Development of coated-wire silver ion selective electrodes on paper using conductive films of silver nanoparticles

Films of silver nanoparticles are used for the first time as an electrical conductor and ion-to-electron transducer to fabricate coated-wire ion selective electrodes (ISEs) on paper. The film of nano silver ink (nano silver film), synthesized from the reduction of AgNO3 by NaBH4, was screen printed on paper. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) possessed a spherical shape with diameter ca. 5 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy supported the purity and good stability of the synthesized AgNPs. Nano silver films were sintered at room temperature, 100 degrees C and 200 degrees C. Upon increasing the sintering temperature, atomic force microscopy showed that the size of AgNPs of nano silver films increased, but the sheet resistivity decreased. Silver ISEs were then fabricated from nano silver films and o-NPOE-plasticized polymeric membranes containing benzothiazolyl calix[4] arene (CU1) as ionophore and KT rho ClPB as anionic site. The performance of the developed Ag-ISEs was investigated by potentiometric measurements, potentiometric water layer tests, current reversal chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The coated-wire electrode fabricated from the nano silver film sintering at room temperature showed the best characteristics of Ag-ISEs giving a near Nernstian response slope of 59.7 +/- 1.0 mV per decade, 10(-6) to 10(-2) M linear range, detection limit of 4.5 x 10(-7) M, long-term potential stability and good reversibility.