Analytical Study of New Creatininium and Tetramethyl-ammonium Cation Selective Membrane Electrodes

Abstract

Two new liquid membrane electrodes which respond to creatininium and tetramethylammonium cations are described. The creatininium cation electrode exhibits rapid and near Nernstian response to creatininium cation activity, at pH 3, in the 10^?3?10^?1 mol/L range. The useful concentration range extends to 10^?4 mol/L. The tetramethyl-ammonium cation electrode exhibits rapid and near Nernstian response to tetramethylammonium cation activity, at pH 2–11.5, in the 2x10^?5? 10^?1 mol/L range. Major interferences for the creatininium electrode are Na⁺, K⁺, NH⁺ ₄ and creatine. The pK_a of the creatininium cation was calculated. A method is described for the potentiometric precipitation titration of tetramethylammonium cation with sodium tetraphenylboron. Amounts of tetramethylammonium in the range 20–200 μol have been determined using Gran's plots, with an average error of about 0.6%.