Fabrication of a polymeric sensor using cobalt-nickel-iron nano composite for cerium measurement in different samples

The development of ion selective sensors are the well established in most frequent applications in the fields of environmental, agricultural, industrial and clinical analysis. This is due to their several advantages, such as high speed, ease of preparation, simple instrumentation, relatively fast response, wide working concentration range, adequate selectivity and low cost [1-3]. In this research, a highly selective Ce3+ coated graphite electrode was prepared into plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane. The best operation obtained in the membrane including: 4.0 mg benzo-15-crown-5, 2.0 mg nano composite cobalt-nickel-iron, 64.0 mg nitrobenzene (NB) and 30.0 mg PVC. The sensor exhibits a Nernstian slope (17.5±0.5 mV/decade) in a wide linear concentration range of 1.0×10 -8 -1.0×10-1 M. The detection limit of the electrode is 7.0×10-9 M. The electrode has a fast response time of 5 s, with a satisfactory reproducibility and relatively long life time of 35 days without significant drift in potential. The electrode operates in the wide pH range of 2-11. This electrode reveals a good electivity towards Ce3+ ion over a wide range of alkali, transition and heavy metal cations. The electrode was used as an indicator electrode for potentiometric titration of Ce3+cation with EDTA solutions with a sharp potential changes occurred at the end points. The proposed electrode was successfully applied for the recovery of Ce3+ ions in real samples.