Analytical Sciences

A Selective Membrane Electrode for Lanthanum(III) Ion Based on a Hexaaza Macrocycle Derivative as Ionophore

Ashok Kumar SINGH, Puja SAXENA, Sameena MEHTAB, and Barkha GUPTA

Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Roorkee-247 667, India

We have developed a highly La(III)-selective PVC membrane electrode based on a hexaaza macrocycle, 8,16-dimethyl-6,14-diphenyl-2,3,4:10,11,12-dipyridine-1,3,5,9,11,13-hexaazacyclohexadeca-3,5,8,11,13,16-hexaene [Bzo₂Me₂Pyo₂(16)-hexaeneN₆] (I) as membrane carrier, dibutylbutyl phosphonate (DBBP) as solvent mediator and sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB) as lipophilic additive. The best performance was given by the membrane of macrocycle I having a composition 10:260:5:120 (I:DBBP:NaTPB:PVC). The electrode exhibits a Nernstian response to La(III) ion in the concentration range 1.0 × 10^-1 - 7.94 × 10^-7 M with a slope of 19.8 ± 0.2 mV/decade of concentration and a detection limit of 5.62 × 10^-7 M. The response time of the sensor is 12 s and it can be used over a period of 4 months with good reproducibility. The electrode works well over a pH range of 2.5 - 10.0 and in partially non-aqueous medium with up to 30% organic content. The sensor was also used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of La(III) ions with EDTA and for determining La(III) concentration in real samples.

J-STAGE: View this article in J-STAGE