Design of a field flow system for the on-line spectrophotometric determination of phosphate, nitrite and nitrate in natural water and wastewater

This study describes the design and optimisation of a field flow system for the in-situ collection and on-line determination of phosphate, nitrate and nitrite by flow injection analysis-spectrophotometry. The method is based on the initial determination of phosphate as its phosphoantimonylmolybdenum blue complex which is then oxidized on-line by nitrite and the decrease in absorbance is monitored at 880 nm. Nitrate is determined as the difference between total and initial nitrite content in a separate flow after reduction to nitrite in a cadmium reductive column. The calibration curves were linear in the range 0–2.00 mg L⁻¹ P-phosphate, 0–10.00 mg L⁻¹ nitrite and 0–7.00 mg L⁻¹ nitrate with correlation coefficients of 0.9979, 0.9993 and 0.9995, respectively. The detection limits, calculated as 3S/N, were 0.15 mg L⁻¹ for P-phosphate, 0.17 mg L⁻¹ for nitrite and 0.09 mg L⁻¹ for nitrate. The reproducibility was below 3.0% (n = 7). Method validation in the analysis of natural water and wastewater samples revealed that it can efficiently be applied to the determination of the target analytes, with recoveries in the range of 92–108%. Correspondence: Athanasios G. Vlessidis, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece     

Flow and Sequential Injection Manifolds for the Spectrophotometric Determination of Captopril Based on its Oxidation by Fe(III)

 Two new simple and rapid methods are reported for the accurate and precise spectrophotometric determination of captopril (CPL) using flow (FI) and sequential injection (SI) analysis. The methods are based on the fast oxidation of CPL by Fe(III). The produced Fe(II) reacts with 2,2′-dipyridyl-2-pyridylhydrazone (DPPH) in acidic medium to form a colored complex which is monitored spectrophotometrically at 535 nm. Both methods allow the determination of the analyte up to 1000 mg L⁻¹ at a sampling rate of 120 and 60 injections per hour for FI and SI, respectively. The methods are very precise [s _r=0.8 and 1.2% at 500 mg L⁻¹ CPL (n=12) for FI and SI, respectively] and the 3σ detection limits (c _L=4.0 and 7.0 mg L¹, respectively) are quite satisfactory. Their application to a variety of anti-hypertensive commercial pharmaceutical formulations showed excellent results (relative errors, e _r, < ± 1.6% in all cases compared to an official HPLC method), while common pharmaceutical excipients were found not to interfere. Recovery experiments further verified the accuracy of the developed methods, as the percent recoveries were in the range of 98.1–102.5%. Author for correspondence. E-mail: themelis@chem.auth.gr Received May 9, 2002; accepted January 8, 2003 Published online May 5, 2003     

Electrochemical Study of 4-Nitrophenol at a Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

 A zeolite-modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) has been used for the determination of 4-nitrophenol by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemical reduction of 4-nitrophenol at −1.0 V is carried out in a Britton-Robinson medium at pH 3.5. The cyclic voltammetric (CV) behaviour has been investigated to study the nature of the process. Studies on the effect of pH were carried out over the pH range 2–9 with the Britton-Robinson buffer solution, and the influence of pH on peak height and peak potential was analyzed. A linear relationship between peak intensity and concentration is obtained in the range 0.2–10 mg L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 0.04 mg L⁻¹; a relative standard deviation of 1.5% for a 5 mg L⁻¹ 4-nitrophenol concentration and a relative error of 2.6% were also obtained (n=11). Received March 3, 1998. Revision December 10, 1998.     

Multisyringe Flow Injection Analysis for Determination of 1-Naphthylamine in Water Samples

1-Naphthylamine (NPA) is one of the main degradation products of pesticides derived from naphthalene, and a well-known bladder carcinogen in men. The Griess assay is used for NPA determination because of its high sensitivity and selectivity. The azo dye 4-(sulphophenylazo)-1-naphthylamine is formed, which shows a peak maximum at 540 nm. After optimizing multisyringe flow injection analysis (MSFIA) parameters, the analytical characteristics of the method were obtained, with a working linear range of 0.5 to 14 mg L⁻¹, according to the equation A = 0.0738±0.0019 [NPA] + 0.0028 ± 0.0042, r = 0.9997. Values for RSD (%) and E_rel (%) were calculated for the concentration levels of 0.5, 6 and 12 mg L⁻¹; values obtained were 1.1, 0.4 and 0.3% for RSD and 0.8, 0.3 and 0.2% for E_rel, respectively. LD was 0.01 mg L⁻¹ and LQ was 0.04 mg L⁻¹ NPA. The MSFIA procedure for the determination of NPA was applied to different water samples (well water, tap water, seawater, and wastewater from the EDAR-1, Palma de Mallorca water treatment plant), with satisfactory results and a throughput of 90 samples per hour.     

Kinetic-potentiometric assay of formaldehyde in pharmaceutical and industrial samples, monitored by copper solid ion selective electrode, after its reaction with the copper(II)-bis-(ethylenediamine) complex

A kinetic-potentiometric method is described for the quantitative assay of formaldehyde (HCHO) in pharmaceutical and industrial preparations. It is based on the reaction of HCHO with (ethylenediamine)-Cu(II)-sulfate [Cu(CH₂NH₂)₂(H₂O)₂] · SO₄. The changes in potential, resulting from the release of the Cu(II) cations, are monitored with a Cu(II)-ion selective electrode. The calibration curve for the HCHO is linear in the concentration range 50–250 mg L⁻¹, with a limit of detection of 8.5 mg L⁻¹. The method shows very good reproducibility with an RSD of 2.6% for successive injections (n = 5) of 150 mg L⁻¹ HCHO primary solution, while it is interference free. The method was successfully tested in various industrial and pharmaceutical preparations.     

Application of Internal Standard for Micro Extraction– Spectrophotometric Determination of Bismuth in Pharmaceutical Formulations

 A micro extraction – spectrophotometric procedure is developed for the determination of bismuth in pharmaceutical formulations. The procedure is based on the extraction of tetraiodobismuthate(III) ion paired with benzyltributylammonium cation into chloroform. The application of Nile Blue as internal standard (IS) enabled good analytical performance for micro-scale analysis. The ratio between the absorbances measured at 491 nm (bismuth complex) and at 632 nm (IS) was taken as the analytical signal. The procedure was carried out in Eppendorf tubes, lowering significantly the use of reagents and the volume of organic solvent. In the calibration range up to 60 mgċl⁻¹, the linear regression coefficient was 0.9999, the CV for 15 mgċl⁻¹ and for 50 mgċl⁻¹ Bi were 1.6% and 0.7% respectively. The results obtained in the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations were in good agreement with the results of EDTA titration method. Received November 25, 1999. Revision February 14, 2000.     

Inorganic Arsenic and Selenium Determination Using Miniaturised Isotachophoresis

A new method allowing the simultaneous determination of arsenic(V), selenium(IV) and selenium(VI) using miniaturised isotachophoresis has been developed. The method uses 0.02 M nitric acid buffered to pH 5.5 with histidine as the leading electrolyte. Using a miniaturised poly(methyl methacrylate) chip device with an integrated conductivity detector, separations of model samples and an industrial process stream sample were achieved. Limits of detection were calculated to be 0.85 mg L⁻¹ for arsenic(V), 0.95 mg L⁻¹ for selenium(IV) and 1.0 mg L⁻¹ for selenium(VI). A method for the analysis of arsenic(III), using a glycolic acid based leading electrolyte to eliminate carbonate interference is also presented.     

Flavonol Derivatives for Determination of Cr(III) and W(VI)

 Simple, rapid, sensitive and selective methods for the determination of Cr(III) and W(VI) with flavonol derivatives in the presence of surface-active agents are proposed. In the pH ranges 3.4–4.2 and 1.9–2.5, the molar absorptivities of Cr(III)-morin-emulsifier S (EFA) and W(VI)-morin-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) systems are 1.13×10⁵ and 2.13×10⁴ L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 435 and 415 nm, respectively. The Cr(III)-quercetin-PVP and W(VI)-quercetin-cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) systems are formed in the pH ranges 4–4.6 and 2.2–2.8 with molar absorptivities 1.02×10⁵ and 9.02×10⁴ L. mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 441 and 419 nm, respectively. The linear dynamic ranges for the determination of Cr(III) and W(VI) with morin in the presence of EFA and PVP are 0.03–0.46 and 0.71–8.1 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The corresponding ranges with quercetin are 0.04–0.54 and 0.14–2.1 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI), respectively. The r.s.d (n = 10) for the determination of 0.25 and 3.7 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI) with morin and their detection limits are 0.88 and 0.99% and 0.016 and 0.63 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. Using quercetin, the r.s.d (n = 10) for 0.22 and 1.2 μg mL⁻¹ of Cr(III) and W(VI) and their detection limits are 0.92 and 0.91% and 0.015 and 0.08 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The critical evaluation of the proposed methods is performed by statistical analysis of the experimental data. The proposed methods are applied to determine Cr in steel, non-ferrous alloys, wastewater and mud filtrate and to the determination of W in steel. Received March 8, 1999. Revision January 21, 2000.     

Solid Phase Spectrophotometry for the Determination of Cobalt in Pharmaceutical Preparations

 A new sensitive method exploiting solid-phase spectrophotometry is proposed for the determination of cobalt in pharmaceutical preparations. The chromogenic reagent 1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol (TAN) was immobilized on C18 bonded silica loaded into a home-made cell with 1.5 mm of optical path for cobalt determination. Cobalt(II) reacts with TAN on C18 material, at pH 6.0–7.5, to give a coloured complex which has maximum absorption at 572 nm. In this way, the sample was passed through the cell and Co(II) ions were quantitatively retained on the solid-phase. After the direct measurement of light-absorption in the solid phase, only the cobalt was eluted with 0.1 mol L⁻¹ hydrochloric acid. The cell was washed with water and then another sample solution could be passed through the cell. The procedure allowed the determination of cobalt in the range of 10–160 μg L⁻¹ with coefficient of variation of 4.7% (n=10) and apparent molar absorptivity of 2.62 × 10⁶ L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ using sample volume of 3-mL. Received May 15, 2000. Revision August 28, 2000.     

A cellulose-based carboxyl cotton chelator having citric acid as an anchored ligand: preparation and application as solid phase extractant for copper determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Citric acid was thermochemically esterified onto defatted cotton fibre to produce a carboxyl cotton chelator (CCC), which had been used for extraction of copper prior to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The extraction of copper has been studied under both batch and column methods. Quantitative extraction of copper was achieved in the pH range 4–7. The time needed to extract each sample was less than 30 min by the batch method. The copper extraction capacity of CCC was found to be 22.7 mg g⁻¹ at optimal pH value. The elution was quantitative with 1 mol L⁻¹ hydrochloric acid. The feasible flow rate of copper-containing solution for quantitative extraction onto the column packed with CCC was 0.5–4.0 mL min⁻¹, whereas for elution it was less than 1.5 mL min⁻¹. A 100-fold extraction factor could be achieved under the optimal column conditions. The tolerance limits for common metal ions on the extraction of copper and the time of column reuse were investigated. The proposed method has been successfully applied for extraction and determination of copper in industrial wastewater and natural water samples.     

Organosilica composite for preconcentration of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions

A new adsorbent is proposed for the solid-phase extraction of phenol and 1-naphthol from polluted water. The adsorbent (TX-SiO₂) is an organosilica composite made from a bifunctional immobilized layer comprising a major fraction (91%) of hydrophilic diol groups and minor fraction (9%) of the amphiphilic long-chain nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (polyoxyethylated isooctylphenol) (TX). Under static conditions phenol was quantitatively extracted onto TX-SiO₂ in the form of a 4-nitrophenylazophenolate ion associate with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The capacity of TX-SiO₂ for phenol is 2.4 mg g⁻¹ with distribution coefficients up to 3.4 × 10⁴ mL g⁻¹; corresponding data for 1-naphthol are 1.5 mg g⁻¹ and 3 × 10³ mL g⁻¹. The distribution coefficient does not change significantly for solution volumes of 0.025–0.5 L and adsorbent mass less than 0.03 g; 1–90 μg analyte can be easily eluted by 1–3 mL acetonitrile with an overall recovery of 98.2% and 78.3% for phenol and 1-naphthol, respectively. Linear correlation between acetonitrile solution absorbance (A ₅₄₀) and phenol concentration (C) in water was found according to the equation A ₅₄₀ = (6 ± 1) × 10⁻² + (0.9 ± 0.1)C (μmol L⁻¹) with a detection range from 1 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (0.9 μL g⁻¹) to 2 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (19 μL g⁻¹), a limit of quantification of 1 μL g⁻¹ (preconcentration factor 125), correlation coefficient of 0.936, and relative standard deviation of 2.5%. A solid-phase colorimetric method was developed for quantitative determination of 1-naphthol on adsorbent phase using scanner technology and RGB numerical analysis. The detection limit of 1-naphthol with this method is 6 μL g⁻¹ while the quantification limit is 20 μL g⁻¹. A test system was developed for naked eye monitoring of 1-naphthol impurities in water. The proposed test kit allows one to observe changes in the adsorbent color when 1-naphthol concentration in water is 0.08–3.2 mL g⁻¹.     

Fluorimetric determination of traces of europium(III) using a new chelator and acetate or phosphate in dimethylsulfoxide as enhancers

A new Schiff-base ligand [N, N′, N″-Tri- (2,4-dihydroxyacetophenone) – triaminotriethylamine (TDATA)] with a tripodal structure was synthesized. Its fluorescence intensity with the europium(III) complex was increased about 178-fold in the presence of sodium acetate (NaAc) and about 126-fold in the presence of sodium phosphate (Na₃PO₄) solution. After adding the organic solvent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) to the above system, which leads to Eu³⁺ the fluorescence was further enhanced about 12-fold. Spectrofluorimetric determination of trace amounts of Eu³⁺ based on the phenomenon was performed. The excitation and emission wavelength is 365 nm and 615 nm, respectively. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensities vary linearly with the concentration of Eu³⁺ in the range of 4.9 × 10⁻¹²–3.2 × 10⁻⁶ mol · L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 4.5 × 10⁻¹² mol · L⁻¹ (for the TDATA-NaAc-DMSO system) or 6.2 × 10⁻¹¹–8.6 × 10⁻⁶ mol · L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 6.0 × 10⁻¹¹ mol · L⁻¹ (for the TDATA-Na₃PO₄-DMSO system). Interferences of some rare earth metals and other inorganic ions are described. The method is a selective, sensitive, rapid and simple analytical procedure for the determination of europium(III) in a high purity yttrium oxide and synthetic sample. The mechanism for the fluorescence enhancement is also discussed.     

Kinetic Studies on the Complexation of Chromium(III) with some Amino Acids in Aqueous Acidic Medium

Summary.  The kinetics of the formation of the 1:3 complex of chromium(III) with L-glutamic acid and DL-lysine were studied spectrophotometrically at and 550 nm. The reaction was found to be first order in both reactants. Increasing the hydrogen ion concentration from 3.2×10⁻⁵ to 1.0×10⁻³ molċdm⁻³ retarded the reaction rate which is of the form . Values of 28.8 and 63.6 kJċmol⁻¹ were obtained for the energy of activation and −184 and −116 Jċ K⁻¹ċmol⁻¹ for the entropy of activation for L-glutamic acid and DL-lysine. The logarithms of the formation constants of the two complexes were found to be 5.9 and 5.1. Received January 7, 2000. Accepted (revised) March 8, 2000     

Determination of butoxyacetic acid (biomarker of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether exposure) in human urine candidate reference material

Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE), an industrial solvent, is absorbed by the body not only by inhalation but also by dermal absorption (liquid or vapour). EGBE is metabolized to butoxyacetic acid (BAA). Pooled freeze-dried urine candidate reference material (RM) was prepared from urine obtained from persons occupationally exposed to EGBE. This material has the advantage of containing butoxyacetic acid in both the free and conjugated (glutamine and glycine) forms, as found in native urine. In all GC method modifications used, acid hydrolysis was used to release BAA from its conjugated form. The amount of butoxyacetic acid in homogeneity and stability testing was measured by GC after derivatisation with N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide. Detection was by MS in EI mode, in the authors’ laboratory. For interlaboratory comparison of the reference material GC methods with MS, FID, and ECD were used. Different extraction solvents (dichloromethane–isopropanol 2:1, ethyl acetate, or dichloromethane) and derivatisation reagents (trimethylsilyldiazomethane, N-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide) were used. Using ANOVA (at the statistical level α = 0.05) no changes were found in the concentration of butoxyacetic acid during fifteen month isochronous stability testing, or in homogeneity testing. The uncertainty contributions were u _h = 8.8 mg L⁻¹ and u _s = 6.5 mg L⁻¹. The concentration of butoxyacetic acid in freeze-dried urine RM was evaluated from the results of eight laboratory data sets within an interlaboratory comparison by use of the interactive statistical software IPECA. The contribution to total uncertainty derived from interlaboratory comparison was u _i = 12.7 mg L⁻¹. The reference value (c = 273 ± 33 mg L⁻¹) is an unweighted arithmetic average of accepted results. The value is traceable to the pure butoxyacetic acid (98% w/w; Acros Organic #257760010) used as calibrant. The uncertainty given is combined expanded uncertainty derived from the results from interlaboratory comparison, and from homogeneity and stability tests (k = 2). The reference material will be used to verify method performance in the biological monitoring of occupational exposure to EGBE.     

Speciation analysis of chromium in natural water samples by electrothermal atomic absorbance spectrometry after separation/preconcentration with nanometer-sized zirconium oxide immobilized on silica gel

Silica gel was prepared by the sol–gel method, modified with nanometer-sized zirconium oxide, and this material was characterized by X-ray diffraction. A micro-column packed with silica gel modified with nanometer zirconium oxide as sorbent has been developed for the quantitative separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of chromium(III) prior to their determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Total chromium was determined after the reduction of chromium(VI) to chromium(III) by 10% (m/v) of aqueous ascorbic acid as reducing reagent. The adsorption capacity for chromium(III) was found to be 2.36 mg g⁻¹. The detection limit for chromium(III) was 15 ng L⁻¹ with an enrichment factor of 100. The relative standard deviation was 3.2% (n = 7, c = 2.0 ng mL⁻¹).     

A hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin in palladium nanoparticles/graphene-chitosan nanocomposite film

Thermally two-dimensional lattice graphene (GR) and biocompatibility chitosan (CS) act as a suitable support for the deposition of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs). A novel hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) biosensor based on immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) in thin film of CS containing GR and PdNPs was developed. The surface morphologies of a set of representative membranes were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy and showed that the PdNPs are of a sphere shape and an average diameter of 50 nm. Under the optimal conditions, the immobilized Hb showed fast and excellent electrocatalytic activity to H₂O₂ with a small Michaelis–Menten constant of 16 μmol L⁻¹, a linear range from 2.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.1 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹, and a detection limit of 6.6 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The biosensor also exhibited other advantages, good reproducibility, and long-term stability, and PdNPs/GR–CS nanocomposites film would be a promising material in the preparation of third generation biosensor.     

Fast quantitation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in honey using planar chromatography

An approach for rapid quantitation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in honey using planar chromatography is suggested for the first time. In high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) the migration time is approximately 5 min. Detection is performed by absorbance measurement at 290 nm. Polynomial calibration in the matrix over a range of 1:80 showed correlation coefficients, r, of ≥ 0.9997 for peak areas and ≥ 0.9996 for peak heights. Repeatability in the matrix confirmed the suitability of HPTLC–UV for quantitation of HMF in honey. The relative standard deviation (RSD, %, n = 6) of HMF at 10 ng/band was 2.9% (peak height) and 5.2% (peak area); it was 0.6% and 1.0%, respectively, at 100 ng/band. Other possible detection modes, for example fluorescence measurement after post-chromatographic derivatization and mass spectrometric detection, were also evaluated and can coupling can be used as an additional tool when it is necessary to confirm the results of prior quantitation by HPTLC–UV. The confirmation is provided by monitoring the HMF sodium adduct [M + Na]⁺ at m/z 149 followed by quantitation in TIC or SIM mode. Detection limits for HPTLC–UV, HPTLC–MS (TIC), and HPTLC–MS (SIM) were 0.8 ng/band, 4 ng/band, and 0.9 ng/band, respectively. If 12 μL honey solution was applied to an HPTLC plate, the respective detection limits for HMF in honey corresponded to 0.6 mg kg⁻¹. Thus, the developed method was highly suitable for quantitation of HMF in honey at the strictest regulated level of 15 mg kg⁻¹. Comparison of HPTLC–UV detection with HPTLC–MS showed findings were comparable, with a mean deviation of 5.1 mg kg⁻¹ for quantitation in SIM mode and 6.1 mg kg⁻¹ for quantitation in TIC mode. The mean deviation of the HPTLC method compared with the HPLC method was 0.9 mg kg^-1 HMF in honey. Re-evaluation of the same HPTLC plate after one month showed a deviation of 0.5 mg kg⁻¹ HMF in honey. It was demonstrated that the proposed HPTLC method is an effective method for HMF quantitation in honey.      

Ethanol Production from Cashew Apple Bagasse: Improvement of Enzymatic Hydrolysis by Microwave-Assisted Alkali Pretreatment

In this work, the potential of microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment in order to improve the rupture of the recalcitrant structures of the cashew able bagasse (CAB), lignocellulosic by-product in Brazil with no commercial value, is obtained from cashew apple process to juice production, was studied. First, biomass composition of CAB was determined, and the percentage of glucan and lignin was 20.54 ± 0.70% and 33.80 ± 1.30%, respectively. CAB content in terms of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, 19.21 ± 0.35%, 12.05 ± 0.37%, and 38.11 ± 0.08%, respectively, was also determined. Results showed that, after enzymatic hydrolysis, alkali concentration exerted influence on glucose formation, after pretreatment with 0.2 and 1.0 mo L⁻¹ of NaOH (372 ± 12 and 355 ± 37 mg g_glucan⁻¹) when 2% (w/v) of cashew apple bagasse pretreated by microwave-assisted alkali pretreatment (CAB-M) was used. On the other hand, pretreatment time (15–30 min) and microwave power (600–900 W) exerted no significant effect on hydrolysis. On enzymatic hydrolysis step, improvement on solid percentage (16% w/v) and enzyme load (30 FPU g_CAB-M⁻¹) increased glucose concentration to 15 g L⁻¹. The fermentation of the hydrolyzate by Saccharomyces cerevesiae resulted in ethanol concentration and productivity of 5.6 g L⁻¹ and 1.41 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively.     

Comparison of different sample treatments for the analysis of ochratoxin A in wine by capillary HPLC with laser-induced fluorescence detection

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin naturally found in various foods, including wine. As OTA is considered as a possible human carcinogen, the maximum concentration for this compound has been established at 2 μg kg⁻¹ in wine by the EU (Directive (CE) No 1881/2006). Typically, immunoaffinity columns have been used for its extraction. However, simpler, more efficient and less contaminant extraction systems are demanding. In this work, dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction using ionic liquid as extractant solvent (IL-DLLME) and the QuEChERS procedure, have been evaluated and compared for extraction of OTA in wine samples. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF, He–Cd Laser excitation at 325 nm) coupled with capillary HPLC has been used for the determination of OTA, using a sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar solution in the mobile phase to increase the fluorescence intensity. Matrix-matched calibration curves were established for both methods, obtaining LODs (3× S/N) of 5.2 ng·L⁻¹ and 85.7 ng·L⁻¹ for IL-DLLME and QuEChERS, respectively. Clean extracts were obtained for white, rose and red wines with both methods, with recoveries between 88.7–94.2% for IL-DLLME and between 82.6–86.2% for QuEChERS. The precision was evaluated in terms of repeatability (n = 9) and intermediate precision (n = 15), being ≤ 8.5% for IL-DLLME and ≤ 5.4% for QuEChERS.     

Determination of rutin using a CeO2 nanoparticle-modified electrode

CeO₂ nanoparticles approximately 12 nm in size were synthesized and subsequently characterized by XRD, TEM and UV-vis spectroscopy. Then, a gold electrode modified with CeO₂ nanoparticles was constructed and characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The modified electrode demonstrated strong catalytic effects with high stability towards electrochemical oxidation of rutin. The anodic peak currents (measured by differential pulse voltammetry) increased linearly with the concentration of rutin in the range of 5.0 × 10⁻⁷–5.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol · L⁻¹. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 2.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol · L⁻¹. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of 8 successive scans was 3.7% for 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol · L⁻¹ rutin. The method showed excellent sensitivity and stability, and the determination of rutin in tablets was satisfactory.