Current Programs to Restore Ion-Selective Membrane Equilibrium

Justin M. Zook and Erno Lindner

Affiliation: Biochemical Science, NIST Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

Although ion-selective electrodes have traditionally been used at equilibrium, research interest in non-equilibrium uses has been growing. In these studies, an ion-selective membrane is often polarized by an external current to improve its detection limit, selectivity, and sensitivity. A drawback of these methods is that the membrane must be restored for a long time before each new measurement, and the theory has not been developed to predict restoration times. To determine the necessary relaxation times for various restoration protocols, we developed models describing the concentration profiles and voltage/current transients of ion-selective membranes during a sequence of current and/or voltage pulses.

CATEGORY: Chemistry

Mentors Name: Wyatt Vreeland

Biochemical Science, CSTL

A363, 227, Mail stop 8313

Tel: x4133

Fax: x8197

Email: jzook@nist.gov

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