Zeolite-Modified Sol-Gel Electrode as an Electrochemical Sensor for Potentiometric Determination of Cesium Ions in Water Samples

Abstract

In this research, new electrodes were prepared by incorporating zeolite KY into sol-gel matrix. Calibration plot with Nernstian slope (58.6 ± 0.5 mV/decade) for cesium ion was observed over a linear range of about four decades of concentration (1.0 × 10−5 to 1.0 × 10−1 M, at 25°C). The sol-gel electrode shows detection limit of 7.3 × 10−6 M. The influences of membrane composition, the pH of the test solution, and the interfering ions on the electrode performance were investigated. The effect of temperature on the electrode response showed that the temperature higher than 60°C deteriorates the electrode performance. The proposed electrode has high mechanical and thermal stability with a low isothermal temperature coefficient, and it is 0.00018 V/°C. It has a short response time (10 s) and can be used for more than 6 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The selectivity coefficients for Cs+ ion with respect to alkali, alkaline earth, ammonium, and some heavy-metal ions were investigated. The results of application show that the electrode can be used successfully in determination of Cs+ ions in various water samples.