Potentiometric method, measurement

Potentiometric methods measure a potential in a galvanic cell arrangement. Amperometric and voltammetric methods measure a current in an electrolytic cell. 

Quantitative Analysis Using the Method of Standard Additions Because of the difficulty of maintaining a constant matrix for samples and standards, many quantitative potentiometric methods use the method of standard additions. A sample of volume, Vx) and analyte concentration, Cx, is transferred to a sample cell, and the potential, (ficell)x) measured. A standard addition is made by adding a small volume, Vs) of a standard containing a known concentration of analyte, Cs, to the sample, and the potential, (ficell)s) measured. Provided that Vs is significantly smaller than Vx, the change in sample matrix is ignored, and the analyte s activity coefficient remains constant. Example 11.7 shows how a one-point standard addition can be used to determine the concentration of an analyte. 

Electrochemical methods covered in this chapter include poten-tiometry, coulometry, and voltammetry. Potentiometric methods are based on the measurement of an electrochemical cell s potential when only a negligible current is allowed to flow, fn principle the Nernst equation can be used to calculate the concentration of species in the electrochemical cell by measuring its potential and solving the Nernst equation the presence of liquid junction potentials, however, necessitates the use of an external standardization or the use of standard additions. 

Samples were deformed by rolling at room temperature after disordering and quenching (40% and 80% reduction in thickness) and after ordering by a 19h annealing at 300°C (30% reduction). Completely recrystallized samples were prepared by annealing 48h at 600°C. Resistivity measurement was done by the potentiometric method in liquid N2 relative to a dummy specimen (accuracy 3x10" ). 

C. Potentiometric methods. This is a procedure which depends upon measurement of the e.m.f. between a reference electrode and an indicator (redox) electrode at suitable intervals during the titration, i.e. a potentiometric titration is carried out. The procedure is discussed fully in Chapter 15 let it suffice at this stage to point out that the procedure is applicable not only to those cases where suitable indicators are available, but also to those cases, e.g. coloured or very dilute solutions, where the indicator method is inapplicable, or of limited accuracy. 

Among potentiometric methods of analysis that are important for ecological applications, the one most widely used is that of pH measurements with an indicator electrode whose potential is a function of the hydrogen ion concentration. More recently, ion-selective electrodes reversible to other cations such as those of heavy metals have become available. 

Potentiometric methods are based on the measurement of the potential of an electrochemical cell consisting of two electrodes immersed in a solution. Since the cell potential is measured under the condition of zero cmrent, usually with a pH/mV meter, potentiometry is an equilibrium method. One electrode, the indicator electrode, is chosen to respond to a particular species in solution whose activity or concentration is to be measured. The other electrode is a reference electrode whose half-cell potential is invariant. 

The transfer of an automated analysis from the laboratory to the plant will often require special precautions for instance, while turbidities in a process stream can cause a loss of selective absorptivity in a spectrophotometric measurement, in potentiometric methods fouling of the electrodes, potential leakage in metal containers or tubing and loss of signal in remote control may occur (see later). 

Considering the related Mettler DL 40 and DL 40 RC MemoTitrators, the DL 40 can be used for ten different volumetric and potentiometric methods titration to a pre-selected absolute (EPA) or relative (EPR) end-point equilibrium titration (EQU)-recording titration (REC)-incremental titration (INC) Karl Fischer water determination (KF)-controlled dispensing (DOSE) pH and pX measurements (pX/E) multi-level titrations and back-titrations with automatic calculation (CALC) and manual titration (MAN)-automatic calibration of electrodes (CAL). 

When the log /J/pH measurement of a peptide is performed by the shake-flask or the partition chromatography method (using hydrophilic buffers to control pH), usually the shape of the curve is that of a parabola (see Ref. 371 and Fig. 1 in Ref. 282), where the maximum log I) value corresponds to the pH at the isoelectric point (near pH 5-6). Surprisingly, when the potentiometric method is used to characterize the same peptide [275], the curve produced is a step function, as indicated by the thick line in Fig. 4.5 for dipeptide Trp-Phe. 

Potentiometric methods for solubility measurement have been reported in the literature [467-471]. A novel approach, called dissolution template titration (DTT), has been introduced [472-474], One publication called it the gold standard [509]. 

Two types of methods are used to measure activity coefficients. Potentiometric methods that measure the mean activity coefficient of the dissolved electrolyte directly will be described in Section 3.3.3. However, in galvanic cells with liquid junctions the electrodes respond to individual ion activities (Section 3.2). This is particularly true for pH measurement (Sections 3.3.2 and 6.3). In these cases, extrathermodynamical procedures defining individual ion activities must be employed. 

Potentiometry is used in the determination of various physicochemical quantities and for quantitative analysis based on measurements of the EMF of galvanic cells. By means of the potentiometric method it is possible to determine activity coefficients, pH values, dissociation constants and solubility products, the standard affinities of chemical reactions, in simple cases transport numbers, etc. In analytical chemistry, potentiometry is used for titrations or for direct determination of ion activities. 

Besides, potentiometric sensors with ion-selective ionophores in modified poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) have been used to detect analytes from human serum [128], Cellular respiration and acidification due to the activity of the cells has been measured with CMOS ISFETS [129], Some potentiometric methods employ gas-sensing electrodes for NH3 (for deaminase reactions) and C02 (for decarboxylase reactions). Ion-selective electrodes have also been used to quantitate penicillin, since the penicillinase reaction may be mediated with I or GST. 

To understand potentiometric methods, those that measure electrical potentials and determine analyte concentrations from these potentials, it is necessary that numerical values for these tendencies be known under conventional standard modes and conditions. What are these modes and conditions First, all halfreactions must be written as either reductions or oxidations. Scientists have decided to write them as reductions. Second, the tendencies for half-reactions to proceed depend on the temperature, the concentrations of the chemical species involved, and, if gases are involved, the pressure in the half-cell. Scientists have defined standard conditions to be a temperature of 25°C, a concentration of exactly 1 M for all dissolved chemical species involved, and a pressure of exactly 1 atm. Third, because every cell consists of two half-cells, it is not possible to measure the value directly. However, if we were to assign the tendency of a certain half-reaction to be zero, then the tendencies of all other half-reactions can be determined relative to this reference half-reaction. 

In this present book, we will look at the analytical use of two fundamentally different types of electrochemical technique, namely potentiometry and amper-ometry. The distinctions between the two are outlined in some detail in Chapter 2. For now, we will anticipate and say that a potentiometric technique determines the potential of electrochemical cells - usually at zero current. The potential of the electrode of interest responds (with respect to a standard reference electrode) to changes in the concentration of the species under study. The most common potentiometric methods used by the analyst employ voltmeters, potentiometers or pH meters. Such measurements are generally relatively cheap to perform, but can be slow and tedious unless automated. 

Liu, X., Bouchard, G., Girault, H.H., Testa, B. and Carrupt, P.A. (2003) Partition coefficients of ionizable compounds in o-nitrophenyl octyl ether/ water measured by the potentiometric method. Analytical Chemistry, 75, 7036-7039. 

It was proposed to replace the final titration of Is in the standard method with a redox potentiometric method, which is less laborious, fast and prone to automation. The LOD is 0.16 meqkg, allowing determination of POV in fresh oil. A method based on the potentiometric determination of the equilibrium in equation 54, in aqueous solution containing a large excess of I, with a Pt electrode vs. SCSE, was proposed to replace the standard iodometric titrations of Section IV.B.2 for determination of the POV of oils. The proposed method is fit for purpose, based on the measurement uncertainties, as compared to those of the standards based on iodine titration with thiosulfate solution. The analytical quality of the potentiometric method is similar to that of the standards based on titrations for oils with POV >0.5 meqkg however, for fresh oils, with much lower POV, the potentiometric method is bettef . 

A potentiometric method for determination of ionization constants for weak acids and bases in mixed solvents and for determination of solubility product constants in mixed solvents is described. The method utilizes glass electrodes, is rapid and convenient, and gives results in agreement with corresponding values from the literature. After describing the experimental details of the method, we present results of its application to three types of ionization equilibria. These results include a study of the thermodynamics of ionization of acetic acid, benzoic acid, phenol, water, and silver chloride in aqueous mixtures of acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and ethanol. The solvent compositions in these studies were varied from 0 to ca. 70 mass % nonaqueous component, and measurements were made at several temperatures between 10° and 40°C. 

Contrary to potentiometric methods that operate under null current conditions, other electrochemical methods impose an external energy source on the sample to induce chemical reactions that would not otherwise spontaneously occur. It is thus possible to measure all sorts of ions and organic compounds that can either be reduced or oxidised electrochemically. Polarography, the best known of voltammetric methods, is still a competitive technique for certain determinations, even though it is outclassed in its present form. It is sometimes an alternative to atomic absorption methods. A second group of methods, such as coulometry, is based on constant current. Electrochemical sensors and their use as chromatographic detectors open new areas of application for this arsenal of techniques. 

The most important methods for obtaining structural information about solutions are probably potentiometric pH measurements and visible/ultraviolet spectroscopy, but many other techniques have been applied, including bridge-cleavage experiments, magnetic measurements, and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy (22, 23). 

Potentiometric methods in potentiometric methods, the equilibrium potential of the working electrode (see section2.2) is measured against the potential of a reference electrode. That potential results from an equilibrium established over the electrode-electrolyte interface and provides information about the analyte taking part in this equilibrium. 

Ion-selective electrodes belong to the group of potentiometric methods. Many electrode systems, partly well known, partly in development and under investigation, show a Nemstian relationship between the measured electrode potential and the activity of a species in solution. Important conditions to be fulfilled for the development of ion-selective electrodes are the affinity of a membrane surface for a typical ion or molecule and a minimum ion conductivity over the membrane. If possible, but not necessarily, these conditions should be fulfilled at room temperature. 

The proposed potentiometric method of measuring AOA presents a good and prospective alternative to the existing methods, which is confirmed by close correlation between the data obtained with the use of potentiometric and traditional methods. The advantages of the proposed method are its simplicity, cost effectiveness and possibility to be used for on-site and on-line analysis. 

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