Erbium(III) PVC membrane sensor based on N-(benzyloxycarbonyloxy)succinimide as a new neutral ionophore

In this study, a new Er3+ sensor based on N-(benzyloxycarbonyloxy)succinimide (BCS) as a neutral carrier has been constructed. The sensor exhibits potential linear response with a Nernstian slope of 20.5 ± 0.4 mV/decade in the concentration range of 1.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−2 mol/L of Er3+. It has a very short response time (<10 s), detection limit of 6.3 × 10−7 mol/L and a good selectivity relative to a wide variety of other metal ions including common alkali, alkaline earth, heavy, and transition metal ions. It can be used in the pH range of 2.5–10.6 without any considerable divergence in potentials. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for the recovery of Er3+ ions spiked in tap and river water samples.