Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) based membranes of macrocycles, amethyl-1,4
,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene diperchlorate (I), amethyl-1,4
,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene diperchlorate (II) and 5,10,15
,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (III) with sodium tetraphenylborate (STB) as
an anion excluder and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dioctyl phthalate (DOP)
, dibutyl butylphosphonate (DBBP) and 1-chloronaphthalene (CN) as plas
ticizing solvent mediators were prepared and investigated as Co2+-sele
ctive electrodes, The best performance was observed with the membrane
having the composition III-PVC-STB-DBP in the ratio 3:8:1:8, which wor
ks well over a wide concentration range (8.0 x 10(-)6)-1.0 x 10(-1) mo
l l(-1)) with a Nernstian slope of 29.0 mV per decade of activity betw
een pH 2.8 and 7.3, This electrode shows a fast response time of 20 s
and was used over a period of 4 months with good reproducibility (s =
0.4 mV), The selectivity coefficient values of the order of 0.01 for m
ono-, di- and trivalent cations indicate excellent selectivity for Co2
+ over a large number of cations. Anions such as Cl- and SO42- do not
interfere and the electrode also works satisfactorily in a partially n
on-aqueous medium, The sensor has been used as an indicator electrode
in the potentiometric titration of Co2+ with EDTA.