Potentiometric Sensor For The Nanoscale Monitoring Of Ni2+ Ion In Environmental Samples By The Fabrication Of Coated Pyrolytic Graphite Electrode Based On A Novel C-C-Coupled Compound

Novel ligand 5,5'-((3-nitrophenyl)methylene)bis(2,6-diaminopyrimidin-4(3H)-one) (L) was synthesised and characterised. Preliminary studies on L have showed that it has more affinity towards the Ni2+ ion. Thus, the L was used as the electroactive material in the fabrication of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)-based membrane sensors such as coated graphite electrode (CGE) and coated pyrolytic graphite electrode (CPGE). Several polymeric membranes were fabricated by incorporating L as ionophore, NaTPB as anion excluders and BA, 1-CN, DBP, DOP and o-NPOE as solvent mediators and their effect on potentiometric response studied. Comparative electroanalytical studies performed on the CGE and CPGE depict that the CPGE with optimised membrane composition of L:PVC:o-NPOE:NaTPB in the ratio of 7:33:58:2 (w/w, mg) exhibited the best response in terms of wide working concentration range from 2.0x10(-8) to 1.0x10(-1)mol L-1, (3.64 mu gL(-1) -18.2gL(-1)) lower detection limit of 8.1x10(-9)molL(-1) (1.47 mu gL(-1)) with Nernstian compliance of 29.4 +/- 0.2mVdecade(-1) of activity of Ni2+ ion in the pH range of 3.5-9.0. The sensor can work satisfactorily in water-acetonitrile and water-methanol mixtures. It can tolerate 30% acetonitrile and 20% methanol content in the mixtures. The sensor showed fast response time of 8s and could be used successfully for a period of 4months. The sensor reflects its utility in the quantification of Ni2+ ion in real samples and has been successfully employed as an indicator electrode in the potentiometric titration of Ni2+ ion with EDTA.