Studies of Potential Generation Across Membrane Sensors at Interfaces and through Bulk

Plasticized PVC Membrane Modified Electrodes: Voltammetry of Highly Hydrophobic Compounds

In the last 50 years, plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes have gained unique importance in chemical sensor development. Originally, these membranes separated two solutions in conventional ion-selective electrodes. Later, the same membranes were applied over a variety of supporting electrodes and used in both potentiometric and voltammetric measurements of ions and electrically charged molecules. The focus of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of the plasticized PVC membrane modified working electrode for the voltammetric measurement of highly lipophilic molecules. The plasticized PVC membrane prevents electrode fouling, extends the detection limit of the voltammetric methods to sub-micromolar concentrations, and minimizes interference by electrochemically active hydrophilic analytes.

Recent advances in solid-contact ion-selective electrodes: functional materials, transduction mechanisms, and development trends

This article presents a comprehensive overview of recent progress in the design and applications of solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs).

Ion amperometry at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions in view of realizing the amperometric ion-selective electrode

This article reviews the development in ion amperometry at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) in view of realizing the amperometric ion-selective electrode (ISE). The concept of polarizability of ITIES in a multi-ion system is outlined. Principle aspects of ion amperometry at ITIES are discussed including the use of amperometry as a tool for the clarification of the ion sensing mechanism, and for determining the concentrations of ions in the solution. The reference is made to recent amperometric measurements at the supported liquid membrane (SLM) and polymer composite liquid membranes (PCLM), which, together with the micro-hole supported ITIES, appear to be particularly suitable for realization of the amperometric ISE.

Electrochemical mechanism of ion-ionophore recognition at plasticized polymer membrane/water interfaces

Here, we report on the first electrochemical study that reveals the kinetics and molecular level mechanism of heterogeneous ion-ionophore recognition at plasticized polymer membrane/water interfaces. The new kinetic data provide greater understanding of this important ion-transfer (IT) process, which determines various dynamic characteristics of the current technologies that enable highly selective ion sensing and separation. The theoretical assessment of the reliable voltammetric data confirms that the dynamics of the ionophore-facilitated IT follows the one-step electrochemical (E) mechanism controlled by ion-ionophore complexation at the very interface in contrast to the thermodynamically equivalent two-step electrochemical-chemical (EC) mechanism based on the simple transfer of an aqueous ion followed by its complexation in the bulk membrane. Specifically, cyclic voltammograms of Ag(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+), and Pb(2+) transfers facilitated by highly selective ionophores are measured and analyzed numerically using the E mechanism to obtain standard IT rate constants in the range of 10(-2) to 10(-3) cm/s at both plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane/water and 1,2-dichloroethane/water interfaces. We demonstrate that these strongly facilitated IT processes are too fast to be ascribed to the EC mechanism. Moreover, the little effect of the viscosity of nonaqueous media on the IT kinetics excludes the EC mechanism, where the kinetics of simple IT is viscosity-dependent. Finally, we employ molecular level models for the E mechanism to propose three-dimensional ion-ionophore complexation at the two-dimensional interface as the unique kinetic requirement for the thermodynamically facilitated IT.

Current-polarized ion-selective membranes: The influence of plasticizer and lipophilic background electrolyte on concentration profiles, resistance, and voltage transients

Lipophilic background electrolytes consisting of a lipophilic cation and a lipophilic anion, such as tetradodecylammonium tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl) borate (ETH 500), or bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene) ammonium tetrakis[3,5bis(trifluoromethyl) phenyl] borate (BTPPATFPB) are incorporated into the membranes of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) to improve the detection limit and selectivity of the electrodes and decrease the resistance of the sensing membrane. In this work, spectroelectrochemical microscopy (SpECM) is used in conjunction with chronopotentiometry to quantify the effects of a lipophilic background electrolyte on the concentration profiles induced inside current-polarized membranes and on the measured voltage transients in chronopotentiometric experiments. In agreement with the theoretical model, the lipophilic background electrolyte incorporated into o-NPOE or DOS plasticized membranes decreases the membrane resistance and thus the contribution of migration in the overall transport across ion-selective membranes. Consequently, it has a significant influence on the changing concentration profiles of the ion-ionophore complex during chronopotentiometric experiments.

Ionophore-based ion-selective potentiometric and optical sensors

This paper describes ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) and optodes with a focus on the fundamental mechanisms, response characteristics, and recognition elements (ionophores) described to date for these sensors. The topics covered review the most frequently encountered ideas about ionophore-based sensors, including the theoretical and experimental parameters that influence response, typical ionophore structures, useful membrane compositions, and applications. Since these sensors are applicable in a number of fields, such as clinical, environmental, and process monitoring, as well as more novel approaches such as microfluidic-based systems and micro/nanoprobes, this article provides descriptions that are oriented toward a more general audience. Furthermore, a large portion of this review describes the ionophore component itself in hopes of inspiring ideas in readers of how novel molecular architectures with new ionic targets or improved selectivity can be developed.