A pressure- and flow-insensitive reference electrode liquid junction

Easy-to-Make Capillary-Based Reference Electrodes with Controlled, Pressure-Driven Electrolyte Flow

As solid-contact potentiometric sensors based on novel materials have reached exceptional stabilities with drifts in the low μV/h range and long-term and calibration-free potentiometric measurements gain more and more attention, reference electrode designs that used to be satisfactory for most users do not satisfy the needs of new challenging applications. It is important that the interface between a reference electrode and the sample, often provided by a salt bridge, remains constant in ion composition over time. Excessive restriction of the flow of the bridge electrolyte, e.g., by using nanoporous frits or gelled reference electrolyte solutions, can result in contamination of the salt bridge with sample components and depletion of the reference electrolyte by diffusion into samples. This can be avoided by using salt bridges that flow freely into the sample. However, commonly used reference electrodes with free-flowing junctions often suffer either from experimental difficulties in assuring a minimum flow rate or from excessive flow rates that require frequent replenishing of the bridge electrolyte. To this end, we developed a reference electrode that contains a concentrated electrolyte contacting samples through a 10.2 μm capillary. By applying a minimal pressure of 10.0 kPa, a flow rate of 100 nL/h is achieved. This maintains a constant liquid junction potential at the interface with the sample and avoids contamination of the reference electrode, as evidenced by a potential stability of 6 ± 3 μV/h over 21 days. With such a minimal flow rate, there is no need to refill the reference electrode electrolyte for years.

Chloride-bicarbonate exchange in human red cells measured using a stopped flow apparatus

1. A new stopped-flow apparatus has been used to measure the exchange of intracellular chloride and extracellular bicarbonate across the human erythrocyte membrane at 37 degrees C. 2. The concentration dependence of the activation of the anion exchange system by extracellular bicarbonate was consistent with the existence of a saturable membrane-carrier. Analysis of the results assuming Michaelis--Menten kinetics indicated a Vmax for chloride--bicarbonate exchange of 73 . 4 +/- 14 . 4 mol. (3 x 10(13) cells.min)-1 and Km for bicarbonate of 11 . 1 +/- 2 . 8 mM at 37 degrees C (pH 7 . 1). 3. Correction of the directly computed values of Vmax for incomplete saturation of the carrier by intracellular chloride and the inhibitory effects of intracellular bicarbonate and extracellular chloride gave a Vmax of 157 +/- 43 . 8 mol (3 x 10(13) cells.min)-1 and a Km of 15 . 5 +/- 5 . 2 mM-bicarbonate at 37 degrees C. 4. Comparison of Vmax obtained at 37 and 10 degrees C indicates that the activation energy for chloride--bicarbonate exchange in this temperature range is 18 . 7 --19 . 6 kcal.mol-1 depending on whether corrected or uncorrected values are used. 5. Extracellular furosemide inhibited chloride--bicarbonate exchange with a KI of 0 . 12 microM assuming competition between furosemide and bicarbonate and 0 . 17 microM assuming non-competitive inhibition. 6. Extracellular chloride also inhibited chloride--bicarbonate exchange but the kinetics of inhibition were complex.