Potentiometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Mercury (II) in Water Sample Using a New Modified Palm Shell Activated Carbon Paste Electrode Based on Kryptofix 5

A new modified palm shell activated carbon paste electrode based on 1,13-Bis(8-quinolyl)-1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxatridecane, 8,8-(1,4,7,10,13-Pentaoxatridecylene)-diquinoline (Kryptofix5) and plasticizing agent was prepared and studied as Hg selective electrode. The best performance was observed with the electrode composition having the ionophore-palm shell activated carbon-plasticizer composition 10%:50%:40% with Nernstian response over the concentration range of 1.0 × 10 1.0 × 10 M with a slope of 42 ± 1.5 mV per decade of concentration. The detection limit as determined from the calibration plot is 1.0 × 10 M. The proposed electrode shows good selectivity for Hg(II) with interfering ions. The response time of the electrode is fast (≤10 s), and can be used in the pH range of 3 11. The electrode was used to determine mercury in drinking water.