Lead(II)-selective Ionophores for Ion-selective Electrodes: a Review

In potentiometry, high selectivity of the ion-selective membranes must be assured in order to reliably measure various analytes in clinical, industrial and environmental samples. Due to the toxic nature of lead(II) it is important to monitor Pb(2+) distribution in natural waters. This may be achieved by implementation of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) with high selectivity towards lead(II) and low detection limit. A great number of Pb(2+)-ionophores were synthesized and studied. In this work lead(II)-selective ionophores, starting from late 90s, are gathered and discussed. This work gives a comprehensive description and discussion on the novel and available lead(II)-selective ionophores for ISEs.