Novel Copper(II)-Selective Potentiometric Sensor Based on a Folic Acid-Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Material

A folic acid-functionalized carbon nanotube nanomaterial was prepared by immobilizing folic acid molecules on the carbon nanotubes through covalent bonds. The material was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that folic acid molecules were grafted on the carbon nanotube surfaces through the amide bonds between the carboxylic acid functional groups of the oxidized carbon nanotubes and the amine groups of the folic acid molecules. The folic acid molecules bonded to carbon nanotube surfaces led to appreciable changes in the morphology. By using currently obtained folic acid-functionalized carbon nanotube nanomaterial as electroactive material in a polyvinyl chloride membrane, a potentiometric copper (II)-selective sensor was developed. Membrane optimization studies showed that the composition exhibiting the best potentiometric properties was 4.0% (w/w) folic acid–carbon nanotube, 64.0% (w/w) o-nitrophenyl octylether, and 32.0% (w/w) polyvinyl chloride. The developed sensor displayed a linear response in the copper (II) concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10–6 to 1.0 × 10–1 M with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993 and a slope of 29.8 ± 0.6 mV/decade of activity. The response time, detection limit, and pH working range were determined to be 4 s, 3.8 × 10–7 M and 4.0–8.0, respectively. The developed sensor showed highly selective and satisfactory potentiometric response for the determination of copper (II) in a Turkish coin. © 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.