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An all-solid-state ion-selective sensor based on polyaniline for nitrate-nitrogen detection

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Abstract

Nitrogen is necessary for plants to grow, but excess nitrogen fertilizer leads to pollution of soil and groundwater, so-called agricultural non-point source pollution. The development of a rapid and precise method for detecting soil nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N) is urgently needed in order to provide guidance for fertilization. In this paper, an all-solid-state (ASS) nitrate ion-selective electrode (ISE) based on polyaniline (PANI) was fabricated. The PANI was synthesized using an all-solution method, which enables seamless integration with screen printing and ink-jet printing technologies for efficient large-scale production. The PANI-based sensor exhibited a linear response to NO3−-N ranging from 1 × 10−1–1 × 10–5 M, with a sensitivity of − 58.6 ± 5.2 mV/dec and a detection limit of 1.67 × 10– 6 M. The recovery rate for the detection of NO3−-N in real soil samples ranged from 96 to 104%. The PANI-based ASS-ISE also exhibits exceptional stability, reproducibility, selectivity, and remarkable pH tolerance within the range of 3.5– 10, making it well-suited for detecting various soil samples. Furthermore, the PANI-based sensors can be utilized for rapid detection of multiple elements in soil through substitution of diverse ion-selective membranes, thereby offering a more streamlined and efficient approach to environmental preservation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the 14th 5-Year Plan National Key R&D Project (2021YFD1700904-04), and the Top Talent Program of Henan Agricultural University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Yarou Li, Junfeng Wu, Hengchao Zhang, Jiandong Hu, Shixin Li & Lanlan Li

  2. Henan International Joint Laboratory of Laser Technology in Agriculture Sciences, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Junfeng Wu, Jiandong Hu, Shixin Li & Lanlan Li

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  1. Yarou Li
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  2. Junfeng Wu
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  3. Hengchao Zhang
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. YL contributed to the material preparation, data curation, and the initial draft. HZ assisted in the execution of data analysis, and editing written content. JW and LL revised the study design and contributed to the finalization of the manuscript. JH, LL and SL contributed to supervision and funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Shixin Li or Lanlan Li.

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Li, Y., Wu, J., Zhang, H. et al. An all-solid-state ion-selective sensor based on polyaniline for nitrate-nitrogen detection. J Mater Sci 58, 17292–17302 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-023-09112-z

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