnation of paper with appropriate bioreceptors and reporting reagents on different zones. By folding and unfolding the paper structures, versatile potentiometric bioassays can be performed. A USB‐controlled miniaturized electrochemical detector can be used for simple and in situ measurements. Using butyrylcholinesterase as a model enzyme, the device has been successfully applied to the detection of enzyme activities and organophosphate pesticides involved in the enzymatic system as inhibitors. The proposed 3D origami paper device allows the potentiometric biosensing of proteins and small molecules in a simple, portable, and cost‐effective way.     

Chemically modified electrode based on poly[tetra(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin] as a pH sensor

A chemically modified platinum electrode with coated poly[tetra(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin] has been used as a potentiometric pH sensor. It gives a linear response over the pH range 1.5-13.7 with a slope of 55 mV/pH (at 20 degrees ). The sensor has fair resistance to erosion of hydrofluoric acid and to interference of a coexisting redox couple. The sensor can be used for pH determination and end-point indication for potentiometric titration of hydrofluoric acid with sodium hydroxide. The a.c. impedance of the polymer membrane has also been studied.     

Determination of free nitrilotriacetic acid in environmental water samples by ion chromatography with potentiometric and amperometric detection with a copper electrode

An ion-chromatographic method is described for the analysis of free nitrilotriacetic acid in water samples. Separations are achieved on a polymer-based anion-exchange column with 6 mM nitric acid as eluent. Both potentiometric and amperometric detection have been applied using metallic copper as the indicator electrode. Detection limits are at about 500 ng injected in the potentiometric mode and 100 ng in the amperometric mode. On-line sample preconcentration is possible for volumes up to 2 ml of river water samples. The response of the detector to other aminopolycarboxylic and aminopolyphosphonic acids has been investigated.     

Sulpholane as a solvent for titration of barbiturates and sulpha drugs

Sulpholane (tetramethylenesulphone) has been used as the medium for non-aqueous potentiometric titration of barbiturates and sulpha drugs with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. Recoveries for 0.1-0.3 mmole of barbituric acid, phenobarbital, amobarbital, barbital, secobarbital, sulphapyridine, sulphadiazine and sulphamerazine were generally in the range 99-101%. A glass-calomel electrode system was used: common acid-base indicators give no colour change in the medium used.     

Conductometric and potentiometric titrations of nitrogen bases in non-aqueous solvents

This paper describes an experimental study of the conductometric and potentiometric titrations of nitrogen bases in non-aqeous media. It is shown that for bivalent bases the factors governing the shape of the titration curve are the same as those previously found for dibasic acids, viz. solvent, acid anion, temperature, and distance between basic groups. With the aid of this knowledge a new indifferent solvent system for potentiometric titrations has been developed, which is very attractive for the analysis of mixtures of bases.     

Potentiometric study of the protonation and distribution equilibria of 2-chlorophenol in NaCl medium at 25 degrees C. Construction of a thermodynamic model

The potentiometric determination of the protonation constant of 2-chlorophenol in NaCl media at different ionic strengths and its distribution coefficient between these media and two organic solvents at 25 degrees C are presented. An automated potentiometric system was used, and the determination of the constants was carried out using both graphical and numerical methods. A thermodynamic model using the modified Bromley methodology has been constructed for the prediction of protonation constants and distribution coefficients in NaCl media. The relevance of this study to the development of supported liquid membrane recovery systems is discussed.     

The use of a chloride-selective combination electrode in an automated continuous potentiometric system

The use of a combination chloride-selective electrode is proposed for potentiometric automated measurements. With this type of electrode, potential oscillations can be completely eliminated by earthing the flow-through cell, even at high flow rates. With the chloride electrode, sample rates up to 50 samples/h can be reached. The system has been tested for carry-over at high and low concentration ranges. Accuracy and precision of the system are determined by chloride measurements in mineral water samples.     

Application of personal microcomputers in the analytical laboratory--I: Potentiometric analysis

A novel general-purpose interface-controller unit has been designed and applied in potentiometric analysis. The unit is operated by a personal microcomputer programmed in BASIC. The interface-controller permits direct reading of specific ion-electrodes and can activate, under program control, laboratory instruments such as motor-driven burettes. The interface-controller is expendable to 16 analogue input channels, 16 binary (logic) input lines and 16 control relays but requires only one microcomputer I/O port (a total of 9 I/O lines) to handle all operations. Analogue to digital conversion is realized by counting, with the microcomputer, the output frequency of an analogue-to-frequency converter. This inexpensive method is effective in rejecting interfering signals such as power-line interference. The system has been applied in potentiometric titration analysis for determining the apparent dissociation constants of carbonic acid in sea-water and Dead Sea brines, and for ammonia determination with a gas-sensing electrode.     

A membrane electrode reversible to zinc ions based on a polymer chelating adsorbent

The sorption of a diazocompound on a highly basic anionite has been studied. The analytical properties of the modified adsorbent have been considered. A technology has been proposed for the production of a film membrane Zn-SE utilizing modified amberlite as the ionophore. The composition of the membrane has been optimized and the main potentiometric characteristics of zinc-selective electrode have been determined. The advantages of the proposed Zn-SE construction are explained.     

Selective Potentiometric Measurement of Physiologically Significant Thiols

The reaction of benzoquinone with reduced thiol species has been investigated using potentiometric techniques. The specificity of this reaction for thiol functionality has been briefly assessed and the nature of the electrode response has been elucidated. The system has been characterized in terms of selectivity, sensitivity and the efficacy of using the system for the quantification of thiol containing pharmaceuticals has been demonstrated. The simplicity of the detection methodology is shown to markedly contrast alternative thiol detection strategies. The transfer of the technology to a mass production format through the adoption of screen print electrode formats has been achieved and the efficacy of the approach demonstrated. Recovery experiments using captopril and penicillamine in tissue culture as a model analyte system were performed.     

Potentiometric sensor for determination of neutral bisphenol A using a molecularly imprinted polymer as a receptor

The aim of this paper is to develop a potentiometric sensing methodology for sensitive and selective determination of neutral phenols by using a molecularly imprinted polymer as a receptor. Bisphenol A (BPA), a significant environmental contaminant, is employed as the model target. The BPA-imprinted polymer is synthesized by the semi-covalent technique and incorporated into a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane doped with the tridodecylmethylammonium salt. The present electrode shows a linear anionic potential response over the concentration range from 0.1 to 1 μM with a detection limit of 0.02 μM, and exhibits an excellent selectivity over other phenols. The proposed approach has been successfully applied to the determination of BPA released from real plastic samples. It offers promising potential in development of potentiometric sensors for measuring neutral phenols at trace levels.     

Coated wire silver-ion selective electrode based on a N,N'-bis(2-thienylmethylene)-1,2-diaminobenzene.

A novel membrane coated platinum-wire electrode (MCPWE) based on N,N'-bis(2-thienylmethylene)-1,2-diaminobenzene (BTMD) for highly selective determination of Ag+ ion has been developed. The influences of membrane composition and pH on the potentiometric responses of electrode were investigated. The potentiometric responses are independent of the pH of the test solution in the range of 5.0 - 9.0. The electrode shows a linear response for Ag+ ion over the concentration range of 1.0 x 10(-60 to 1.0 x 10(-1) M with a lower detection limit of 6.0 x 10(-7) M. The electrode possesses a Nernstian slope of 59.7 mV decade(-1) and a fast response time of < or = 17 s and can be used for at least 2 months without any observable deviation. The proposed electrode displayed very good selectivity for Ag+ ion with respect to NH4+ and alkali, alkaline earth and some common transition metal ions. The practical utility of the electrode has been demonstrated by its use as the indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of an AgNO3 solution with a NaI solution and in determination of the silver content of a developed radiological film.     

Effects of ion association of lipophilic quaternary ammonium salts in ion-exchange and potentiometric selectivity

It has been found experimentally and substantiated theoretically that the anion-exchange selectivity in water—lipophilic quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) toluene solutions systems as well as the potentiometric selectivity of plasticized PVC membranes containing QAS, are strongly influenced by ion association. In particular, it has been demonstrated that varying the steric accessibility of QAS exchange center is a powerful tool for the selectivity control. The experimental values of the selectivity change caused by variations in the QAS exchange center steric accessibility were about 3 orders of magnitude when the single-charged ions were exchanged for the single-charged ones and more than seven orders when double-charged ions were exchanged for the single-charged. The above effects have also been observed for the potentiometric selectivity of QAS-based PVC membranes and, to some extent, for the potentiometric selectivity of the neutral anion carrier-based membranes doped by QAS to provide anion permselectivity. This fact is of immediate practical interest for the development of ISE with improved selectivity. The obtained results allow to revise the generally accepted idea of QAS as “nonselective” ion-exchangers and to suggest specific ways for controlling the ion-exchange and potentiometric selectivity using the ion association as a tool.     

A new approach to flow-batch titration. A monosegmented flow titrator with coulometric reagent generation and potentiometric or biamperometric detection

Monosegmented flow analysis (MSFA) has been used as a flow-batch system to produce a simple, robust, and mechanized titrator that enables true titrations to be performed without the use of standards. This paper also introduces the use of coulometry with monosegmented titration by proposing a versatile flow cell. Coulometric generation of the titrand is attractive for titrations performed in monosegmented systems, because the reagent can be added without increasing the volume of sample injected. Also, biamperomeric and potentiometric detection of titration end-points can increase the versatility of the monosegmented titrator. The cell integrates coulometric generation of the titrand with detection of end-point by potentiometry or biamperometry. The resulting titrator is a flow-batch system in which the liquid monosegment, constrained by the interfaces of the gaseous carrier stream, plays the role of a sample of known volume to be titrated. The system has been used for determination of ascorbic acid, by coulometric generation of I₂ with biamperometric detection, and for determination of Fe(II), by coulometric generation of Ce(IV) with potentiometric detection of the end-point, both in feed supplements.     

Rapid automatic potentiometric method for analytical control in the manufacture of extraction phosphoric acid

A rapid automatic method for determination of free sulphuric acid in the manufacture of extraction phosphoric acid from apatite has been developed. It is based on potentiometric titration combined with the Gran approach for linearization of the titration curve. The analysis is done with an automatic potentiometric titrator controlled by an HP-85 microcomputer. BASIC software activates the system to perform the data acquisition and calculations, and the whole operation takes only 7-8 min.     

Studies on the elimination of sulfide interference in the potentiometric determination of chloride using ion selective electrodes in a flow injection system

Detailed investigations have been reported on the application of a common procedure using bromate in nitric acid for the removal of the interference of sulfide in the direct potentiometric determination of chloride using silver-based ion selective electrodes in a flow injection system. It is shown that this procedure is not very efficient and carries a high risk of chloride underestimation. With increasing levels of sulfide the oxidation of chloride to elemental chlorine becomes progressively significant and under certain circumstances virtually no chloride is left irrespective of its initial concentration. Hydrogen peroxide in alkaline medium is proposed as a suitable alternative for the efficient removal of sulfide without any adverse effects on the potentiometric method.     

The automatic titration of primary aromatic amines with nitrous acid

The “dead-stop” and potentiometric systems have been compared as a basis for the automatic titration of primary aromatic amines with nitrous acid; either system can be used but the potentiometric method is more widely applicable and is less subject to interference. Titrations of sulphanilamide and o-anisidine have been made with two commercial titrimeters and with both instruments the results obtained were at least equal in precision to those which would normally be obtained in manual titrations.     

Potentiometric discrimination of neutral forms of nitrophenol isomers by liquid membrane electrodes incorporated with corroles

The results of studies on the use of corrole derivatives as a host ligand in the PVC liquid membrane electrodes and their ability for the potentiometric high-throughput discrimination of nitrophenol guests have been presented. The significance of parameters which govern the mechanism of generation of potentiometric signals such as the attachment of substituents in the corrole structure, acidity and lipophilicity of the guests, and pH of the aqueous solutions has been discussed in details. Supramolecular recognition processes between corroles and para-nitrophenol molecules have been confirmed by independent NMR measurements.     

Electronic tongue based on an array of metallic potentiometric sensors

An electronic tongue system based on the array of six metallic potentiometric sensors (metallic wires) was developed and utilized for discrimination of foodstuffs: several types of vinegar and fruit juices. Copper, tin, iron, aluminum, brass and stainless steel wires were included in the array and supplemented by pH glass electrode. The response of potentiometric metallic sensors towards various organic acids has been studied and possible sensitivity mechanisms were discussed. Overall potential changes of metallic sensors were exanimate as complex mixed signals influenced by several components presenting in analyte employing chemometric approach. The multisensor array of such a type can be useful for several applications since of simplicity in handling, low cost of sensors and easy measure procedure.