Flow-injection potentiometric determination of residual chlorine in water

Residual chlorine is measured in water by using a potentiometric system composed of an iodide-selective electrode and a platinum electrode sensing the iodine-iodide ratio. When the sample is added to acidified iodide solution, the cell response is in a logarithmic relation to the iodine concentration which in turn depends on the concentration of residual chlorine. In the flow injection system evolved, 0.1–5.0 mg l^-1 residual chlorine can be determined at a rate of 40–60 samples per hour. The results of potentiometric determinations of residual chlorine in tap water compared to spectrophotometric results suggest that the presence of various organic substances is responsible for discrepancies between these measurements.     

Flow-injection determination of meptazinol with electrochemical detection

A flow-injection analysis system incorporating a glassy carbon voltammetric detector cell is described. Meptazinol (0.01–10 μg ml^-1) can be determined by electro-chemical oxidation in a carrier stream of 0.05 M sodium acetate—0.1 M acetic acid in 98% ethanol at sampling rates up to 80 samples per hour.     

Flow-injection methods for the determination of uracil derivatives with voltammetric detection

Flow-injection methods are described for the determination of 18 uracil derivatives and related compounds, by means of differential-pulse amperometry (d.p.a.) or differential-pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (d.p.c.s.v.). The carrier stream is a borax/KNO₃/HNO₃ (of NaOH) solution containing 0.001% (v/v) Triton X-100. This surfactant displaces the oxygen reduction peak to such negative potentials that deaeration is unnecessary for detection of compounds having peak potentials in the range 180–70 mV (vs. Ag/AgCI) at pH 7.6. At the hanging mercury drop electrode, the uracil derivative is deposited from the flowing sample at a fixed potential more positive than the relevant peak potential and stripped under stopped-flow or slow-flow conditions. In the amperometric mode, a constant potential also more positive than the relevant peak potential is applied to the dropping mercury electrode and the resulting peak is measured under flow conditions. Linear calibration graphs were found for most of the compounds at 10^?6–10^?7 M by d.p.a, and about one order of magnitude lower by d.p.c.s.v.. The limit of determination for 5-iodouracil was 5×10^?9 M (ca. 1.2 ng ml^?1). Separation is needed for applications to blood or urine. Simple deproteination followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with a reversed-phase column proved satisfactory. Separations of various uracil derivatives, and of 5-fluorouracil, uric acid and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine, are described; spectrophotometric and amperometric detectors were used sequentially to check performance.     

Flow-injection potentiometric determination of free cadmium ions with a cadmium ion-selective electrode

The determination of free cadmium ions with solid-state cadmium ion-selective electrode can be performed in non-flow measurements in non-buffered solutions in a wide concentration range down to pCd 10. In cadmium ion buffered solutions linear Nernstian response was obtained even down to pCd 12, which is lower, that expected based on calculation of cadmium solubility from the conditional solubility product. Interferences of trace amounts of Fe(III), Cu(II) and Pb(II) commonly present in natural waters in larger concentrations than Cd(II) can be eliminated by reduction with hydroxylamine, complexation with Neocuproine and ion-exchange on anion-exchange resin in sulphate form, respectively. The developed procedure might be suitable for the determination of activity of free cadmium ions in natural water. A preliminary study on this subject is demonstrated for river water sample using stopped-flow flow-injection system.     

Flow-injection catalytic determination of molybdenum with blamperometric detection in a microprocessor-controlled system

The flow-injection determination of molybdenum(VI) is based on its catalytic effect on the oxidation of iodide by hydrogen peroxide. The triiodide ion formed in this reaction is detected amperometrically in a flow-through cell containing two platinum wire electrodes polarized at 100 mV. After optimization of the measuring conditions, the detection limit is 1.2 μg l^?1 Mo(VI) and the linear range extends to 1 mg l^?1. Interference of various metal ions and their removal is described. The procedure was tested on the determination of molybdenum(VI) in soil extracts.     

Single interface flow system with potentiometric detection for the determination of nitrate in water and vegetables

In this work a single interface flow system (SIFA) with potentiometric detection was for the first time implemented and applied to the determination of nitrate in waters and plant extracts. The analytical potential of the SIFA system was exploited not only to transport the sample towards detection but also to carry out, in a reproducible and automated way, the tasks associated with sample pre-treatment, namely ionic strength, pH adjustment and interfering species suppression. The advantageous aspects of combining a SIFA system with potentiometry with enhanced simplicity, ease of implementation and automation were further discussed and emphasised.The obtained results showed relative deviations lower than 5%, for both types of samples, with sampling rates of about 40 h⁻¹.In addition, an innovative and straightforward process for constructing plastic membrane ion selective electrodes with a tubular configuration able to be coupled to flow-based analytical systems is also proposed. The developed approach, consisting of assembling the electrode inside a flow tubing connector is very simple to implement, robust, particularly adequate to be combined with flow methodologies and maintains all dynamic and analytical characteristics exhibited by previous assembling processes.     

Flow-injection potentiometric determination of clobutinol hydrochloride in pure state and pharmaceutical preparations

Clobutinol (Cb) ion-selective plastic-membrane electrodes based on ion associates of clobutinolium phosphotungstate (Cb-PTA), clobutinolium phosphomolybdate (Cb-PMA), or a mixture of both Cb-PTA and PMA were prepared. The electrodes were fully characterized in terms of membrane composition, life span, pH, and temperature. The electrodes were applied to the potentiometric determination of clobutinol in pure form and pharmaceutical preparations under batch and flow-injection conditions. Also, conductimetric titrations were applied to the assay of clobutinol in its pure form and pharmaceutical preparations. The selectivity of the electrodes towards a large number of inorganic cations, amino acids, and sugars was tested. The solubility product of ion-associates and the formation constant of the precipitation reactions leading to the ion-associate formation were determined conductimetrically. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Enhancement of sensors selectivity by gas-diffusion separation : Part 1. Flow-injection potentiometric determination of cyanide with a metallic silver-wire electrode

The potentiometric response of a metallic silver-wire electrode in the presence of silver ion complexing agents is theoretically derived on the basis of the Nernst equation. The cyanide response is shown to be in good agreement with the theory. The analytical utility of this inherently non-selective sensor is demonstrated by its application in gas-diffusion flow-injection analysis. By making use of a membrane barrier that prevents other than gaseous species from passing through, the almost specific determination of cyanide becomes feasible. Gaseous interferents (i.e., hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) are chemically converted prior to entering the gas-diffusion unit. The apparent selectivity coefficients thus obtained are significantly better than those reported for common cyanide-selective electrodes.     

Flow-injection determination of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone with catalytic photometric detection

A catalytic photometric method with a flow-injection system is described for the determination of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. It is based on the catalytic effect of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone on the redox reaction of 1,2-dinitrobenzene with formaldehyde under alkaline conditions. 9,10-Phenanthrenequinone at the 5.0 x 10(-8)-5.0 x 10(-6)M level can be determined at a rate of 20 samples/hr. The detection limit is 1.0 x 10(-8)M (40 pg in a 10-microl injection).     

A novel flow-through microdialysis separation unit with integrated differential potentiometric detection for the determination of chloride in soil samples

In this paper, a novel and miniaturised flow-through dialysis-based potentiometric detector is proposed for the determination of chloride in soil samples. The outstanding feature of the designed unit is the integration of analyte isolation from matrix constituents via membrane separation with differential potentiometric detection. Two identical tubular all-solid-state Ag/AgCl ion selective electrodes (ISEs) were assembled respectively at the inlet and outlet of the acceptor channel. Thus, as a consequence of the continuous forward flow of solutions through the microdialyser the outlet tube becomes the indicator electrode for the analyte diffusate while the nested tube at the entrance serves as reference electrode. The effect of physical and chemical parameters on the mass transfer efficiency is discussed in detail and compared with conventional configurations involving downstream detection. The membrane morphology for optimum dialysis performance is also thoroughly evaluated in terms of thickness, porosity and molecular weight cut-off. Higher dialysis efficiency and reduction of dilution factors up to a value of 5 were attained by halting the recipient stream temporarily. Under the optimised conditions, a dynamic working range of 5-5000 mg l(-1) chloride with a linear interval between 10 and 5000 mg l(-1) (for 1 min stopped-flow and 200 microl sample volume), a repeatability better than 3.0% and a 3 sigma(blank) detection limit of 1.2 mg l(-1) chloride were the analytical figures of merit of the devised configuration. The potentiometric dialysis sensor features extreme tolerance to high molecular weight interfering matrix compounds (> 1000 mg l(-1) humic acid), which makes it specially suited for the interference-free potentiometric determination of chloride in soils containing high levels of organic matter. The miniature size, low-reagent consumption and high analytical throughput (25-40 h(-1)) also warrant its applicability to in-field monitoring or screening schemes. The accuracy of the measurements was assessed using ion-chromatography as an external reference method. A mean t-test showed no statistical differences between both methodologies at the 95% confidence level.     

Flow-injection determination of sugars with immobilized enzyme reactions and chemiluminescence detection

Glucose is determined by reaction with gluocose oxidase to produce hydrogen peroxide which is quantified via a chemiluminescence reaction with luminol. Sucrose, maltose, lactose and fructose are determined by enzymatic conversion to glucose (using invertase, amyloglucosidase, lactase. and glucose isomerase, respectively) and subsequent determination of the glucose, All enzymes are immobilized on controlled-pore glass and contained in flow-through reactors. For glucose, sucrose, and maltose the linear log-log working range 0.2 μM-1 mM, with a detection limit of 0.1 μM; for lactose and fructose the linear working range is 3 μM-1 mM with a detection limit of 1 μM. Assay time is 2 min.     

Enzymatic determination of choline in milk using a FIA system with potentiometric detection

The development of a FIA system for the determination of total choline content in several types of milk is described. The samples were submitted to hydrochloric acid digestion before injection into the system and passed through an enzymatic reactor containing choline oxidase immobilised on glass beads. This enzymatic reaction releases hydrogen peroxide which then reacts with a solution of iodide. The decrease in the concentration of iodide ion is quantified using an iodide ion selective tubular electrode based on a homogeneous crystalline membrane. Validation of the results obtained with this system was performed by comparison with results from a method described in the literature and applied to the determination of total choline in milks. The relative deviation was always < 5%. The repeatability of the method developed was assessed by calculation of the relative standard deviation (RSD) for 12 consecutive injections of one sample. The RSD obtained was < 0.6%.     

Flow-injection potentiometric determination of trace concentrations of chloride ions in low-mineralized natural waters

A procedure is developed for flow-injection potentiometric determination of trace chloride ions in low-mineralized waters and atmospheric precipitations. The procedure excludes the stage of preliminary ion-exchange concentration. The quantification limit in a 5-min analysis is 0.4 mg/L.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of silicate,phosphate and arsenate with on-line column separation

The simultaneous determination of silicate, phosphate and arsenate by using flow-injection analysis with on-line column separation is described. Determinations are based on measurement of the absorbance at 810 nm of the heteropoly blue formed with ascorbic acid as reducing reagent. Effects of flow rates, temperature of reaction coils and sample injection volumes are reported; optimum conditions are 0.25 ml min^?1 for the ascorbic acid stream, 95°C for the reaction coils and 300 μl for the injection volume. With the anion-exchange column (TSK-gel SAX), the optimal flow rate of the eluent is 0.75 ml min^?1. Relative retention times depend on the concentration of the KCl/NH₃/EDTA eluting solution; separation and simultaneous determination of the three ions are satisfactory at around 10^?4 mol l^?1 concentrations of the three ions.     

Flow-injection determination of ascorbic acid and cysteine simultaneously with spectrofluorometric detection.

A simple and sensitive spectrofluorometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and cysteine by a flow-injection system. This method is based on the reduction of Tl(III) with ascorbic acid or cysteine in acidic media, producing fluorescence reagent, TlCl3(2-) (lambdaex = 227 nm, lambdaem = 419 nm). The injected sample solution was divided into two separate streams. The first stream was treated with Tl(III) at pH 3.0 and then passed through a 270 cm reaction coil to the flow cell of the spectrofluorometer, where the fluorescence intensity was measured. This signal is related to ascorbic acid and cysteine concentration. The second part of the injected sample solution was treated with Tl(III) in HCl solution and then passed through a 50 cm reaction coil to the flow cell and the fluorescence intensity was measured. This signal is related only to cysteine. Thus, the ascorbic acid content was determined directly by the difference according to the calibration curve. Ascorbic acid and cysteine can be determined in the range of 1 x 10(-6) to 5.0 x 10(-5) M, at a rate of 16 samples per hour. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) were 8 x 10(-7) M for ascorbic acid and 7 x 10(-7) M for cysteine. The influence of potential interfering substances was studied. The proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of both analytes in real samples.     

Flow-injection determination of secondary amines in non-aqueous solution with fluorescence detection

The procedure is based on derivatization with 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole to form a fluorescent adduct. Interference from primary amines is overcome by on-line chemical masking with an equimolar mixture (58 mM) of o-phthalaldehyde and 2-mercaptoethanol with a tolerance of 20 mM 1-ethylpropylamine for the determination of dibutylamine (0.3 mM). The r.s.d. for dihexylamine (0.34 mM) is 1.3% (n=5) and the limit of detection (unweighted least-squares method) is 0.06 mM.     

Flow-injection system for automated dissolution testing of isoniazid tablets with chemiluminescence detection

A simple and sensitive flow-injection chemiluminescence (CL) system for automated dissolution testing is described and evaluated for monitoring of dissolution profiles of isoniazid tablets. The undissolved suspended particles in the dissolved solution were eliminated via on-line filter. The novel CL system of KIO(4)-isoniazid was also investigated. The sampling frequency of the system was 120 h(-1). The dissolution profiles of isoniazid fast-release tablets from three sources were determined, which demonstrates the stability, great sensitivity, large dynamic measuring range and robustness of the system.     

Flow-injection system for the fluorimetric determination of fructose with an immobilized mannitol dehydrogenase reactor

Immobilized mannitol dehydrogenase is used for the determination of D-fructose in a flow-injection system. The enzyme is immobilized on poly(vinyl alcohol) beads. The oxidation of NADH occurs simultaneously and the disappearance of NADH is measured fluorimetrically. The response is linearly related to fructose concentration in the range 6–600 μM; 30 samples per hour can be analysed. The immobilized enzyme retains over 80% of its initial activity after repetitive use for 2 months.     

Flow-injection determination of lead by hydride generation and conductometric detection

Plumbane produced from the lead analyte in a flow-injection manifold by reaction with sodium borohydride is passed through a porous poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membrane in a gas-diffusion cell. The hydride reacts with bromine in the acceptor stream resulting in ionization which is detected by conductivity measurement. Direct mixing of the carrier with a reagent stream yields a limit of detection of approximately 1 mg/L. An improved detection limit of about 200 g/L can be achieved by the incorporation of an auxiliary stream containing persulphate as oxidizing agent. The application of the method to the determination of lead in road dust and soil samples is demonstrated.     

Flow-injection determination of lead by hydride generation and conductometric detection

Plumbane produced from the lead analyte in a flow-injection manifold by reaction with sodium borohydride is passed through a porous poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membrane in a gas-diffusion cell. The hydride reacts with bromine in the acceptor stream resulting in ionization which is detected by conductivity measurement. Direct mixing of the carrier with a reagent stream yields a limit of detection of approximately 1 mg/L. An improved detection limit of about 200 microg/L can be achieved by the incorporation of an auxiliary stream containing persulphate as oxidizing agent. The application of the method to the determination of lead in road dust and soil samples is demonstrated.