Impulse-response functions of several detectors used in flow-injection analysis

A procedure for the determination of the impulse-response function of a detector is given. Its application to photometers, ion-sensitive field effect transistors, a potentiometric detector at constant current and a voltammetric detector shows that the impulse-response function can be used to obtain specific information about the performance of the detector in the manifold. This function clearly shows the contribution of the detector to the peak broadening and how the detector generates the final signal from the presented concentration profile. From this information one could derive improvements to the detector, such as changing the construction of the detector cell, minimizing the influence of other parts of the manifold or adapting the attached electronics.