Multianalyte detection using potentiometric ionophore-based ion-selective electrodes

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Chemical, 2017-05, Vol.243, p.144-151
• Main Authors: Cuartero, M., Ruiz, A., Oliva, D.J., Ortuño, J.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkaline and alkaline-earth ions; Binary mixtures; Cations; Electrical measurement; Electrodes; Experiments; Ion detectors; Ions; Potentiometric analysis; Potentiometry; Principal component analysis; Principal component regression; Principal components analysis; Qualitative analysis; Quantitative analysis; Transient signals
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2016.11.129

[Display omitted] •Multiion detection using a single potentiometric selective electrode is demonstrated.•The complexity of the obtained raw signals (potential vs. time) is reduced by PCA.•Smoothing of the raw signals is achieved by an appropriate reconstruction.•A powerful tool for the qualitative/quantitative analysis of individual and mixed ion samples. This paper reports on the capability to detect multiple ions in mixed solutions using the tandem Dynamic Potentiometry-Principal Component Analysis. The treatment of potentiometric transient signals obtained by a single ion-selective electrode based on 18-crown-6 in a flow configuration serves for ion identification as well as quantification in binary mixtures. As a proof-of-concept alkaline, alkaline-earth, proton and ammonium cations are analysed. The developed procedure provides three exploitation points of the raw signals: (i) the complexity grade of the signals is drastically reduced, (ii) the total reconstruction of the experimental signals leads to less noisy ones, and (iii) the relationship found between the principal component scores with both increasing cation concentration (individual and binary mixtures) and type of cation is useful for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Multi-ion detection is currently a valuable characteristic for an analytical technique and the present paper provides a new approach involving the use of only one potentiometric sensor to achieve this purpose.