Solid contact ion sensor with conducting polymer layer copolymerized with the ion-selective membrane for determination of calcium in blood serum

•A new approach of solid contact ion selective electrodes (ISE) fabrication is tested.•Conductive polymer layer is co-polymerized with ion-selective membrane.•The ISE design prevents formation of water layer at the boundary between two polymers.•The ISE shows enhanced stability and life-time.•The sensor may be used for calcium ion determination in blood serum.

A new solid contact ion selective electrode with intermediate conducting polymer (CP) layer formed by electropolymerization on a gold electrode of a bifunctional monomer, n-phenyl-ethylenediamine-methacrylamide (NPEDMA), which contains a methacrylamide group attached to aniline, is presented. The conducting polymer was studied by means of optical spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and potentiometric measurements. Ca2+-ion-selective membrane based on acrylated urethane polymer was shown to co-polymerize with the CP forming highly adhesive boundary that prevents formation of water layers between the CP and membrane, thus enhancing the stability and life-time of the sensor. The designed ion-selective electrode was successfully used for determination of total calcium ion concentration in blood serum samples.

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