A simple optical sensor for cadmium ions assay in water samples using spectrophotometry

A new simple and inexpensive optical chemical sensor for cadmium(II) ions is presented. The cadmium sensing system was prepared by incorporating 2-amino-cyclopentene-1-dithiocarboxylic acid (ACDA) on a triacetylcellulose membrane. The absorption spectra of the optical sensor membrane in Cd(II) solution showed a maximum peak at 430 nm. The proportionality in intensity of the membrane color on the optode to varying amounts of Cd(II) suggests its potential applications for screening Cd(II) in aqueous samples by visual colorimetry. The sensor provided a wide concentration range of 3.0 × 10⁻⁶–3.4 × 10⁻⁴ M of Cd(II) ions with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ M (0.2 μg/mL). The relative standard deviations for eight replicate measurements of 8.0 × 10⁻⁶ and 5.0 × 10⁻⁵ M Cd(II) were 2.7 and 2.3%, respectively. The response time of the optode was 6 min. The influence of interfering ions on the determination of 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M Cd(II) was studied and the main interferences were removed by extraction method. The sensor was applied to the determination of Cd(II) in water samples.     

Novel Potentiometric PVC‐Membrane and Coated Graphite Sensors for Lanthanum(III)

Preliminary theoretical studies revealed the selective complexation of bis (2‐mercaptoanil) diacetyl (BMDA) with La³⁺ over several alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metal ions. Thus, novel PVC‐based membrane (PBM) and coated graphite membrane (CGM) sensors for La(III) based on BMDA were prepared. The electrodes display Nernstian behavior over wide concentration ranges (i.e., 1.0×10^?5–1.0×10^?1 M for PBM and 1.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?1 M for CGM). The potential response of sensors was pH independent in the range of 4.0–8.0. The sensors possess satisfactory reproducibility, fast response time (<15 s), and specially excellent discriminating ability for La³⁺ ions with respect to most of the cations. The membrane sensor was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of lanthanum ions with EDTA. The coated graphite membrane electrode was applied in determination of fluoride ions in mouth wash preparations.     

Subnanomolar determination of a beryllium ion by a novel Be(II) microsensor based on 4-nitrobenzo-9-crown-3-ether

In this work, for the first time, we introduce a highly selective and sensitive Be(II) microsensor. 4-nitrobenzo-9-crown-3-ether (NBCE) was used as a membrane-active component to prepare a Be(II)-selective polymeric membrane microelectrode. The electrode exhibits a Nernstian response toward Be(II) ions over a very wide concentration range (1.0 × 10⁻⁴–1.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ M), with a detection limit of 3.5 × 10⁻¹¹ M (∼350 pg/L). In fact, the electrode presents a fast response time in the whole concentration range (6 s). The proposed microelectrode can be used for at least six weeks without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The proposed membrane sensor revealed a selectivity toward Be(II) ions over a wide variety of other metal ions including common alkali, alkaline-earth, and rare-earth ions. It could be used in the pH range of 3.0–11.5. The microelectrode was successfully used as an indicator electrode for the titration of 20 mL of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ M Be²⁺ solution with 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M of EDTA. It was also applied to the direct determination of beryllium ions in beryl and binary mixtures. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Fabrication of an iron(III)-selective PVC membrane sensor based on a bis-bidentate Schiff base ionophore

A Fe³⁺ ion-selective membrane sensor was fabricated from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix membrane containing bis-bidentate Schiff base (BBS) as a neutral carrier, sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) as anionic excluder, and o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE) as a plasticizing solvent mediator. The effects of the membrane composition, pH, and additive anionic influence on the response properties were investigated. The best performance was obtained with a membrane containing 32% PVC, 62.5% NPOE, 3% BBS, and 2.5% NaTPB. The electrode shows a Nernstian behavior (slope of 19.3 ± 0.6) over a very wide iron ion concentration range (1.0 × 10⁻⁷–1.0 × 10⁻² M) and has a low detection limit (7.4 × 10⁻⁸ M). The potentiometric response of the sensor is independent of pH of the solution in the pH range 1.9–5.1. The proposed sensor has a very low response time (<15 s) and a good selectivity relative to a wide variety of other metal ions including common alkali, alkaline earth, heavy, and transition metal ions. The electrode can be used for at least 60 days without any considerable divergence in potentials. The proposed sensor was successfully applied as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of 1.0 × 10⁻² M Fe³⁺ ions with a 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M EDTA and the direct determination of Fe³⁺ in mineral water and wastewater samples.     

A PVC plasticized membrane sensor for nickel ions

A new PVC membrane sensor, which is highly selective towards Ni (II) ions, has been developed using a thiophene-derivative Schiff base as the ionophore. The best performance was exhibited by the membrane having the composition percentage ratio of 5:3:61:31 (ionophore:NaTPB:DBP:PVC) (w/w), where NaTPB is the anion excluder, sodium tetraphenylborate and DBP is the plasticizing agent (dibutyl phthalate). The membrane exhibited a good Nernstian response for nickel ions over the concentration range of 1.0 × 10⁻¹–5.0 × 10⁻⁶ M (limit of detection is 1.8 × 10⁻⁶ M) with a slope of 29.5 ± 1.0 mV per decade of activity. It has a fast response time of <20 s and can be used for a period of 4 months with good reproducibility. The sensor is suitable for use in aqueous solutions of a wide pH range of 3.2–7.9. The sensor shows high selectivity to nickel ions over a large number of mono-, bi- and trivalent cations. It has been successfully used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of nickel ions against EDTA and also for direct determination of nickel content in real samples – wastewater samples from electroplating industries and Indian chocolates.     

Design of a Novel Gadolinium Optical Sensor Based on Immobilization of (Z)-N′-((Pyridine-2-yl) Methylene) Thiophene-2-carbohydrazide on a Triacetylcellulose Membrane and Its Application to the Urine Samples

Abstract

In this work, for the first time we report a highly selective and sensitive Gd(III) optical sensor based on immobilization of (Z)-N′-((pyridine-2-yl) methylene) thiophene-2-carbohydrazide (PMTC) on a triacetylcellulose membrane. This optode exhibits a linear range 5.0 × 10^?8 to 2.0 × 10^?5 M of Gd(III) ion concentration with a detection limit of 1.1 × 10^?8 M. The response time of the newly designed optode was within 1–2 min, depending on the Gd(III) ion concentration. The response of the sensor is independent of the pH solution in the range of 2.0–9.0. It manifests advantages of low detection limit, fast response time, and most significant, very good selectivity with respect to a number of lanthanide ions (La, Ce, Sm, and Eu ions). The proposed sensor could be successfully regenerated with a thiourea solution. Its response was reversible and reproducible (RSD less than 1.3%). This optode was applied to the determination of Gd(III) in synthetic and real samples.     

Highly-sensitive ion selective electrode based on molecularly imprinted polymer particles for determination of tetracycline in aqueous samples

In this work, a highly-sensitive polymeric membrane ion selective electrode for determination of tetracycline was constructed by using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles as quasi-ionophore. The water-compatible MIP particles targeting tetracycline were synthesized with tetracycline as a template molecule, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker, 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and lanthanum ion as a mediator. Benefited from the distinctive performance of the quasi-ionophore and the optimized composition of the membrane and the inner filling solution, the lower detection limit of the electrode was decreased to about 1 × 10⁻⁸ mol/l. It exhibited a good electrode slope 59.8 mV/decade near the theoretical Nernstian one, with a wide linear working range from 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.0 × 10⁻³ mol/l. Due to the specific recognition of tetracycline by the MIP particles, the selectivity coefficients for routine interferences were less than 10⁻⁴. The fabricated electrode should be used in pH 2–4, response time of which was less than 200 s when the concentration of tetracycline was higher than 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/l and no more than 30 min at the concentration of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol/l. Finally, the proposed highly-sensitive ion selective electrode has been successfully applied to the determination of tetracycline in aqueous samples.     

Construction of a Highly Selective and Sensitive La(III) Sensor Based on N‐(2‐Pyridyl)‐N′‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐thiourea for Nano Level Monitoring of La(III) Ions

N‐(2‐Pyridyl)‐N′‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐thiourea (PMPT) was found to be a suitable neutral ion carrier for the construction of a highly selective and sensitive La(III) membrane sensor. Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) based membranes of PMPT with potassium tetrakis (p‐chlorophenyl) borate (KTpClPB) as an anionic excluder and oleic acid (OA), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl acetate (BA) and o‐nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE) as plasticizing solvent mediators were constructed and investigated as La(III) membrane sensors. A membrane composed of PMPT‐PVC‐KTpClPB‐BA with the ratio 8.0 : 35.0 : 3.0 : 54.0 works well over a very wide concentration range (4.0×10^?8 to 1.0×10^?1 M) with a Nernstian slope of 19.6±0.2 mV per decade of activity between pH values of 4.0 and 9.0. The detection limit of the sensor was calculated to be 2.0×10^?8 M (ca. 3.0 ppb). The sensor displays very good discrimination toward La(III) ions with regard to most common metal ions and lanthanide ions. The proposed sensor shows a short response time for whole concentration range (ca. 12 s). For evaluation of the analytical applicability of the La(III) sensor, it was successfully used as an indicator electrode for the titration of La(III) ions with EDTA. It was also applied to the determination of fluoride content of two mouth wash preparation samples and monitoring of La(III) ions in some binary and ternary mixtures.     

Lanthanum-selective sensors based on 3-amino-2-mercapto-3H-quinazolin-4-one in PVC matrix

A new solvent polymeric membrane (PME) and coated graphite (CGE) electrodes based on 3-amino-2-mercapto-3H-quinazolin-4-one as a suitable carrier for La(III) ion are described. The sensors exhibited a Nernstian response for La(III) ion over a wide concentration range (3.0 × 10^?7 to 1.0 × 10^?1 M for PME and 1.0 × 10^?7 to 1.0 × 10^?1 M for CGE) with a slope of 20.1 ± 0.3 (PME) and 23.4 ± 0.4 (CGE) mV decade^?1. The lower detection limits by PME and CGE were 2.0 × 10^?7 and 7.1 × 10^?8 M, respectively. The potentiometric response of the proposed electrodes was independent of the pH of the test solution in the pH range 3.0–9.0 with a fast response time (<10 s). The applications of prepared sensors were demonstrated in the determination of lanthanum ions in spiked water sample and also utilized for indirect determination of fluoride content of two mouth wash preparation samples.     

Fluoride determination in some mouth wash preparations by a novel La(III) graphite coated membrane sensor based on amitraz

Solution studies on the binding properties of N-2,4-dimethylphenyl-N′-ethylformamidine (amitraz) toward nine lanthanide ions including lanthanum, cerium, neodium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, ytterbium and some other transition and heavy metal ions such as copper, lead, cobalt, nickel ions, showed a selective 1:1 complexation between amitraz and lanthanum ions. Consequently, amitraz was applied as an ion carrier in construction of a novel poly(vinyl chloride) membrane sensor for La(III). The sensor has a linear dynamic range of 1.0 × 10⁻¹ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ M with a Nernstian slope of 19.8 ± 0.2 mV per decade and a detection limit of 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ M. The proposed sensor displays a fast response time (<8 s), and can be used for at least 2 months without any considerable divergences in the potentials. The La(III) membrane sensor revealed comparatively good selectivity with respect to most of cations including alkaline, alkaline earth, and some transition and heavy metal ions. It could be used in a pH range of 3.0-9.0. The proposed membrane electrode was used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of La(III) ions with an EDTA solution, and also in the determination of fluoride concentration in some mouth wash preparations.     

Novel Ytterbium(III) Selective Membrane Sensor Based on N‐(2‐Pyridyl)‐N′‐(2‐Methoxyphenyl)‐Thiourea as an Excellent Carrier and Its Application to Determination of Fluoride in Mouth Wash Preparation Samples

The construction, performance, and applications of a novel ytterbium(III) sensor based on N‐(2‐pyridyl)‐N′‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐thiourea (PMT), as an excellent carrier, in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) PVC matrix, is described. The influences of membrane composition and pH on the potentiometric response of the sensor were investigated. The sensor exhibits a nice Nernstian response for Yb(III) ion over a wide concentration range of 4 decades of concentration (1.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?2 M), and a detection limit of 5.0×10^?7 M. The response time of the electrodes is between 8 and 10 s, depending on the concentration of ytterbium(III) ions. The proposed sensor can be used for about 8 weeks without any considerable divergence in potential. The sensor revealed very good selectivity for Yb(III) in the presence of several metal ions. The best performance was observed for the membrane containing; 30% PVC, 59% o‐nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE) as solvent mediator, 7% PMT, and 4% sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB). It was successfully applied as indicator electrodes in the potentiometric titration of Yb(III) with EDTA and for the determination of fluoride ion in two mouth wash formulations. The proposed La(III) sensor was found to work well under laboratory conditions. It was also used as an indicator electrode in titration of a 1.0×10^?4 M of Yb(III) with a standard EDTA solution (1.0×10^?2 M). It was also used for determination of Yb(III) ion in Xenotime .     

Cobalt(II)-selective membrane sensor based on a [Me2(13)dieneN4] macrocyclic cobalt complex

A new poly(vinyl chloride)-based membrane was fabricated with the cobalt(II) complex of 2,4-dimethyl-1,5,8,11-tetraazacyclotrideca-1,4-diene [Me₂(13)dieneN₄] as an ion carrier. The membrane composition was Co²⁺ complex/PVC/NaTPB/DBP 15:50:15:20 (w/w). The sensor exhibited a Nernstian response for Co²⁺ ions over a wide concentration range (7.94×10⁻⁶–1.0×10⁻¹ M) at pH 2.5–7.0, a response time of 10 s, and it could be used for 3 months without any significant divergence in potential. The proposed membrane sensor exhibited good selectivity for Co²⁺ over a wide variety of other metal ions and in mixtures containing up to 25% (v/v) non-aqueous content. The sensor was successfully used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of Co²⁺ with EDTA and the direct determination of Co²⁺ in real samples.     

A microchip sensor for calcium determination

A newly designed glass-PDMS microchip-based sensor for use in the determination of Ca²⁺ ions has been developed, utilizing reflectance measurements from arsenazo III (1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid-2,7-bis[(azo-2)-phenyl arsenic acid]) immobilized on the surface of polymer beads. The beads, produced from cross-linked poly(p-chloromethylstyrene) (PCMS), were covalently modified with polyethylenimine (PEI) to which the Arsenazo III could be adsorbed. The maximum amount of Arsenazo III which could be immobilized onto the PEI-attached PCMS beads was found to be 373.71 mg g⁻¹ polymer at pH 1. Once fabricated, the beads were utilized at the detection point of the microfluidic sensor device with a fiber optic assembly for reflectance measurements. Samples were mobilized past the detection point in the sensor where they interact with the immobilized dye. The sensor could be regenerated and re-used by rinsing with HCl solution. The pH, voltage, linear range, and the effect of interfering ions were evaluated for Ca²⁺ determination using this microchip sensor. At the optimum potential, 0.8 kV, and pH 9.0, the linear range of the microchip sensor was 3.57 × 10⁻⁵ – 5.71 × 10⁻⁴ M Ca²⁺, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.68 × 10⁻⁵ M. The microchip biosensor was then applied for clinical analysis of calcium ions in serum with good results. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Application of 8-amino-N-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)naphthyl amine as a neutral ionophore in the construction of a lanthanum ion-selective sensor

In this work, a novel La(III) membrane sensor based on 8-amino-N-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)naphthylamine (AIP) is presented. This electrode reveals good selectivity for La³⁺ over a wide variety of lanthanides metal ions. Theoretical calculations and conductance study of AIP to lanthanum and some other metal ions were carried out and confirmed selectivity toward La(III) ions. The electrode comprises 7% AIP, 30% PVC, 61% NPOE and 2% KTpClPB. The sensor displays a linear dynamic range between 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ and 1.0 × 10⁻¹ M, with a nice Nernstian slope of 20.3 ± 0.3 mV per decade and a detection limit of 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ M. The potentiometric response is independent of pH in the range of 4.0-9.0. The proposed sensor posses the advantage of short response time, and especially, very good selectivity towards a large number of cations, such as Sm(III), Ce(III, Pr(III), Yb(III) and Hg(II), low detection limit and wide linear dynamic range in comparison with former ones. The electrode can be used for at least seven weeks without any considerable divergence in the potentials. It was used as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of La(III) ions with EDTA. The sensor was applied to the determination of La(III) ions concentration in binary mixtures. It was also applied for the determination of fluoride ions in mouth wash preparations.     

Design and characteristics of tin (II) optode based on immobilization of dithizone on a triacetylcellulose membrane and its application in canned foods

Abstract  

The characterization of an optical sensor membrane is described for the determination of tin (II) based on the immobilization of dithizone on a triacetylcellulose membrane. The membrane responds to tin (II) ions by changing color reversibly from green to red in buffer solution at pH 6 and wavelength 611 nm. This optode has a linear range of 0.3–6.33 μg cm⁻³ (2.52–53.32 μmol dm⁻³) of Sn²⁺ ions with a limit of detection of 0.15 μg cm⁻³ (1.26 μmol dm⁻³). The response time of the optode was about 8–10 min depending on the concentration of Sn²⁺ ions. The selectivity of the optode to tin (II) ions at pH 6 was good. The sensor can be readily regenerated by exposure with EDTA solution. The color is fully reversible, and the optical sensor could be fully regenerated. Experimental results showed that the optode could be used as an effective tool in analyzing the tin content in canned foods.     

A Novel Holmium(III) Membrane Sensor Based on N‐(1‐Thien‐2‐Ylmethylene)‐1,3‐Benzothiazol‐2‐Amine

Abstract

A novel plasticized membrane sensor for Ho(III) ions based on N‐(1‐thien‐2‐ylmethylene)‐1,3‐benzothiazol‐2‐amine (TBA) as a neutral carrier was prepared. The best performance was obtained with a membrane composition of 31% PVC, 61% benzyle acetate, 2% sodium tetra phenyl borate and 6% carrier. The electrode exhibits a Nernstian response for Ho(III) ions over a particular concentration range (1.0×10^?5?1.0×10^?2 M) with a slope of 19.7±0.2 mV decade^?1. The limit of the detection is 7.0×10^?6 M. The sensor has a response time of <15 s and a useful working pH range of 4.0–9.5. The proposed sensor discriminates relatively well towards Ho(III) ions with regard to common alkali, alkaline earth, and specially lanthanide ions. It was successfully applied as an indicator electrode in a potentiometric titration of Ho(III) ions with EDTA. It was also applied in determination of fluoride ions in a mouth wash preparation. The proposed sensor was applied for the determination of Ho(III) ion concentration in binary mixtures.     

Extractive separation of a lanthanum tracer from preparations on a calcium carrier obtained from steel samples

The separation of lanthanum from calcium and a number of radioisotopes of other elements by extraction with alkylphosphoric acids and tri-n-butylphosphate has been studied. A quantitative method has been developed for the separation of a lanthanum tracer from neutron-irradiated preparations on a calcium carrier, obtained from the steel-making process. This method improves the detectability of¹⁴⁰La (from 5·10⁻⁷ to 10⁻¹⁰ g of La) by γ-ray spectrometry with a scintillation counter, and enables semiquantitative determination of lanthanum with a liquid GM tube, the error involved being about 100% for La contents >10⁻⁸ g, and about 30% for La contents >10⁻⁷ g.     

Development of a novel nitrite amperometric sensor based on poly(toluidine blue) film electrode

A novel sensor for the determination of nitrite anion () was fabricated by electrodeposition of toluidine blue. The sensor exhibited good catalytic activity toward the electrochemical oxidation of nitrite. Amperometry was carried out to determine the concentration of . A linear response in the range from 1.0×10⁻⁷ to 1.52×10⁻⁵ M with a substantially low detection limit of 5×10⁻⁸ M (S/N=3) was obtained. The proposed sensor had a feature of high sensitivity of 4.7×10⁵ μA M⁻¹ cm⁻². The possible interference from several common ions was tested. This sensor was applied to the amperometric determination of nitrite in food samples, and the results were consistent with those obtained with the standard spectrophotometric procedure.     

Aluminium(III)-selective electrode based on a newly synthesized glyoxal-<Emphasis Type="Italic">bis</Emphasis>-thiosemicarbazone Schiff base

A PVC membrane electrode for Al³⁺ based on glyoxal-bis-thiosemicarbazone (GBTC) as an ion carrier was developed. The electrode exhibits a Nernstian slope of 20.1 mV per decade and a linear range of 1.8 × 10⁻⁵−1.0 × 10⁻¹ M for Al(NO₃)₃ with a detection limit of 8.7 × 10⁻⁶ M. It has a fast response time of about 10 s and can be used for at least 1 month. The proposed membrane sensor revealed a good selectivity for Al³⁺ over a wide variety of other metal ions and could be used in the pH range of 2.5–4.5. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

An optode membrane for determination of gold using a simple light-emitting diode-based device

Abstract  

A selective optode based on immobilization of 5-(p-dimethylaminobenzylidene)rhodanine on a triacetylcellulose membrane was developed for quantitative determination of Au(III). The determination procedure was performed using a simple light-emitting diode (LED)-based device as a new effort to overcome low reproducibility and repeatability problems which usually accompany optode-based determinations. The results obtained were compared with those of conventional spectrophotometric methods. The response characteristics of the sensor including dynamic range, reproducibility, response time, and lifetime are discussed in detail. This sensor was used for the determination of Au(III) in ore and electroplating liquid effluent samples with satisfactory results in comparison with flame atomic absorption spectroscopy as standard method. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration plot was linear in the concentration range of 0.3–6.0 μg cm⁻³. The relative standard deviations for five replicate determinations of 1.0 μg cm⁻³ Au(III) and the corresponding limits of detection were 1.76% and 0.12 μg cm⁻³, respectively.