Experimental study on stability of different solid contact arrangements of ion-selective electrodes

Comparison of potentials stability of different types of solid contact lead selective electrodes is presented. Conducting polymer based sensors (hydrophilic and conducting - poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or hydrophobic and semiconducting-polyoctylthiophene) were studied in parallel with coated wire and hydrogel (poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate)) contact electrodes. The within day and between days potential stability was compared, highlighting the effect of sensor storing conditions. The obtained results clearly demonstrate that different conclusions on stability of sensors’ potential can be drawn depending on experimental protocol applied. Polyoctylthiophene based contacts show superior within day stability with no influence of dry storage. On the other hand, a chronopotentiometric method of stability evaluation clearly prefers poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) based sensors, pointing to smallest resistance and polarizability. It is clearly shown that the choice of experimental conditions applied to test stability can favor particular type of contact used.The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with laser ablation (LA-ICP-MS) experiments conducted for different arrangements tested has shown that for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) type contacts longer contact time with lead(II) solution results in changes in the elemental composition of the transducer layer. On the other hand, in line with high stability observed under potentiometric conditions, no changes were seen for polyoctylthiophene based transducer.     

Effect of interferents present in the internal solution or in the conducting polymer transducer on the responses of ion-selective electrodes

The effect of interferents present on the opposite side of the Pb²⁺-selective membrane has been studied for both internal solution and all-solid-state sensors with a conducting polymer (CP) transducer. For interferents with moderate selectivity coefficients (sodium cations) present in the internal solution or in the CP transducer phase, super-Nernstian responses were obtained. For sensors containing strongly discriminated interferents (lithium ions), however, responses typical of conventional electrodes are observed, despite the low activity of primary ions on the opposite side of the membrane. This effect is attributed to hindered incorporation of interfering ions into the membrane, which also impairs the long term stability of the potential. Because of the relatively small absolute amounts of interferents in the transducer of all-solid-state sensors, their exchange for primary ions occurs quickly. Thus, transformation of the sensor to one with a micromolar detection limit and high potential stability is observed.      

Regioregular poly(thiophene-3-alkanoic acid)s: water soluble conducting polymers suitable for chromatic chemosensing in solution and solid state

Regioregular polythiophenes with pendant carboxylic acid functionality, poly(thiophene-3-propionic acid) (PTPA, 3) and poly(thiophene-3-octanoic acid) (PTOA, 4), were prepared as water soluble conducting polymers and their chemosensory response was studied. Treatment with aqueous base generated intensely colored water soluble conducting polymer salts, with the color varying both as a function of counter ion size and length of the carboxyalkyl substituent. PTPA showed a different colorimetric response to each of the alkali earth metals whereas the longer chain PTOA was only sensitive to ions larger than Et₄N⁺. Distinct color changes were also noted in studies of divalent cations known to selectively bind carboxylates, such as Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Cd²⁺. Cast films of PTPA have been found to act as sensors to acid vapor (Δλ_max of up to 132 nm). IR shows that the polymer self-assembles upon HCl vapor exposure, and that the process is completely reversible, leading to a good solid-state sensor for acids. This work demonstrates that regioregular polythiophenes containing acid side-chains have tremendous potential in the development of new sensors.     

A comparative study of liquid and solid inner contact roxatidine acetate ion-selective electrode membranes

A comparative study was conducted using two designs of a roxatidine acetate (ROX)-selective electrode; a conventional liquid inner contact called electrode A and a graphite-coated solid contact called electrode B. The fabrication of electrodes was based on roxatidine-tetraphenylborate (ROX-TPB) as an ion-association complex in a PVC matrix using different plasticizers. Electrode A has a linear dynamic range of 2.2×10-5 mol/L to 1.0×10-2 mol/L, with a Nernstian slope of 54.7 mV/decade and a detection limit of 1.4×10-6 mol/L. Electrode B shows linearity over the concentration range of 1.0×10-6 mol/L to 1.0×10-2 mol/L, with a Nernstian slope of 51.2 mV/decade and a limit of detection of 1.1×10-7 mol/L which is remarkably improved as a result of diminishing ion fluxes in this solid contact, ion-selective electrode. The proposed sensors display useful analytical characteristics for the determination of ROX in bulk powder and its pharmaceutical formulation. The present electrodes show clear discrimination of ROX from several inorganic, organic ions, sugars, some common drug excipients and the degradation product (3-[3-(1-piperidinyl methyl) phenoxy] propyl amine) of ROX. Furthermore, the proposed electrodes were utilized for the determination of ROX in human plasma, where electrode B covers drug Cmax which indicated its applicability to pharmacokinetic, bioavailability and bioequivalent studies. The results obtained by the proposed electrodes were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by a reported HPLC method. No significant difference for either accuracy or precision was observed.     

Study of electrochemical stability of conducting polymers by bidimensional spectroelectrochemistry: p- and n-doping of poly(4,4′-bis(butylthio)-2,2′-bithiophene) films

UV-vis bidimensional spectroelectrochemistry has been applied to the study of the electrochemical stability of conducting polymer films during p- and n-doping processes. Specifically, poly(4,4′-bis(butylthio)-2,2′-bithiophene) has been chosen as example to prove the usefulness and suitability of this multi-response technique to characterize polymer stability during p- and n-doping. It was found that oxidative doping and corresponding de-doping alone did not result in noticeable polymer film degradation. However, in experiments involving both p- and n-doping of this conducting polymer, soluble species arising from the polymer film were detected in solution for the first time, indicating a lower electrochemical stability of the film under these experimental conditions. Moreover, bidimensional spectroelectrochemistry has enabled us not only to detect the soluble degradation products, but also the potential range in which the degradation takes place.     

Response of polyacrylamide—acyclic poly(oxyethylene)-coated ion-selective electrodes to alkali and alkaline earth metal ions in propylene carbonate and its thermodynamic application

The response of ion-selective electrodes with a membrane of polyacrylamide (PAA) coupled to acyclic poly(oxyethylene) neutral carriers to lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and barium ions in propylene carbonate (PC) was investigated. Tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether (POE4) and hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (POE6) were used as the acyclic poly(oxyethylene). Both the PAA-POE4 and the PAA-POE6 electrodes showed a more rapid dynamic response in PC than that in acetonitrile. Nernstian responses to lithium, magnesium and barium ions were obtained with the PAA-POE4 electrode. The selectivity coefficients, logk_Ba²⁺,M^x+, for lithium, sodium, potassium and magnesium ions vs. barium ion obtained in PC with the PAA-POE4 electrode were 3.6, 0.23, 0.02 and 1.1, respectively. The PAA-POE4 electrode was applied to obtain the successive formation constants of the barium ion in PC with N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMA). From the successive formation constants obtained in PC-rich solutions, the Gibbs free energies of transfer of the barium ion from PC to DMA and to PC-DMA mixtures were calculated. The electrode was also used to obtain directly the Gibbs free energies of transfer of the barium ion from PC to PC-DMA mixtures. The calculated values of the free energies were in good agreement with the values obtained experimentally, suggesting that the electrode responded to variations in solvation energy for the barium ion.     

Reaction, diffusion and migration in conducting polymer electrodes: analysis of the steady-state amperometric response

The processes of reaction, diffusion and electromigration of a charged substrate within an electronically conducting polymer film deposited on an inert supporting electrode are examined in terms of a quantitative analysis and solution of the pertinent differential equations. An analytical expression for the concentration profiles of substrate within the polymer layer is derived and a theoretical expression for the corresponding steady-state amperometric current response is presented. The transport and kinetics of the substrate are discussed in terms of a dimensionless reaction/diffusion parameter γ and a migration/diffusion parameter β. Received: 13 March 1998 / Accepted: 17 July 1998     

Long-term equilibrium potential and electrochemical impedance study of Ag/AgCl electrodes used in Harned Cell measurements of pH

A long term study of the voltage and electrochemical impedance characteristics of Ag/AgCl electrodes used in Harned Cell measurement of pH is presented. By all the measures investigated the electrodes are shown to degrade only slowly until approximately 200 days after manufacture, after which time the rate of degradation and critical failure of the electrodes increases. The absolute voltage drift of the electrodes may not be easily measured, so parameters determined directed or indirectly by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been assessed as a method to produce an alternative indication of electrode integrity. In this respect, resistance to charge transfer has been shown to be a very sensitive measure of changes in the characteristics of the electrodes, and the most closely related to the observed changes in voltage. Evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that the majority of electrode degradation (excluding critical failure) comes from the increased blocking of the microporous structure of the electrodes.     

A study of the conformational stability of poly(β-benzyl l-aspartate), poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate) and poly(β-benzyl l-aspartate)/poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate) blend in the solid state by variable-temperature C CP/MAS NMR

¹³C CP/MAS NMR experiments on polypeptides, poly(β-benzyl l-aspartate) (PBLA), poly(γ-benzyl l-glutamate) (PBLG) and PBLA/PBLG blend have been carried out, in order to elucidate the conformational stability of the polypeptides in the solid state over a wide range of temperatures and its blending effect. The PBLA/PBLG blend with a mixture ratio of 1/1 is prepared by adding trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solution to alkaline water (TFA-alkaline treatment). From these experimental results, it is found that the conformation of PBLA in the PBLA/PBLG blend sample is changed from left-handed helix (α_L-helix and/or ω_L-helix) form to the α_R-helix form, and then the origin of the formation of the α_R-helix form in PBLA comes from the existence of PBLG. Further, from the variable-temperature ¹³C CP/MAS NMR experiments results, it is shown that the conformational behavior of PBLA in the PBLA/PBLG blend is similar to that of the TFA-alkaline treated PBLA, and also the conformational behavior of PBLG in the PBLA/PBLG blend is similar to that of the TFA-alkaline treated PBLG.     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of griseofulvin surface molecularly imprinted polymers as the selective solid phase extraction sorbent in rat plasma samples

In present study, an investigation was carried out to develop and validate an analytical method for the selective extraction and determination of griseofulvin (GSF) from plasma samples. For this purpose, a rational approach was made to synthesize and characterize the surface molecularly imprinted polymers (SMIPs). The SMIPs were utilized as solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents. The SMIPs were prepared by using GSF as template molecule on the surface of modified silica particles through a non-covalent technique. The particles demonstrated high adsorption capacity (119.1 µg/mL), fast adsorption equilibrium time (30 min) and good recognition selectivity for the template drug. The scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy were used to explain the structural and morphological characteristics of the SMIPs and surface non-imprinted polymers. The SPE method was combined with HPLC for plasma analysis. The method validation results demonstrated that the established method possessed good linearity for GSF ranging from 0.1 to 50 µg/mL (R² = 0.997). The limit of detection for this method was 0.02 µg/mL for rat plasma samples. The recoveries of GSF from spiked plasma samples were (90.7–97.7%) and relative standard deviations were (0.9–4.5%). Moreover, the SMIPs as selective SPE sorbent can be reused more than 8 times which is a clear advantage over commercial SPE sorbents. Finally, the usefulness of the proposed strategy was assessed by extraction and detection of GSF in real rat plasma samples.