Conductivities and emf responses of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and 1,2-dichloroethane membranes containing thiocyanato (5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrinato)manganese (III) (Mn(TPP)SCN) were studied. The specific conductivities of these two types of membranes were much lower than those of the corresponding membranes containing an anion exchanger, Capriquat. However, a clear difference can be seen in the contribution of the membrane matrices to the overall conductivities between the two types of membranes containing Mn(TPP)SCN; the plasticized PVC matrix greatly contributes to the overall conductivities, whereas the liquid membrane matrix contributes little. In the emf response, Mn(TPP)SCN in the conductometrically inert liquid membrane matrix ideally responds to thiocyanate, whereas it is not able to function ideally in the conductometrically active plasticized PVC matrix. As a possible mechanism for the non-ideal emf response of Mn(TPP)SCN in the plasticized PVC matrix, the failure in co-ion repulsion, which is induced by negatively charged impurities in PVC, is proposed. In a previous paper, Hodinar and one of the present authors (A.J.) have pointed out that an anomalous pHeffect is observed in the response of a nitrite-sensitive electrode based on plasticized PVC membranes containing nitrite salt of cobalt(III) complex of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP).1 Recently, several authors have reported that metalloporphyrin-based plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membranes respond to pH after soaking them in alkaline solutions. Most authors have concluded that this characteristic pHresponse should be ascribed to the coordination of hydroxide to metal centers of metalloporphyrins or to hydrolysis of water molecules coordinated to the metal centers.2-4 However, Li and Harrison have pointed out that this pH-response is more complex and can not be explained only by theories of membrane selectivity.5As clarified in extensive studies on the response mechanism of neutral carrier-based solvent polymeric cation-selective electrodes, plasticized PVC matrices themselves are not conductometrically and potentiometrically inert.6-10 In this connection, Masadome et al.11,12 have developed ionic surfactant-sensitive electrodes based on plasticized PVC membranes to which no ion sensing material was added, and Sugimoto et al. have reported the PVC membranes plasticized with onitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE) respond to pH (or pOH).13 Furthermore, van den Berg et al.14 have clarified the nature of anionic sites in plasticized PVC membranes by means of instrumental analyses, such as secondary ion mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; as the fixed or mobile anionic sites, sulfonate, sulfate and carboxylate groups were identified. 14 As described in a later section, anion carriers such as metalloporphyrins can not give high conductivities comparable to those of usual anion exchangers since the strong binding of the anion carriers with anions results in electrically neutral species. Thus, it is predict...