A hexadecyltrioctadecylammonium-tetraphenylborate (HTA-TPB) ion pair, incorporated into a plasticized PVC membrane as a sensing material, was used for the preparation of a new anionic surfactant sensor. The sensor exhibited a Nernstian response (58.1 mV/decade of activity) between 3 x 10-7 - 3 x 10-3 M for dodecyl sulfate. The interfering effect of several inorganic and organic anions, most frequently used in formulated products, was investigated. The influence of pH on the sensor behavior at potentiometric titrations was also studied. The sensor was used for end-point detection in potentiometric titrations of anionic surfactants. The homologous series of C7 – C12 alkane sulfonates and some commercial detergent products have been successfully titrated. The sensor and analyte parameters were estimated from the derivative curves and by multivariate analysis and the Solver optimization. |