POTENTIOMETRIC ANION SELECTIVITIES OF POLYMER MEMBRANES DOPED WITH INDIUM(III)-PORPHYRINS

The potentiometric anion responses of polymeric membranes doped with various indium (III)-porphyrin structures are examined. The appropriate membranes are prepared by incorporating 1.0 wt % of the In(III)-porphyrins in plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) films. When such membranes are incorporated within standard ion selective electrode bodies, the resulting electrodes display non-Hofmeister anion selectivity, with a particularly enhanced and super-Nernstian response to chloride. Among those porphyrins investigated, membranes doped with chloro(octaethylporphyrinato)indium(III) yield the largest and most reproducible potentiometric anion responses. These same membrane electrodes exhibit negligible response to protons (or hydroxide) in the range of pH 4.5-9.0. When utilized as a flow-injection detector in conjunction with a protein diluent/buffer stream, the In(III)-porphyrin-based electrodes may be used to determine chloride levels in human serum samples.