Behaviour of Ion Selective Electrodes Based on Silver or Mercuric Sulfide Selenide and Telluride Matrices

Abstract

The analytical behaviour of solid state, ion-selective electrodes based on silver or mercury sulfide, selenide, or telluride matrices was studied. As the active component, the chalcogenides of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni, Co, and Bi for the cation electrodes and silver or mercurous halides for the anion electrodes were included. It was found that all possible combinations of matrix compounds are suitable for the preparation of the electrodes, silver being superior to mercury in respect to redox sensitivity. Prepared Ag⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ electrodes performed well, whereas Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co³⁺ and Bi³⁺ electrodes showed unsatisfactory performances. Anion-selective electrodes constructed from mercuric chalcogenide-mercurous halide were more sensitive than those made from silver chalcogenide-silver halide system. The performance characteristics of all electrodes are described in terms of sensitivities, selectivities, response times, stabilities, reproducibilities, effect of pH and redox potential.