Zn(II)-ion-selective electrodes based on GeSe2–Sb2Se3–ZnSe glasses

Zn(II)-ion-selective electrodes (Zn(II)-ISE) were created on the base of chalcogenide glasses (ChG) from the GeSe2–Sb2Se3–ZnSe system. New Zn(II)-ISEs include composite membranes and a construction from the “coated wire” type. The ISEs were built up on standard Ag/AgCl electrodes coated with a polymer filled with GeSe2–Sb2Se3–ZnSe glassy powder. The basic analytical characteristics: stability, linear range (L), slope of the electrode function (S), limits of detection (LD), working pH-range and response time (τ95) were studied with respect to the type of the polymeric matrix and the content of ChG. The cross-selectivity in the presence of some interfering ions was investigated. The obtained dependencies were explained with an appropriate potential-generating mechanism, assuming the creation of double-ionized defective centers in the structural glassy network.