Improved Nitrate Sensing using Ion Selective Electrodes Based on Urea–Calixarene Ionophores

Authors

Benjamin Schazmann, Technological University DublinFollow
Dermot Diamond, Dublin City University

Document Type

Article

Rights

This item is available under a Creative Commons License for non-commercial use only

Disciplines

1.4 CHEMICAL SCIENCES

Publication Details

New Journal of Chemistry RSC

Abstract

Urea–calix[4]arenes 1 and 2 were synthesised and incorporated into ISE membranes for assessment as sensors for inorganic anions in water. 1 revealed a strong response to all anions following the Hofmeister selectivity order. For ISEs of 2, the response to a portion of the anion series was suppressed, increasing the margin of selectivity of nitrate over chloride, a common interferant of nitrate in fresh and marine water samples. The performance of ISEs containing 2 was compared to commercially available alkylammonium nitrate ion-exchange salts used for nitrate sensing. Our ISEs performed favourably in terms of sensitivity, linear range and LOD performing an order of magnitude better than commercially available nitrate ISEs. The pre-conditioning of ISEs in non primary chloride salt was essential for obtaining these results.

DOI

http://doi.org10.1039/b702841p

Recommended Citation

Schazmann, B. & Diamond, D.(2007) Improved Nitrate Sensing using Ion Selective Electrodes Based on Urea–Calixarene Ionophores New Journal of Chemistry, 31, 587-592. DOI: 10.1039/b702841p

Funder

Enterprise Ireland, grant code SC/2002/161, Science Foundation Ireland for support under the Adaptive Information Cluster award (SFI03/IN3/1361) and the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland, funding code EPA2004-RS-AICM4.