Potentiometric

Electrochemical methods may be classified into two broad classes, namely potentiometric metiiods and voltannnetric methods. The fonner involves the measurement of the potential of a working electrode iimnersed in a solution containing a redox species of interest with respect to a reference electrode. These are equilibrium experiments involving no current flow and provide themiodynamic infomiation only. The potential of the working electrode responds in a Nemstian maimer to the activity of the redox species, whilst that of the reference electrode remains constant. In contrast, m voltannnetric methods the system is perturbed... 

With SECM, almost any kind of electrochemical measurement may be carried out, whether voltaimnetric or potentiometric, and the addition of spatial resolution greatly increases the possibilities for the characterization of interfaces and kinetic measurements [, and 59]. It may be employed as an electrochemical tool... 

Thus, for example, an analysis using coloured solutions can be carried out, where an indicator cannot be used. Moreover, it is not easy to find a redox indicator which will change colour at the right point. Potentiometric methods can fairly readily be made automatic. 

Add a known volume ofo oaM.AgNOj solution (in excess) and boil the solution until the silver chloride has coagulated. Filter through a conical 5 cm. funnel, ensuring that the filter-paper does not protrude above the r m of the funnel. Wash the silver chloride and the filter-paper several times with a fine jet of distilled water. To the united filtrate and washings add i ml. of saturated ferric alum solution. The solution should be almost colourless if it is more than faintly coloured, add a few drops of concentrated nitric acid. Then titrate with 0 02M-ammonium thiocyanate solution until the permanent colour of ferric thiocyanate is just perceptible. (Alternatively the chloride may be determined potentiometrically.)... 

Potentiometric determinations of the pK of thiazole and essentially its alkyl derivatives are summarized in Table T50. The most reliable values are given by Phan-Tan-Luu et al. (321), who realized a critical study of the classical Henderson method for the determination of pK. ... 

The first identified complexes of unsubstituted thiazole were described by Erlenmeyer and Schmid (461) they were obtained by dissolution in absolute alcohol of both thiazole and an anhydrous cobalt(II) salt (Table 1-62). Heating the a-CoCri 2Th complex in chloroform gives the 0 isomer, which on standirtg at room temperature reverses back to the a form. According to Hant2sch (462), these isomers correspond to a cis-trans isomerism. Several complexes of 2,2 -(183) and 4,4 -dithiazolyl (184) were also prepared and found similar to pyridyl analogs (185) (Table 1-63). Zn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) chelates of 2.4-/>is(2-pyridyl)thiazole (186) and (2-pyridylamino)-4-(2-pyridy])thiazole (187) have been investigated. The formation constants for species MLr, and ML -" (L = 186 or 187) have been calculated from data obtained by potentiometric, spectrophotometric, and partition techniques. 

The measurement of pK for bases as weak as thiazoles can be undertaken in two ways by potentiometric titration and by absorption spectrophotometry. In the cases of thiazoles, the second method has been used (140, 148-150). A certain number of anomalies in the results obtained by potentiometry in aqueous medium using Henderson s classical equation directly have led to the development of an indirect method of treatment of the experimental results, while keeping the Henderson equation (144). 

The most obvious sensor for an acid-base titration is a pH electrode.For example, Table 9.5 lists values for the pH and volume of titrant obtained during the titration of a weak acid with NaOH. The resulting titration curve, which is called a potentiometric titration curve, is shown in Figure 9.13a. The simplest method for finding the end point is to visually locate the inflection point of the titration curve. This is also the least accurate method, particularly if the titration curve s slope at the equivalence point is small. 

Although not commonly used, thermometric titrations have one distinct advantage over methods based on the direct or indirect monitoring of plT. As discussed earlier, visual indicators and potentiometric titration curves are limited by the magnitude of the relevant equilibrium constants. For example, the titration of boric acid, ITaBOa, for which is 5.8 X 10 °, yields a poorly defined equivalence point (Figure 9.15a). The enthalpy of neutralization for boric acid with NaOlT, however, is only 23% less than that for a strong acid (-42.7 kj/mol... 

Finding the End Point Potentiometrically Another method for locating the end point of a redox titration is to use an appropriate electrode to monitor the change in electrochemical potential as titrant is added to a solution of analyte. The end point can then be found from a visual inspection of the titration curve. The simplest experimental design (Figure 9.38) consists of a Pt indicator electrode whose potential is governed by the analyte s or titrant s redox half-reaction, and a reference electrode that has a fixed potential. A further discussion of potentiometry is found in Chapter 11. 

Experimental arrangement for recording a potentiometric redox titration curve. 

Initial attempts at developing precipitation titration methods were limited by a poor end point signal. Finding the end point by looking for the first addition of titrant that does not yield additional precipitate is cumbersome at best. The feasibility of precipitation titrimetry improved with the development of visual indicators and potentiometric ion-selective electrodes. 

The following experiments may he used to illustrate the application of titrimetry to quantitative, qtmlitative, or characterization problems. Experiments are grouped into four categories based on the type of reaction (acid-base, complexation, redox, and precipitation). A brief description is included with each experiment providing details such as the type of sample analyzed, the method for locating end points, or the analysis of data. Additional experiments emphasizing potentiometric electrodes are found in Chapter 11. 

Values for fQi and K 2 for acids of the form H2A are determined from a least-squares analysis of data from a potentiometric titration. 

Dilute solutions of nominally 0.001 M NaOH and HGl are used to demonstrate the effect of an indicator s color transition range on titration error. Potentiometric titration curves are measured, and the indicator s color transition range is noted. Titration errors are calculated using the volume of titrant needed to effect the first color change and for a complete color change. 

Partanen, J. I. Karki, M. H. Determination of the Thermodynamic Dissociation Constant of a Weak Acid by Potentiometric Acid-Base Titration, /. Chem. Educ. 1994,... 

Directions are provided in this experiment for determining the dissociation constant for a weak acid. Potentiometric titration data are analyzed by a modified Gran plot. The experiment is carried out at a variety of ionic strengths and the thermodynamic dissociation constant determined by extrapolating to zero ionic strength. 

Potentiometric titration curves are used to determine the molecular weight and fQ or for weak acid or weak base analytes. The analysis is accomplished using a nonlinear least squares fit to the potentiometric curve. The appropriate master equation can be provided, or its derivation can be left as a challenge. 

A potentiometric titration is used to determine if an unknown sample is pure Na2G03, a mixture of Na2G03 and NaHG03, pure Na3P04, or a mixture of Na3P04 and Na2HP04. 

This experiment outlines a potentiometric titration for determining the valency of copper in superconductors in place of the visual end point used in the preceding experiment of Harris, Hill, and Hewston. The analysis of several different superconducting materials is described. 

Powell, J. R. Tucker, S. A. Acree, Jr., et al. A Student-Designed Potentiometric Titration Quantitative Determination oflron(ll) by Caro s Acid Titration, ... 

The titration of a mixture ofp-nitrophenol (pfQ = 7.0) and m-nitrophenol pK = 8.3) can be followed spectrophotometrically. Neither acid absorbs at a wavelength of 545 nm, but their respective conjugate bases do absorb at this wavelength. The m-nitrophenolate ion has a greater absorbance than an equimolar solution of the p-nitrophenolate ion. Sketch the spectrophotometric titration curve for a 50.00-mL mixture consisting of 0.0500 M p-nitrophenol and 0.0500 M m-nitrophenol with 0.100 M NaOH, and compare the curve with the expected potentiometric titration curves. 

The potentiometric titration curve shown here was recorded on a 0.4300-g sample of a purified amino acid that was dissolved in 50.00 ml of water and titrated with 0.1036 M NaOH. Identify the amino acid from the possibilities listed in the following table. 

The text listed below provides more details on how the potentiometric titration data may be used to calculate equilibrium constants. This text provides a number of examples and includes a discussion of several computer programs that have been developed to model equilibrium reactions. 

In potentiometry the potential of an electrochemical cell is measured under static conditions. Because no current, or only a negligible current, flows while measuring a solution s potential, its composition remains unchanged. For this reason, potentiometry is a useful quantitative method. The first quantitative potentiometric applications appeared soon after the formulation, in 1889, of the Nernst equation relating an electrochemical cell s potential to the concentration of electroactive species in the cell. ... 

Potentiometric measurements are made using a potentiometer to determine the difference in potential between a working or, indicator, electrode and a counter electrode (see Figure 11.2). Since no significant current flows in potentiometry, the role of the counter electrode is reduced to that of supplying a reference potential thus, the counter electrode is usually called the reference electrode. In this section we introduce the conventions used in describing potentiometric electrochemical cells and the relationship between the measured potential and concentration. 

Also, by convention, potentiometric electrochemical cells are defined such that the indicator electrode is the cathode (right half-cell) and the reference electrode is the anode (left half-cell). 

Potentiometric electrochemical cells are constructed such that one of the half-cells provides a known reference potential, and the potential of the other half-cell indicates the analyte s concentration. By convention, the reference electrode is taken to be the anode thus, the shorthand notation for a potentiometric electrochemical cell is... 

The potential of the indicator electrode in a potentiometric electrochemical cell is proportional to the concentration of analyte. Two classes of indicator electrodes are used in potentiometry metallic electrodes, which are the subject of this section, and ion-selective electrodes, which are covered in the next section. 

If the copper electrode is the indicator electrode in a potentiometric electrochemical cell that also includes a saturated calomel reference electrode... 

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