11.6.2025
Doctoral thesis on the development of ion-selective electrodes for the detection of organic ions
M.Sc. (Tech.) Ville Yrjänä’s doctoral thesis in Analytical Chemistry will be put forth for public defence at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Åbo Akademi University.
The thesis is entitled Solid-contact Potentiometric Anion-selective Electrodes – Receptors, Challenges, and Applications.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place on Tuesday 17 June 2025, 12PM in auditorium Argentum, Aurum, Henrikinkatu 2, Turku. Professor Eric Bakker, Université de Genève, Switzerland will serve as opponent and Professor Johan Bobacka, Åbo Akademi University, as custos.
Summary
The thesis work, which was performed at Åbo Akademi University in collaboration with the University of Tartu, is about the development of ion-selective electrodes for the determination of the concentration of negatively charged, organic ions in aqueous solutions. The work covers topics such as the preparation of new receptor molecules, the preparation of ion-selective electrodes, practical applications of the electrodes, and challenges related to, for example, the choice of the materials used to prepare the electrodes.
Analytical chemistry impacts our everyday lives in many ways. Among other things, it enables the monitoring of pollution in the environment, quality control in various industries, and medical diagnostics. Ion-selective electrodes are a tool that is routinely used, for example, to determine pH when brewing beer and to determine the concentration of sodium, potassium, and chloride in blood samples.
The interest towards organic ions stems largely from a medical perspective. For example, benzoate, which is naturally occurring in berries such as lingonberry and cranberry but is also used as an additive in various food products, can elicit allergic reactions in a small fraction of the population. Our bodies produce many different organic compounds (including ions) and abnormally high or low concentrations of certain compounds can be signs of illnesses.
Ion-selective electrodes and other electrochemical means of analysing samples are well suited for the preparation of small, portable measurement devices. However, the development of ion-selective electrodes for organic ions is challenging due to the lipophilicity, size, and structural similarities of organic ions. This thesis work also shows that the electrically insulating shell material, which should act primarily as a structural support for the other parts of the electrode, can have a significant impact on the selectivity of the ion-selective membrane.
Ville Yrjänä was born in 1991 in Korsholm, Finland. He can be reached by email ville.yrjana@abo.fi.
The doctoral thesis can be read online through the Doria publication archive.
No picture available.