Comparative Study of Potassium Ion-Selective Electrodes with Solid Contact: Impact of Intermediate Layer Material on Temperature Resistance

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative study on the temperature resistance of solid-contact ion-selective electrodes, depending on the type of solid-contact material. Five types of potassium electrodes, with a valinomycin-based model membrane, were developed using different types of mediation layers, namely a conductive polymer (poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and a perinone polymer), multi-walled carbon nanotubes, copper(II) oxide nanoparticles, and a nanocomposite consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and copper(II) oxide. We examined how the measurement temperature (10 °C, 23 °C, and 36 °C) affects the sensitivity, measurement range, detection limit, selectivity, as well as the stability and reversibility of the electrode potential. Electrodes modified with a nanocomposite (GCE/NC/ISM) and a perinone polymer (GCE/PPer/ISM) showed the best resistance to temperature changes. An almost Nernst response and a stable measurement range and the lowest detection limit values for each temperature were obtained for them. The introduction of mediation layers significantly improved the stability and potential reversibility of all the modified electrodes relative to the unmodified electrode (GCE/ISM). Still, it was the GCE/PPer/ISM and GCE/NC/ISM that stood out from the others, with stability of 0.11 and 0.12 µV/s for 10 °C, 0.05 and 0.08 µV/s for 23 °C, and 0.06 and 0.09 µV/s for 36 °C, respectively.