Nitrogen-Bearing Organic Compounds as Carriers for Lead Ion-Selective Electrodes with Excellent Response

Bis-Schiff base, pyridyl carboxamide, acylhydroxylamine, and phenylhydrazone, acting as sensing agents in ionophore-doped membranes of lead-ion selective electrodes with excellent response characteristics, are systematically summarized according to the latest literatures and our latest researches. The relationship between the response characteristics of the lead (II) ion-selective electrode assembled by the carriers and their molecular structures is also elaborated. It is noteworthy that the selectivity of the electrode towards lead ions over other cations is closely related to the molecular structure of the carrier. The presence of cyano group would largely improve the lower detection limit whether it is introduced into the carrier or membrane matrix. The sensing mechanism should be emphasized in order to find out the direction for developing high performance carriers.