Lowering the Detection Limit of Solvent Polymeric Ion-Selective Membrane Electrodes. 2. Influence of Composition of Sample and Internal Electrolyte Solution

Abstract

The influence of the composition of the internal electrolyte solution on the response of Pb2+- and Ca2+-selective membrane electrodes is investigated. It is shown that the lower detection limit is improved by generating, in the membrane, ionic gradients that lead to a flux of primary ions toward the inner reference electrolyte solution. If the ion flux is too strong, it may cause analyte depletion at the membrane surface and, as a consequence, apparent super-Nernstian response. Such electrodes are not adequate to measure low analyte activities but can be used to determine unbiased selectivity factors. The results are interpreted in terms of a steady-state model, introduced in the companion paper, that describes the influence of concentration gradients generated by ion-exchange and coextraction processes on both sides of the membrane.