A novel ion selective membrane potentiometric sensor for direct determination of Fe(III) in the presence of Fe(II)

A new PVC membrane potentiometric sensor that is highly selective to Fe(III) ions was prepared by using 2-[(2-hydroxy-1-propenyl-buta-1,3-dienylimino)-methyl]-4-p-tolylazo-phenol [HPDTP] as a suitable carrier. The electrode exhibits a linear response for iron(III) ions over a wide concentration range (3.5 × 10−6 to 4.0 × 10−2) with a super Nernstian slope of 28.5 (±0.5) per decade. The electrode can be used in the pH range from 4.5 to 6.5. The proposed sensor shows fairly a good discriminating ability towards Fe3+ ion in comparison to some hard and soft metals such as Fe2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Al3+ and Ca2+. It has a response time of <15 s and can be used for at least 2 months without any measurable divergence in response characteristics. The electrode was used in the direct determination of Fe3+ in aqueous samples and as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of Fe(III) ions.