• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1734-1740
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• 2012

Voltammetric characterization of hydrophilic anion transfer processes across a 66 microhole array interface between the water and polyvinylchloride-2-nitrophenyloctylether gel layer is demonstrated. Since the transfer of hydrophilic anions including $Br^-$, $NO_3{^-}$, $I^-$, $SCN^-$ and $ClO_4{^-}$ across the liquid/gel interface usually sets the potential window within a negative potential region, a highly hydrophobic organic electrolyte, tetraoctylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, providing a wider potential window was incorporated into the gel phase. The transfer reaction of perchlorate anions across the microhole-water/gel interface was first studied using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The full voltammetric response of perchlorate anion transfer was then used as a reference for evaluating the half-wave transfer potentials, the formal transfer potentials and the formal Gibbs transfer energies of more hydrophilic anions such as $Br^-$, $NO_3{^-}$, $I^-$, and $SCN^-$. The current response associated with the perchlorate anion transfer across the micro-water/gel interface versus the perchlorate concentration was also demonstrated for sensing applications.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2577-2582
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• 2013

A novel stick-shaped portable sensing device featuring a microhole array interface between the polyvinylchloride-2-nitrophenyloctylether (PVC-NPOE) gel and water phase was developed for in-situ sensing of perchlorate ions in real water samples. Perchlorate sensitive sensing responses were obtained based on measuring the current changes with respect to the assisted transfer reaction of perchlorate ions by a perchlorate selective ligand namely, bis(dibenzoylmethanato)Ni(II) (Ni(DBM)2) across the polarized microhole array interface. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the assisted transfer reaction of perchlorate ions by the $Ni(DBM)_2$ ligand when using the portable sensing device. The current response for the transfer of perchlorate anions by $Ni(DBM)_2$ across the micro-water/gel interface linearly increased as a function of the perchlorate ion concentration. The technique of differential pulse stripping voltammetry was also utilized to improve the sensitivity of the perchlorate anion detection down to 10 ppb. This was acquired by preconcentrating perchlorate anions in the gel layer by means of holding the ion transfer potential at 0 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) for 30 s followed by stripping the complexed perchlorate ion with the ligand. The effect of various potential interfering anions on the perchlorate sensor was also investigated and showed an excellent selectivity over $Br^-$, $NO_2{^-}$, $NO_3{^-}$, $CO{_3}^{2^-}$, $CH_3COO^-$ and $SO{_4}^{2^-}$ ions. As a final demonstration, some regional water samples from the Sincheon river in Daegu city were analyzed and the data was verified with that of ion chromatography (IC) analysis from one of the Korean-certified water quality evaluation centers.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.3508-3508
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• 2012

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.443-455
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• 2013

Electrochemical studies on charge transfer reactions across the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) have greatly attracted researcher's attentions due to their wide applicability in research fields such as ion sensing and biosensing, modeling of biomembranes, pharmacokinetics, phase-transfer catalysis, fuel generation and solar energy conversion. In particular, there have been extensive efforts made on developing sensing platforms for ionic species and biomolecules via gelifying one of the liquid phases to improve mechanical stability in addition to creating microscale interfaces to reduce ohmic loss. In this review, we will mainly discuss on the basic principles, applications and future aspects of various sensing platforms utilizing ion transfer reactions across the ITIES. The ITIES is classified into four types : (i) a conventional liquid/liquid interface, (ii) a micropipette supported liquid/liquid interface, (iii) a single microhole or an array of microholes supported liquid/ liquid interface on a thin polymer film, and (iv) a microhole array liquid/liquid interface on a silicon membrane. Research efforts on developing ion selective sensors for water pollutants as well as biomolecule sensors will be highlighted based on the use of direct and assisted ion transfer reactions across these different ITIES configurations.