The Influence of Chemical Activity Models on the Description of Ion Transport through Micro-Structured Cementitious Materials.

The significance of ion activity in transport through a porous concrete material sample with steel rebar in its center and bathing solution is presented. For the first time, different conventions and models of ion activity are compared in their significance and influence on the ion fluxes. The study closes an interpretational gap between ion activity in a stand-alone (stagnant) electrolyte solution and ion transport (dynamic) through concrete pores.

Electrically Enhanced Sensitivity (EES) of Ion-Selective Membrane Electrodes and Membrane-Based Ion Sensors.

The use of external electronic enforcement in ion-sensor measurements is described. The objective is to improve the open-circuit (potentiometric) sensitivity of ion sensors. The sensitivity determines the precision of analyte determination and has been of interest since the beginning of ion-sensor technology.

Long-Time Evaluation of Solid-State Composite Reference Electrodes.

In this study, the performance and long-time evaluation of solid-state composite (SSC) reference electrodes were investigated. The stability of all the SSC reference electrodes was continuously monitored by using potentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods over a period of several months. A multi-solution protocol was used to study the influence of the ionic strength of the sample solution, ion charge, and mobility, and the sample pH values on the performance of the reference electrodes.

Solid-Contact Electrode with Composite PVC-Based 3D-Printed Membrane. Optimization of Fabrication and Performance.

Intense interest in reference electrode design and fabrication has recently been enriched with the application of 3D printing of electrodes with salt-loaded PVC membranes. This type of material is attractive in sensor technology and is challenging to implement in 3D. In this report, several improvements and simplifications in the technology were focused on and supported by a fundamental electrochemical characterization.

Special Issue "Advances in Artificial and Biological Membranes: Mechanisms of Ionic Sensitivity, Ion-Sensor Designs, and Applications for Ion Measurement".

Ion sensors, conventionally known as ion-selective membrane electrodes, were devised 100 years ago with the invention of a pH electrode with a glass membrane (in 1906 Cremer, in 1909 Haber and Klemensiewicz) [...

Effective and Apparent Diffusion Coefficients of Chloride Ions and Chloride Binding Kinetics Parameters in Mortars: Non-Stationary Diffusion-Reaction Model and the Inverse Problem.

A non-equilibrium diffusion-reaction model is proposed to describe chloride transport and binding in cementitious materials. A numerical solution for this non-linear transport with reaction problem is obtained using the finite element method. The effective chloride diffusion coefficients and parameters of the chloride binding are determined using the inverse method based on a diffusion-reaction model and experimentally measured chloride concentrations.

Precipitation of Inorganic Salts in Mitochondrial Matrix.

In the mitochondrial matrix there are insoluble, osmotically inactive complexes that maintain constant pH and calcium concentration. In the present paper we examine the properties of insoluble calcium and magnesium salts, namely phosphates, carbonates and polyphosphates which might play this role. We find that non-stoichiometric, magnesium-rich carbonated apatite, with very low crystallinity, precipitates in the matrix under physiological conditions.

Measurement of Multi Ion Transport through Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Line Provides an Insight into the Mechanism of Defective Water Transport in Cystic Fibrosis.

We measured concentration changes of sodium, potassium, chloride ions, pH and the transepithelial potential difference by means of ion-selective electrodes, which were placed on both sides of a human bronchial epithelial 16HBE14σ cell line grown on a porous support in the presence of ion channel blockers. We found that, in the isosmotic transepithelial concentration gradient of either sodium or chloride ions, there is an electroneutral transport of the isosmotic solution of sodium chloride in both directions across the cell monolayer. The transepithelial potential difference is below 3 mV.

Reference Electrodes with Polymer-Based Membranes-Comprehensive Performance Characteristics.

Several types of liquid membrane and solid-state reference electrodes based on different plastics were fabricated. In the membranes studied, equitransferent organic (QB) and inorganic salts (KCl) are dispersed in polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), urea-formaldehyde resin (UF), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), as well as remelted KCl in order to show the matrix impact on the reference membranes' behavior. The comparison of potentiometic performance was made using specially designed standardized testing protocols.

New ISE-Based Apparatus for Na, K, Cl, pH and Transepithelial Potential Difference Real-Time Simultaneous Measurements of Ion Transport across Epithelial Cells Monolayer⁻Advantages and Pitfalls.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal human genetic disease, which is caused by a defect in an anion channel protein (CFTR) that affects ion and water transport across the epithelium. We devised an apparatus to enable the measurement of concentration changes of sodium, potassium, chloride, pH, and transepithelial potential difference by means of ion-selective electrodes that were placed on both sides of a 16HBE14σ human bronchial epithelial cell line that was grown on a porous support. Using flat miniaturized ISE electrodes allows for reducing the medium volume adjacent to cells to approximately 20 μL and detecting changes in ion concentrations that are caused by transport through the cell layer.

A Breakthrough Application of a Cross-Linked Polystyrene Anion-Exchange Membrane for a Hydrogencarbonate Ion-Selective Electrode.

Polystyrene cross-linked with divinylbenzene and functionalized by a quaternary ammonium cation anion site is used as the membrane of a hydrogencarbonate (i.e., bicarbonate) ion-selective electrode.

Sensitivity and Selectivity of Ion-Selective Electrodes Interpreted Using the Nernst-Planck-Poisson Model.

The Nernst-Planck-Poisson model is used for modeling the sensitivity and selectivity of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) with plastic membranes. Two pivotal parameters characterizing ISE response are in focus: sensitivity and selectivity. An interpretation of sensitivity, which considers the concurrent influence of anions and cations on the ISE slope, is presented.

Multi-electrode system for measurement of transmembrane ion-fluxes through living epithelial cells.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal human genetic disease. It is caused by the defect in a single anion channel protein which affects ion and water transport across the epithelial tissue. A flat multi-electrode platform of diameter 12mm, allowing for measurement of four ions: sodium, potassium, hydrogen and chloride by exchangeable/replaceable ion-selective electrodes is described.

All-Solid-State Reference Electrode with Heterogeneous Membrane.

Novel reference electrodes with a solid contact coated by a heterogeneous polymer membrane are described. The electrodes are obtained using Ag nanoparticles, AgBr, KBr suspended in tetrahydrofuran solution of PVC and DOS and deposited on Ag substrate, or another substrate covered with Ag, by drop casting. After a short period of soaking in a KBr solution, stable and reproducible formal potentials of -157 ± 2 mV (vs Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl) were observed, and the solid-contact reference electrodes were ready to use.

In Situ Potentiometry and Ellipsometry: A Promising Tool to Study Biofouling of Potentiometric Sensors.

In situ potentiometry and null ellipsometry was combined and used as a tool to follow the kinetics of biofouling of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). The study was performed using custom-made solid-contact K(+)-ISEs consisting of a gold surface with immobilized 6-(ferrocenyl)hexanethiol as ion-to-electron transducer that was coated with a potassium-selective plasticized polymer membrane. The electrode potential and the ellipsometric signal (corresponding to the amount of adsorbed protein) were recorded simultaneously during adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at the surface of the K(+)-ISEs.

Ion-selective electrodes in potentiometric titrations; a new method for processing and evaluating titration data.

A new method to convert the potential of an ion-selective electrode to concentration or activity in potentiometric titration is proposed. The advantage of this method is that the electrode standard potential and the slope of the calibration curve do not have to be known. Instead two activities on the titration curve have to be estimated e.

Neutral-carrier ion-selective electrodes assessed by the Nernst-Planck-Poisson model.

Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) containing neutral ionophores are used in clinical, industrial, and environmental analysis. The wide range of applications requires deep theoretical description. This work concentrates on the development of the general approach to the description of electro-diffusion processes, namely, Nernst-Planck-Poisson (NPP) model to allow the description of the time-dependent responses in the case of complexation reactions occurring in the ion-selective membranes.

Multielectrode bisensor system for time-resolved monitoring of ion transport across an epithelial cell layer.

An ion-selective multielectrode bisensor system is designed to ensure reliable real-time concentration measurements of sodium, potassium, chloride, and pH in a small volume of biological liquid bathing a living human bronchial epithelial cell monolayer. The bisensor system allows the monitoring of major ions, which are simultaneously transported through the epithelia in both directions.

An analytical quality solid-state composite reference electrode.

A new type of all-solid-state reference electrode was designed and characterized. The electrodes are based on a polymer/inorganic salt composite and a silver/silver chloride reference element. A rigorous testing procedure was used to reveal the possible influence of pH, solution composition, as well as the concentration and mobility of ions.

Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes with highly selective thioamide derivatives of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene for the determination of lead(II) in environmental samples.

Thioamide derivatives of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene were used as ionophores in the development of solid-contact ion-selective electrodes based on conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT/PSS) which was synthesized by electrodeposition on the glassy carbon electrodes. The typical ion-selective membranes with optionally two different plasticizers [bis(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate (DOS) and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE)] were investigated. The potentiometric selectivity coefficients were determined by separate solution method (SSM) for Pb(2+) over Cu(2+), Cd(2+), Ca(2+), Na(+), and K(+).

Selectivity coefficients of ion-selective magnesium electrodes used for simultaneous determination of magnesium and calcium ions.

Membrane ion-selective magnesium electrodes are commonly used to determine ionized magnesium concentration in blood serum and intracellular fluid by potentiometric clinical analyzers. The selectivity of these electrodes against calcium ion is typically insufficient to avoid calcium interference in blood serum analysis. For this reason the selectivity coefficient for calcium ion has to be studied to make possible any mathematical corrections for calcium ion influence.

Tuned galvanostatic polarization of solid-state lead-selective electrodes for lowering of the detection limit.

Lowering of the detection limit of solid-state lead-selective electrodes was achieved by using the tuned galvanostatic polarization method. A Nernstian response was obtained down to nanomolar concentrations (low detection limit 10(-9) mol dm(-3)Pb(2+)). Good repeatability of the calibration curves was achieved by using a well established measuring procedure.

A study on lowering the detection limit with solid-state lead-selective electrodes.

The detection limit of a Pb(2+) ion-selective electrode with a solid state (PbS/Ag(2)S) membrane was successfully lowered to the nanomolar range. The electrode was applied in direct potentiometric determination of Pb(2+) in aqueous solutions. Hydrodynamics, redox reaction at the solid-state surface as well as time dependency were investigated and found as key factors affecting the low detection limit.

Determination of the leaching of polymeric ion-selective membrane components by stripping voltammetry.

This paper focuses on the quantitative determination of the loss of the components from plastic membranes of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) during contact with aqueous bathing solutions. The leaching processes, which affect the ISE responses, are rarely characterized by independent methods. For this purpose, differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (DP CSV) is used.

Obtaining Nernstian response of a Ca(2+)-selective electrode in a broad concentration range by tuned galvanostatic polarization.

Linear Nernstian response is obtained for a neutral ionophore-based Ca(2+)-selective electrode down to 10(-10) M CaCl2 by means of galvanostatic polarization. The densities of the applied cathodic current were tuned for particular concentrations of Ca2+. The procedure included recording the potential at zero current, followed by measurements when current is passed through the electrode, and then again at zero current.