Development of a Novel Automatic Potentiometric System for Determination of Selenium and Its Application in Pharmaceutical Formulations and Anodic Slime

Poly(vinyl chloride) polymeric membrane sensors containing Sn(IV) phthalocyanine dichloride (SnPC) and Co(II) phthalocyanine (CoPC) as novel electroactive materials dispersed in o‐nitrophenyl octylether (o‐NPOE) as a plasticizer are examined potentiometrically with respect to their response toward selenite (SeO₃^2?) ions. Fast Nernstian response for SeO₃^2? ions over the concentration ranges 7.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?3 and 8.0×10^?6–1.0×10^?3 mol L^?l at pH 3.5–8.5 with lower detection limit of 5.0×10^?6 and 8.0×10^?6 mol L^?1 and calibration slopes of ?25.4 and ?29.7 mV decade^?1 are obtained with SnPC and CoPC based membrane sensors, respectively. The proposed sensors reveals by the modified separate solution method (MSSM) a good selectivity over different anions which differ significantly from the classical Hofmeister series. A segmented sandwich membrane method is used to determine complex formation constants of the ionophores in situe in the solvent polymeric sensing membranes. Membrane incorporating CoPC in a tubular flow detector is used in a two channels flow injection set up for continuous monitoring of selenite at a frequency of ca. 50 samples h^?1. Direct determination of selenium in pharmaceutical formulations and anodic slime gives results in good agreement with data obtained using standard ICP method.