title: Ultrasensitive Pb(II) potentiometric sensor based on copolyaniline nanoparticles in a plasticizer-free membrane with a long lifetime.
abstract: A newly designed Pb(II) potentiometric sensor based on intrinsically conducting nanoparticles of solid poly(aniline-co-2-hydroxy-5-sulfonic aniline) possessing many ligating functional groups like -NH-, -N=, -OH, -SO(3)H, -NH(2) as ionophores in plasticizer-free vinyl resin solid membranes has been fabricated. A linear Nernstian response is obtained within a wide Pb(II) activity range from 1.0 × 10(-3) to 1.0 × 10(-10) M with a detection limit as low as 2.2 × 10(-11) M. The pH independent plateau ranges between 3.5 and 7.0. After 15 months' usage, the sensor maintains 95% performance parameters. Its anti-interference ability to Cu(II), Cd(II), Ag(I), and Hg(II) is much stronger than other sensors with a detection limit at (sub)nanomolar level. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals that the solid sensing membrane has a diffusion coefficient of around 5 × 10(-14) to 1 × 10(-13) cm(2) s(-1). The much lower diffusion coefficient for Pb(II) is highly beneficial for the elimination of Pb(II) flux across the membrane. The wide detection concentration range, low detection limit, high selectivity, extensive pH window, and long lifetime make for a robust sensor giving reliable measurement of Pb(II) content with potential application in real-world samples at trace levels.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Si-Ping Road, Shanghai 200092, China. adamxgli@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Xin-Gui
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Mei-Rong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Guo-Li
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Moloney