Internal solution

Interaction of the analyte with the membrane results in a membrane potential if there is a difference in the analyte s concentration on opposite sides of the membrane. One side of the membrane is in contact with an internal solution containing a fixed concentration of analyte, while the other side of the membrane is in contact with the sample. Current is carried through the membrane by the movement of either the analyte or an ion already present in the membrane s matrix. The membrane potential is given by a Nernst-like equation... 

Gas-sensing electrodes have been developed for a variety of gases, the characteristics for which are listed in Table 11.4. The composition of the inner solution changes with use, and both it and the membrane must be replaced periodically. Gas-sensing electrodes are stored in a solution similar to the internal solution to minimize their exposure to atmospheric gases. 

This experiment describes the preparation of liquid ion-exchange electrodes for Gk and Ga +. The liquid ion-exchange solutions are incorporated into PVG membranes and fixed to the end of glass tubing. The internal solutions are either NaGl or GaGk, and a Ag/AgGl reference electrode is situated in the internal solution. 

The lanthanum fluoride crystal is a conductor for fluoride ions which being small can move through the crystal from one lattice defect to another, and equilibrium is established between the crystal face inside the electrode and the internal solution. Likewise, when the electrode is placed in a solution containing fluoride ions, equilibrium is established at the external surface of the crystal. In general, the fluoride ion activities at the two faces of the crystal are different and so a potential is established, and since the conditions at the internal face are constant, the resultant potential is proportional to the fluoride ion activity of the test solution. 

When the tube is placed in a solution which contains oxygen, oxygen will pass through the membrane to the internal solution, and upon application of a voltage (0.6-0.8 V) to the two electrodes, the oxygen undergoes reduction at the gold cathode ... 

An example of amperometric methods used for analytical purposes is the sensor proposed in 1953 by Leland C. Clark, Jr. for determining the concentration of dissolved molecular oxygen in aqueous solutions (chiefly biological fluids). A schematic of the sensor is shown in Fig. 23.1. A cylindrical cap (1) houses the platinum or other indicator electrode (2), the cylindrical auxiliary electrode (3), and an electrolyte (e.g., KCl) solution (4). The internal solution is separated by the polymer... 

Another situation is found for the Na+ ions. When the membrane is permeable to these ions, even if only to a minor extent, they will be driven from the external to the internal solution, not only by diffusion but when the membrane potential is negative, also under the effect of the potential gradient. In the end, the unidirectional flux of these ions should lead to a concentration inside that is substantially higher than that outside. The theoretical value calculated from Eq. (5.15) for the membrane potential of the Na ions is -1-66 mV. Therefore, permeabihty for Na ions should lead to a less negative value of the membrane potential, and this in turn should lead to a larger flux of potassium ions out of the cytoplasm and to a lower concentration difference of these ions. All these conclusions are at variance with experience. 

The half-cell potentials of the two reference electrodes are constant sample solution conditions can often be controlled so that E,j is effectively constant and the composition of the internal solution can be maintained so that (ai)i , ai is fixed. Consequently Eq. (3) can be simplified to give... 

The fate of injected liposomes is drastically altered by administration route, dose and size, lipid composition, surface modification, and encapsulated drugs. Liposomes encapsulating drugs are often administered iv, therefore, the stability of liposomes in plasma is important. When liposomes composed of PC with unsaturated fatty acyl chains are incubated in the presence of serum, an efflux of internal solute from the liposomes is observed. This increase in permeability is caused by the transfer of phospholipids to high density lipoprotein (HDL) in serum (55). To reduce the efflux of liposomal contents, cholesterol is added as a liposomal component... 

The membrane phase m is a solution of hydrophobic anion Ax (ion-exchanger ion) and cation Bx+ in an organic solvent that is immiscible with water. Solution 1 (the test aqueous solution) contains the salt of cation Bx+ with the hydrophilic anion A2. The Gibbs transfer energy of anions Ax and A2 is such that transport of these anions into the second phase is negligible. Solution 2 (the internal solution of the ion-selective electrode) contains the salt of cation B with anion A2 (or some other similar hydrophilic anion). The reference electrodes are identical and the liquid junction potentials A0L(1) and A0L(2) will be neglected. 

As the concentration of the internal solution of the ion-selective electrode is constant, this type of electrode indicates the cation activity in the same way as a cation electrode (or as an anion electrode if the ion-exchanger ion is a hydrophobic cation). 

The lithium tetramethylpiperidide solution from Part A is cooled with a dry ice-acetone bath. When the solution of ethyl 1-naphthoate and dibromomethane has cooled to -74°C or below (internal solution temperature), addition of the dry ice-acetone cooled solution of lithium tetramethylpiperidide is begun. Addition is made via a double-ended (16 gauge) needle over a 40 to 50-min period using a slight positive nitrogen pressure in the 500-mL flask (Note 7). During this time, the addition rate is slowed or stopped as needed to maintain the reaction temperature below -67 C. 

Electrodes with liquid ion-exchange membranes are typified by a calcium-sensitive electrode (Figure 6.4). The membrane-liquid consists of the calcium form of a di-alkyl phosphoric acid, [(RO)2POO ] 2Ca2+, which is prepared by repeated treatment of the acid with a calcium salt. The internal solution is calcium chloride and the membrane potential, which is determined by the extent of ion-exchange reactions at the interfaces between the membrane and the internal and sample solutions, is given by... 

FIG. 2. Simultaneous recording of membrane currents and Ca2+ fluorescence. (A) Upper and lower traces indicate the time courses of membrane current and [Ca2+] respectively. Cells were voltage-clamped at — 60 mV. Pipette contained Cs aspartate internal solution supplemented with 50 M fura-2. (B) Expanded time-courses of membrane current and [Ca2+] form the dotted box in A. TG, thapsigargin 2-APB, 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate. 

Transfer cells Specialized parenchyma cells, plasmalemma greatly extended, irregular extensions of cell wall into protoplasm Transfer dissolved substances between adjacent cells, presence is correlated with internal solute flux... 

Ammonia sensor can be designed in a similar method. Only here, the basic gas can directly interact with the indicator (reaction 8), thus no internal solution is needed, the reaction can be a single step. 

The concept of the pH electrode has been extended to include other ions as well. Considerable research has gone into the development of these ion-selective electrodes over the years, especially in studying the composition of the membrane that separates the internal solution from the analyte solution. The internal solution must contain a constant concentration of the analyte ion, as with the pH electrode. Today we utilize electrodes with 1) glass membranes of varying compositions, 2) crystalline membranes, 3) liquid membranes, and 4) gas-permeable membranes. In each case, the interior of the electrode has a silver-silver chloride wire immersed in a solution of the analyte ion. 

The above change in pH is instantly detected by means of a Ag/AgCl reference electrode pair (E) dipped in the film of internal solution as shown in Figure 16.8. 

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