Liquid-junction potential effects in measurements of sodium ion activity in unbuffered aqueous solutions

Measurements of pNa with the glass-membrane ion-selective electrode in unbuffered aqueous solutions require care in the constitution of the measuring cell, because of varialbe liquid-junction potentials at the salt bridge. Of the bridge electrolytes tested, with calomel or silver/silver chloride reference electrodes, 3 M ammonium chloride in agar-agar gel was most satisfactory. Calibration graphs were of almost theoretical slope in the range 10^?3?5 × 10^?1 M sodium ion.