Design and Characterization of Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Mercury(II) Ion in Real Samples Based upon a New Schiff Base Derivative as an Ionophore

The present paper provides a description of the design, characterization, and use of a Hg(2+) selective electrode (Hg(2+)–SE) for the determination of Hg(2+) at ultra-traces levels in a variety of real samples. The ionophore in the proposed electrode is a new Schiff base, namely 4-bromo-2-[(4-methoxyphenylimino)methyl]phenol (BMPMP). All factors affecting electrode response including polymeric membrane composition, concentration of internal solution, pH sample solution, and response time were optimized. The optimum response of our electrode was obtained with the following polymeric membrane composition (% w/w): PVC, 32; o-NPOE, 64.5; BMPMP, 2 and NaTPB, 1.5. The potentiometric response of Hg(2+)–SE towards Hg(2+) ion was linear in the wide range of concentrations (9.33 × 10(–8)−3.98 × 10(–3) molL(–1)), while, the limit of detection of the proposed electrode was 3.98 × 10(–8) molL(–1) (8.00 μg L(–1)). The Hg(2+)–SE responds quickly to Hg(2+) ions as the response time of less than 10 s. On the other hand, the slope value obtained for the developed electrode was 29.74 ± 0.1 mV/decade in the pH range of 2.0−9.0 in good agreement with the Nernstian response (29.50 mV/decade). The Hg(2+)–SE has relatively less interference with other metal ions. The Hg(2+)–SE was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titrations to estimate Hg(2+) ions in waters, compact fluorescent lamp, and dental amalgam alloy and the accuracy of the developed electrode was compared with ICP–OES measurement values. Moreover, the new Schiff base (BMPMP) was synthesized and characterized using ATR–FTIR, elemental analysis, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR. The PVC membranes containing BMPMP as an ionophore unloaded and loaded with Hg(II) are reported by scanning electron microscope images (SEM) along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra.