A combination of dynamic measurement protocol and advanced data treatment to resolve the mixtures of chemically similar analytes with potentiometric multisensor system

Data processing techniques and measuring protocol are very important parts of the multisensor systems methodology. Complex analytical tasks like resolving the mixtures of two components with very similar chemical properties require special attention. We report on the application of non-linear (artificial neural networks, ANNs) and linear (projections on latent structures, PLS) regression techniques to the data obtained from the flow cell with potentiometric multisensor detection of neighouring lanthanides in the Periodic System of the elements (samarium, europium and gadolinium). Quantification of individual components in mixtures is possible with reasonable precision if dynamic components of the response are incorporated thanks to the use of an automated sequential injection analysis system. The average absolute error in prediction of lanthanides with PLS was around 1×10-4 mol/L, while the use of ANNs allows the lowering of prediction errors down to 2×10-5 mol/L in certain cases. The suggested protocol seems to be useful for other analytical applications where simultaneous determination of chemically similar analytes in mixtures is required. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.