Enhanced sensitivity for Cu(II) by a salicylidine-functionalized polysiloxane carbon paste electrode

A new approach for decreasing the detection limit for a copper(II) ion-selective electrode (ISE) is presented. The ISE is designed using salicylidine-functionalized polysiloxane in carbon paste. This work describes the attempts to develop the electrode and measurements of its characteristics. The new type of renewable three-dimensional chemically modified electrode could be used in a pH range of 2.3-5.4, and its detection limit is 2.7 × 10−8 mol L−1 (1.2 μg L−1). This sensor exhibits a good Nernstian slope of 29.4 ± 0.5 mV/decade in a wide linear concentration range of 2.3 × 10−7 to 1.0 × 10−3 mol L−1 of Cu(II). It has a short response time (∼8 s) and noticeably high selectivity over other Cu(II) selective electrodes. Finally, it was satisfactorily used as an indicator electrode in complexometric titration with EDTA and determination of copper(II) in miscellaneous samples such as urine and various water samples.