Ion-selective electrode measurements for the determination of formation constants of alkali and alkaline earth metals with low-molecular-weight ligands

Formation constants of acetate, hydrogencarbonate, malonate, citrate and 1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate complexes with Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca²⁺ were determined potentiometrically using sodium, potassium and calcium selective electrodes, at 25 °C and at different ionic strengths, in the range 0 < I ≤ 1 M. Formation constants obtained by ion-selective electrode (ISE) measurements were compared with those obtained by different techniques. It has been found that the use of ISEs gives reliable results in the study of weak complexes, also under non-constant ionic strength conditions.