Abstract
The construction, performance characteristics, and application of a novel polymeric membrane coated on a graphite electrode with unique selectivity towards SCN- are reported. The electrode was prepared by incorporating Ni(II)-2,2,4,9,9,11- hexamethyltetraazacyclotetradecanediene perchlorate into a plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane. The influences of membrane composition, pH and foreign ions were investigated. The electrode displays a near Nernstian slope (-57.8 mV decade-1) over a wide concentration range of 1 × 10-7 - 1 × 10-1 M of SCN- ion. The electrode has a detection limit of 4.8 × 10-8 M (2.8 ng/cm3) SCN- and shows response times of about 15 s and 120 s for low to high and high to low concentration sequences, respectively. The proposed sensor shows high selectivity towards SCN- over several common organic and inorganic anions. The electrode revealed a great enhancement in selectivity coefficients and detection limit for SCN-, in comparison with the previously reported electrodes. It was successfully applied to the direct determination of SCN- in milk and biological samples, and as an indicator electrode in titration of Ag+ ions with thiocyanate.
