PVC membrane sensor for diclofenac: applications in pharmaceutical analysis and drug binding studies

A PVC membrane sensor for diclofenac based on its ion pair complex with silver is prepared. The influences of membrane composition (PVC, plasticizer, and ion pair complex), pH of test solution and presence of other anions on the performance of the electrode were investigated. The optimized membrane demonstrates Nernstian response (-58.9 +/- 0.2 mV/decade) for diclofenac anions over a wide linear range from 5.2 x 10(-5) to 1.1 x 10(-2) M at 25 +/- 1 degree C. The potentiometric response is independent from pH at the range of 6.0-9.5. The advantages of the proposed sensor are: easy preparation, good selectivity and fast response time. It was successfully used for determination of diclofenac in pharmaceuticals and also in potentiometric study of interaction of diclofenac with bovine serum albumin. The results of diclofenac assay with the proposed sensor were in good agreement with the official HPLC method.