Fabrication of a high electrochemical performance MTOAC sensor and its use in perchlorate measurement

The detection of perchlorate in some environmental and medical samples has been investigated by various research groups. However, due to its low detection limit and wide operating range, sensitive and selective perchlorate detection presents several challenges and requires costly analytical methods. In this study, methyltrioctylammonium chloride (MTOAC) was successfully used as an ionophore for the determination of perchlorate (ClO4−). The MTOAC ionophore-containing sensor demonstrated superior potentiometric properties, including a fast response time of 15 s, a wide linear operating range of 1.0 × 10− 2 to 7.5 × 10− 8 M, a low detection limit of 6.8 × 10− 8 M, a wide pH operating range of 3.36–9.65, and high repeatability at perchlorate concentrations of 10− 4 to 10− 6 M. Additionally, the MTOAC sensor showed high recovery (99.4-102.3%) in different water samples obtained from tap water, wastewater, spring water and Van Lake water. Compared to the sensors reported in the literature, the MTOAC sensor exhibited a wider linear working range and a lower detection limit. The low production cost, short response time, the absence of pretreatment, ease of use without requiring expertise, and the ability to operate even in turbid solutions make the MTOAC ionophore-containing membrane-based sensor a promising alternative for practical analytical applications. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.