A urea-sensing membrane electrode for whole blood measurements

The construction and properties of a new urea-sensing membrane electrode capable of making direct urea measurements in whole blood are described. The electrode has a layered structure in which a small quantity of EDTA-stabilized urease enzyme solution is held between an external dialysis membrane and the gas-permeable membrane of a conventional ammonia selective electrode. It is shown that the electrode functions reliably in whole blood samples, used with minimal pretreatment, as well as in serum or aqueous solutions. The range, dynamic response, lifetime, precision, and accuracy of the electrode system are appropriate for clinical measurements in whole blood or serum, and promise to simplify such analyses with an attendant reduction in costs.     

Selective kinetic determination of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate with an ammonia gas-sensing electrode

The coenzyme pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) is deiermined by in situ measurement of the rate of ammonia production using a potentiometric gas-sensing membrane electrode. It is shown that the initial rate of ammonia liberation from L-tryptophan by action of tryptophanase apoenzyme and the coenzyme can be linearly related to PLP levels in the nanogram range with minimal interference from related compounds. Calibration data for the 1 × 10^-7–2.5 × 10^-6 M range for PLP yielded a least-squares equation of rate (mV min^-1) = (0.64 ± 0.01) C — 0.01 ± 0.02 with a standard error of 0.02 mV min^-1, where concentration, C, is expressed in units of 10^-7 mol l^-1.     

Dynamic behavior of potentiometric ammonia-sensing probes in samples of high osmolarity

Results are presented for potentiometric ammonia gas-sensors which show that the response times increase significantly with age of the sensor when ammonium picrate is used as internal electrolyte and the samples have greater osmolarities than the internal electrolyte solution. A build-up of ammonium picrate crystals on the inner side of the gas-permeable membrane is responsible for this increasein response time. The use of ammonium chloride as internal electrolyte provides constant response times indepent of sample osmotic strength, and is recommended as a means of ensuring that optimal dynamic response characteristics are maintained.     

A theory of glass electrode response

Summary The response of glass electrodes to rapid changes in ion concentrations is considered from a theoretieal viewpoint. An expression is derived which describes the potential vs. time behavior of glass eleotrodes in terms of a new constant which may be useful in the characterization and selection of glass compositions. Agreement between glass electrode response predicted by the theory and available experimental data is excellent.

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Zusammenfassung Die Ansprechbarkeit von Glaselektroden auf rasche Änderungen der Ionenkonzentration wird vom theoretischen Standpunkt aus erörtert. Eine Gleichung wird abgeleitet, die das Elektrodenpotential als Funktion der Zeit erfaßt und eine neue Konstante enthält, die zur Beurteilung und zur Auswahl der Zusammensetzung von Gläsern dienen kann. Es besteht eine sehr gute Übereinstimmung zwischen theoretisch vorausgesagter und experimentell geprüfter Ansprechbarkeit von Glaselektroden.

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The financial support of NIH Grant GM-10086-03 and NSF Grant GP-1093 is gratefully acknowledged.

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Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow.     

Plant tissue-based bioselective membrane electrode for glutamate

A novel potentiometric membrane electrode with selective response to L-glutamate over the 2 × 10^-4–1.3 × 10^-2 M concentration range is constructed by immobilizing slices of yellow squash tissue at a CO₂ gas sensor. This system represents the first successful use of intact plant materials as biocatalysts in the construction of bioselective potentiometric membrane electrodes; as a result, the range of future possibilities may be greatly extended. The glutamate-sensing electrode combines excellent selectivity characteristics over some 25 possible interferences tested, good reproducibility, and a useful lifetime of 7 days in aqueous samples.     

Spectrophotometric investigation of the nature and stability of silver(II) in acidic sulphate media

A spectrophotometric study of silver(II) in sulphuric acid solution indicates the formation of two sulphate complexes, in the range 4–18M H₂SO₄, with absorbance peak maxima at 361 and 260 mμ, respectively. In 15M H₂SO₄ the molar absorptivity of silver(II) is 3.11 × 10⁴ at 361 mμ. Kinetic studies of the reduction of silver(II) by the solvent suggest a rate-determining step first order in silver(II) and yield a pseudo first-order rate constant of 1.9 × 10⁻¹min⁻¹. Further studies as a function of H₂SO₄ concentration show that the specific decomposition rate of the two complexes is identical and that changes in H₂SO₄ concentration only serve to shift the concentration equilibrium between the two complexes.     

An activated enzyme electrode for creatinine

A highly selective enzyme electrode for creatinine, based on tripolyphosphate-activated creatininase enzyme, is described and evaluated. Kinetic studies comparing purified creatininase enzyme in the activated and non-activated forms show that the activation mechanism involves an increase in V_max but no change in K_m. The analytical effect of enzyme activation is to extend the sensitivity of the electrode to lower limits and to improve the response slope of calibration curves. As a result, this activated creatininase enzyme electrode shows promise as a sensor for urine and serum samples.