Use of the sulfide minerals pyrite and chalcopyrite as electrochemical sensors in non-aqueous solutions. The potentiometric titration of weak acids in alcohols

Abstract

Natural monocrystalline pyrite and chalcopyrite were examined as new indicator electrodes for the potentiometric titration of weak acids in tert-butanol and iso-propanol. The electrodes investigated demonstrated a linear dynamic response for p-toluenesulfonic acid concentrations in the range from 0.1 to 0.001 M, with a Nernstian slope of 48 mV per decade for pyrite in tert-butanol. Sodium methylate, potassium hydroxide and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) proved to be suitable titrating agents. The response time was less than 12 s and the lifetime of the electrodes was higher than 1 year. The advantages of the electrodes are long-term stability, rapid response, reproducibility, easy preparation and low cost. © Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.