Abstract: To develop a convenient method for sensitive and selective determination of Ce3+ in aqueous phase with complicated matrices, a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with ion imprinted polymers (IIPs) were fabricated. The polymers were prepared by precipitation polymerization using Ce3+ as template, allyl phenoxyacetate (APA) as monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator under the molar ratio of Ce3+, APA and EGDMA as 1:4:40, respectively. Ce3+ was detected directly by differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DPASV) and its oxidation peak appears at about 0.93 V. All parameters affecting the sensor's response are optimized and a calibration curve is plotted at a linear range of 1.0 x 10-6 - 1.0 x 10-5 mol/L and 1.0 x 10-5 - 2.0 x 10-4 with the detection limit of 1.5 x 10-7 mol/L. All other rare earth ions have no interference with the determination of Ce3+ even at a concentration 500 times higher than that of Ce3+. This sensor was successfully applied to determination of Ce3+ in two catalyst sample solutions with RSD £ 3.3% (n=5) and recoveries in the range of 99.2%-106.5% at our optimal conditions
Author keywords: Cerium, electrochemical sensor, ion-imprinted polymers, Carbon paste electrode, Rare earths