Potentiometric Sensors in Analytical Chemistry

A special issue of Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrochemical Devices and Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2026 | Viewed by 613

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: chemical sensors; potentiometric sensors; ion-selective electrodes
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Potentiometric sensors represent a key electrochemical sensing strategy in analytical chemistry due to their high selectivity, simplicity, sensitivity, miniaturization potential, and suitability for in situ, real-time ion detection. From conventional ion-selective electrodes to modern solid-contact and miniaturized sensors, potentiometric sensing has continuously progressed in response to new analytical challenges. Consequently, potentiometric sensors are widely used for a range of applications, including environmental monitoring, water quality assessment, clinical diagnostics, food safety, pharmaceutical quality control, and monitoring of industrial processes.

In recent years, significant progress in the design of potentiometric sensors has been achieved through innovations in membrane chemistry, solid-contact materials, and nanostructured transducers. These developments have led to lower detection limits, wider measuring ranges, enhanced potential stability, faster response times, and greater robustness under real-sample conditions. Due to these enhancements, potentiometric sensors can be successfully integrated into portable, wearable, and autonomous sensing systems, creating new opportunities for real-time monitoring and digital data acquisition. Despite these advances, challenges related to selectivity, sensor lifetime, calibration-free measurements, and reliable performance in complex matrices remain active research topics, highlighting the relevance and research potential of this field.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances in potentiometric sensors and their applications in analytical chemistry. Therefore, we welcome submissions focusing on fundamental aspects of potentiometric sensing, including ion-selective membrane materials and signal transduction mechanisms, as well as studies demonstrating innovative analytical applications. Particular emphasis is placed on studies that combine fundamental research with practical application, demonstrating how innovative sensor concepts improve analytical performance in real samples.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Design and characterization of ion-selective electrodes and membranes;
  • Solid-contact potentiometric sensors;
  • Nanomaterials and functional materials for potentiometric sensing;
  • Potentiometric sensors for environmental, food, pharmaceutical, and clinical analyses;
  • Miniaturized, portable, and wearable potentiometric sensors;
  • Sensor arrays and multisensing systems;
  • Analytical performance characteristics of potentiometric sensors.

This Special Issue encourages original research articles and review papers that contribute to the development of potentiometric sensing as a key analytical approach and demonstrate its relevance in analytical chemistry.

Dr. Mirela Samardžić
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • potentiometry
  • potentiometric sensors
  • ion-selective electrodes
  • solid-contact sensors
  • real-time analysis
  • wearable sensors
  • nanomaterials
  • analytical chemistry

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 7086 KB  
Article
Rational Design of a Hydrophobic Ion-Pair Sensor for Potentiometric Determination of Cationic Surfactants in Disinfectants: Combined Experimental and DFT Study
by Marija Kraševac Sakač, Maksym Fizer, Hanna Zhukouskaya, Martin Hrubý, Jiří Pánek, Jasmin Suljagić, Dean Marković, Domagoj Drenjančević, Nikola Sakač, Martina Šrajer Gajdošik and Marija Jozanović
Chemosensors 2026, 14(7), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors14070150 - 1 Jul 2026
Viewed by 337
Abstract
Cationic surfactants are widely used in disinfectants, creating a need for rapid and reliable analytical methods for their determination in complex formulations. In this study, a new hydrophobic ion-pair, 1,3-didecyl-2-methylimidazolium tetrakis(perfluorophenyl)borate (DDMIm–TPFPhB), was developed and applied as an ionophore in a potentiometric sensor. [...] Read more.
Cationic surfactants are widely used in disinfectants, creating a need for rapid and reliable analytical methods for their determination in complex formulations. In this study, a new hydrophobic ion-pair, 1,3-didecyl-2-methylimidazolium tetrakis(perfluorophenyl)borate (DDMIm–TPFPhB), was developed and applied as an ionophore in a potentiometric sensor. The ion-pair was incorporated into a PVC membrane and evaluated by direct potentiometric measurements and titrations. The sensor exhibited near-Nernstian responses toward selected cationic surfactants (56.8–59.1 mV per decade), low detection limits (1.4–2.2 × 10−6 M), and stable signal behavior, along with good selectivity and stability over a pH range of 3–9. Application on commercial disinfectant samples showed good agreement with a commercial ion-selective electrode. According to the charge decomposition analysis performed using density functional theory calculations, the number of electrons donated from perfluorotetraphenyl borate to 1,3-didecyl-2-methylimidazolium is 0.25 e. In contrast, the back-donation from the cation to the anion is only 0.05 e, indicating a relatively substantial overall charge transfer of 0.20 e. This pronounced charge transfer, together with dominant dispersion interactions, contributes to enhanced ion-pair stability within the membrane phase, which is reflected in reduced signal drift and improved analytical performance. These findings establish a direct link between molecular-level interactions and sensor behavior, providing a rational basis for the design of potentiometric sensors for real-sample analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentiometric Sensors in Analytical Chemistry)
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