Simultaneous determination of ethanol and glycerol in wines by a flow injection-pervaporation approach with in parallel photometric and fluorimetric detection

A simultaneous method for the determination of ethanol and glycerol in wines based on the coupling of pervaporation-chemical derivatisation-photometric detection for ethanol and biochemical derivatisation-fluorimetric detection for glycerol is proposed. After separation by pervaporation the ethanol is collected in a K(2)Cr(2)O(7) acceptor stream and the Cr(3+) formed is driven to the spectrophotometer and monitored at 600 nm. The determination of glycerol is based on its oxidation by oxidised beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (beta-NAD(+)) catalysed by glycerol dehydrogenase immobilised on controlled-pore glass, the reduced form of the coenzyme (NADH) being spectrofluorimetrically monitored (lambda(ex)=340 nm, lambda(em)=460 nm). The linear determination range is between 1-20% for ethanol and 2-8 g l(-1) for glycerol, with RSDs 3 and 2%, respectively. The method applied to red and white Spanish wines, compares well with the official methods for these analytes.     

Fluorimetric determination traces of aluminium in soil extracts

Salicylaldehyde picolinoylhydrazone (SAPH) form a fluorescent complex with aluminium (lambda(ex) = 384 nm, lambda(em) = 468 nm) in acidic medium (stoichiometry 1:3, Al:SAPH). Two procedures based on the direct or standard additions methods has been proposed for the determination of concentrations down to 1-2 mug/dm(3) of Al(III). The effects of 72 ions in the method has been evaluated and different masking agent reactions have been tested. The method has been used satisfactorily for the determination of aluminium at a level of mug/dm(3) in acetate extracts of several agricultural soils. The method has been compared favourably with ICP spectroscopy emission.     

Trace determination of zinc in standard alloys, environmental and pharmaceutical samples by fourth derivative spectrophotometry using 1-2-(thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol as reagent and ammonium tetraphenylborate supported on naphthalene as adsorbent

A highly sensitive, selective, economical and rapid method for the trace determination of zinc using fourth derivative spectrophotometry has been proposed with 1-2-(thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol (TAN) as an analytical reagent and ammonium tetraphenylborate (ATPB)-naphthalene as an adsorbent. Zn-TAN is quantitatively retained on ATPB naphthalene in the pH range 6.5-9.5. The calibration plot is linear in the concentration range 0.02-1.4 mug ml(-1) Zn of DMF solution. The sensitivity of the method as determined from the slope of the calibration plot is 2.640 (d(4)A/dlambda(4))/(mug ml(-1)). Nine replicate determinations of 5.0 mug of zinc in 5 ml of DMF give a mean signal height of 2.660 (peak to peak height between lambda(1)=597 nm and lambda(2)=585 nm) with a relative standard deviation of 1.1%. The various conditions have been optimized and the developed method has been used for the determination of zinc in standard alloys, environmental and pharmaceutical samples.     

Sensitive flow injection colorimetry of nitrite by catalytic coupling of N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine with N,N-dimethylaniline

A rapid, sensitive and selective flow-injection colorimetry method is proposed for the determination of trace amounts of nitrite. It is based on the nitrite's catalytic effect on the oxidative coupling of N-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine with N,N-dimethylaniline to produce a green dye (lambda(max)=735 nm) in the presence of bromate. The change in absorbances of the dye were monitored in continuos flow mode. Linear calibration curves were obtained for the nitrite concentration range 2.0-100 ng ml(-1). The proposed method had a low detection limit (0.6 ng ml(-1)) and high sample throughput (approximately 30 samples h(-1)). The RSD for 10 and 50 ng ml(-1) nitrite were 2.4 and 1.3% (n=10), respectively. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of nitrite in river water samples.     

High performance liquid chromatographic determination of aluminium in natural waters in the form of its lumogallion chelate

A high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of ultra trace amount of aluminium in natural waters has been developed using lumogallion as a precolumn reagent for fluorimetric detection. The highly fluorescent Al-lumogallion chelate (lambda(ex) 500 nm, lambda(em) 574 nm) was separated on a LiChrosorb RP 18 column with an eluent containing 3:7 acetonitrile/0.02M potassium hydrogen phthalate buffer (pH 4.7) containing 10(-5)M lumogallion. The proposed system provides a simple, quick, selective and sensitive method for the determination of ultra-trace amount of aluminium in water samples. The detection limit defined as three times the standard deviation of the blank signal, was 0.05 mug/l. in water samples for 100 mul injection. The tolerance limits were 5 mg/l. for Fe(III) and F(-) and over 10 mg/l. for other foreign ions. The sensitivity of the method was independent of salinity. This method had been used for the direct determination of aluminium in both tap and coastal sea-waters without any preconcentration steps.     

Fluorimetric determination of salsalate in urine, serum and pharmaceutical preparations

A method for the determination of salsalate at concentrations between 0.10 and 1.00 mug ml(-1) by means of fluorescence spectrometry technique is proposed. Salsalate, lightly soluble in water, is totally extracted into chloroform. In this organic phase, the drug shows low fluorescence but when an alkaline medium is provided, salsalate undergoes a substantial increase of the fluorescent intensity. Thus, the determination is performed in a chloroformic medium, where pyrrolidine chloroformic solution is added to give the basic character. The fluorescence measurements to quantify salsalate are carried out in its fluorescent band centered at lambda(ex)=299 nm and lambda(em)=410 nm. The method was successfully applied to the determination of salsalate in authentic pharmaceutical preparations, urine and serum. Samples of these latter two matrices, urine and serum, are extracted into chloroform, using in the aqueous phase a pH 4.8, provided by adding acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer solution. Owing to matrix interference, the method of standard additions was used to determine salsalate in the serum. The sensitivity and repeatability achieved with the proposed method are adequate for the determination of salsalate in these matrices.     

Flow-injection determination of copper(II) based on its catalysis on the redox reaction of cysteine with iron(III) in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline

A redox reaction of cysteine with iron(III) proceeds slowly in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). However, this reaction is accelerated in the presence of copper(II) as a catalyst, producing an iron(II)-phen complex (lambda(max)=510 nm). A sensitive spectrophotometric flow-injection method is proposed for the determination of copper(II) based on its catalytic action on this redox reaction. The dynamic range was 0.1-10 ng ml(-1) of copper(II) with a relative standard deviation of 1.0% (n=10) for 1.0 ng ml(-1) of copper(II) at a sampling rate of 30 h(-1). The detection limit (S/N=3) is 0.04 ng ml(-1). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of copper in river water as a certified reference material.     

Reverse flow injection spectrophotometric for determination of aluminium(III)

A reverse flow injection analysis (rFIA) spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of aluminium(III). The method was based on the reaction of Al(III), quercetin and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), yielding a yellow colored complex in an acetate buffer medium (pH 5.5) with absorption maximum at 428 nm. The rFIA parameters that influence the FIA peak height have been optimized in order to obtain the best sensitivity and minimum reagent consumption. A linear relationship between the relative peak height and Al(III) concentrations were obtained over the concentration range of 0.02-0.50 mg L⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The limit of detection (LOD, defined as 3σ) and limit of quantification (LOQ, defined as 10σ) were 0.007 and 0.024 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The repeatability was 1.10% (n = 11) for 0.2 mg L⁻¹ Al(III). The proposed method was applied to the determination of Al(III) in tap water samples with a sampling rate of 60 h⁻¹. Results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained by the official ICP-MS method at the 95% confidence level.     

Non-extraction batchwise and FIA determination of cationic and nonionic surfactants using Cu(II)-chromazurol S-surfactant complexes

Batchwise and FIA determinations have been developed for cationic and nonionic surfactants, based on the formation of ternary Cu(II)-chromazurol S-surfactant compounds. Optimum reaction conditions have been found (pH 8.0, lambda=590 and 630 nm, respectively). For the batchwise measurement, the molar absorption coefficient values epsilon(590)=5.1-5.7x10(4) l mol(-1) cm(-1) for cationic surfactants, epsilon(630)=0.7-1.5x10(4) l mol(-1) cm(-1) for nonionic surfactants. A factorial design has been carried out to determine the optimum flow conditions. Calibration curves were constructed and statistically evaluated for both the batchwise and FIA determination. For example, the linear concentration ranges for batch determination of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and nonionic surfactant Marlophen NP 10 are 0-15 mug ml(-1) (R=0.9996, R.S.D.=6.62-0.64%) and 13-53 mug ml(-1) (R=0.9993, R.S.D.=4.48-1.40%), respectively; the respective detection limits are 0.02 and 4.0 mug ml(-1). For FIA determination of the same surfactants, the linear concentration ranges are 0-13 mug ml(-1) (R=0.9995, R.S.D.=4.44-0.49%) and 66-397 mug ml(-1) (R=0.9994, R.S.D.=8.92-1.12%), respectively, detection limits are 0.08 and 38 mug ml(-1), respectively.     

Minimization of lead and copper interferences on spectrophotometric determination of cadmium using electrolytic deposition and ion-exchange in multi-commutation flow system

A new strategy for minimization of Cu(2+) and Pb(2+) interferences on the spectrophotometric determination of Cd(2+) by the Malachite green (MG)-iodide reaction using electrolytic deposition of interfering species and solid phase extraction of Cd(2+) in flow system is proposed. The electrolytic cell comprises two coiled Pt electrodes concentrically assembled. When the sample solution is electrolyzed in a mixed solution containing 5% (v/v) HNO(3), 0.1% (v/v) H(2)SO(4) and 0.5 M NaCl, Cu(2+) is deposited as Cu on the cathode, Pb(2+) is deposited as PbO(2) on the anode while Cd(2+) is kept in solution. After electrolysis, the remaining solution passes through an AG1-X8 resin (chloride form) packed minicolumn in which Cd(2+) is extracted as CdCl(4)(2-). Electrolyte compositions, flow rates, timing, applied current, and electrolysis time was investigated. With 60 s electrolysis time, 0.25 A applied current, Pb(2+) and Cu(2+) levels up to 50 and 250 mg l(-1), respectively, can be tolerated without interference. For 90 s resin loading time, a linear relationship between absorbance and analyte concentration in the 5.00-50.0 mug Cd l(-1) range (r(2)=0.9996) is obtained. A throughput of 20 samples per h is achieved, corresponding to about 0.7 mg MG and 500 mg KI and 5 ml sample consumed per determination. The detection limit is 0.23 mug Cd l(-1). The accuracy was checked for cadmium determination in standard reference materials, vegetables and tap water. Results were in agreement with certified values of standard reference materials and with those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry at 95% confidence level. The R.S.D. for plant digests and water containing 13.0 mug Cd l(-1) was 3.85% (n=12). The recoveries of analyte spikes added to the water and vegetable samples ranged from 94 to 104%.     

Spectrophotometric determination of copper(II) at low mug l(-1) levels using cation-exchange microcolumn in flow-injection

A simple spectrophotometric flow-injection method is reported for the highly sensitive and fast determination of copper(II). The method is based on the formation of coloured Cu(II)-(4-methylpiperidinedithiocarbamate)(2) complex when the copper solutions are introduced into a tertiary reagent stream containing 4-methylpiperidinedithiocarbamate. The coloured complex is then selectively monitored at 435 nm. To increase interactions between copper(II) and colour forming reagent and preconcentrate of copper(II), a microcolumn containing strong cation exchange resins was placed between injection manifold and spectrophotometer. The system required no mixing chamber and allowed a sample throughput >60 sample h(-1). The calibration graph was linear in the range 5-100 mug l(-1). The detection limit was <0.5 mug l(-1) for 20 mul injection volume of copper(II) ion solution. The developed method was applied to environmental, copper processing water, and ore samples.     

Determination of clenbuterol in pharmaceutical preparations by reaction with o-phthalaldehyde using a flow-injection fluorimetric procedure

A new procedure for the determination of clenbuterol is proposed using flow-injection and fluorimetric detection. The method is based on the derivatization reaction of the primary amine group with o-phthalaldehyde in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. The calibration graph based on peak area was linear in the range 0.2-5 mug ml(-1) and the detection limit was 0.06 mug ml(-1). The method was validated using a reference spectrophotometric procedure and was applied to the determination of the drug in commercial pharmaceutical preparations.     

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of copper ions and its application to the co-precipitation of copper in the crystallization of sodium

The molar absorptivity of the cyanide complexes [Cu(CN)(3)](2-) and [Cu(CN)(4)](3-), at their isosbestic wavelength (235 nm) is 1.13 x 10(3) l.mole(-1)mm.(-1) and can be used for the quantitative determination of micro-amounts of copper in the ppm range. The determination of 1-10 mug of Cu(2+) per g of NaCl, or 0.25-2.5 mug ml , is described in detail. The co-precipitation of copper with NaCl crystallizing from aqueous solutions has been studied by this method.     

Spectrophotometric and complexometric methods for the determination of thorium and fluoride using bromocresol orange reagent

The ternary purple coloured complex formed between Th(4+), bromocresol orange (BCO) and cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB) in acidic medium was investigated spectrophotometrically. Results obtained revealed the formation of 1:1:1, Th:BCO:CPB complex in aqueous solution at pH approximately 0.5 with a logarithmic conditional stability constant of 12.04+/-0.1, I=0.1 at 25 degrees C. The colour of the ternary complex was used for the determination of thorium(IV) in the range of 0.02-2.6 mug ml(-1) Th(4+), =9.2x10(4) l mol(-1) cm(-1) at 560 nm. Beside its high sensitivity, the reaction was also proved to be highly selective for Th(4+). Thorium(IV) was determined in presence of great number of transition metal ions, rare earths and different anions. Th(4+) was also determined with high accuracy and precision by its titration with disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Na(2)EDTA) using BCO as an indicator at pH approximately 0.5. The endpoint was detected either visually or spectrophotometrically (lambda=550 nm). The proposed procedures were successfully applied for the determination of Th(4+) in standard Th-U ores and in a series of naturally occurring ores or minerals containing thorium. A spectrophotometric method was also described for the determination of fluoride ion, which was based upon the decrease in colour intensity of the Th-BCO complex on mixing it with F(-) ion. The proposed method was convenient, rapid and sensitive for fluoride. It could be used for the determination of fluoride ion in the 0.02-3.00 mug ml(-1) range (S.D.+/-0.9%). The proposed method was successfully applied for direct determination of F(-) ion in water obtained from different origins and the results were satisfactory.     

Flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of cadmium with quinolylazo compound after on-line separation using a silica gel column

2-[2-(4-Methylquinolyl)azo]-5-diethylaminophenol(QADP) reacts with cadmium in aqueous ethanol and the molar absorptivity of the QADP-cadmium complex is the highest (1.51 x 1O(5)M(-1) cm(-1), gamma(max) 569 nm) of the reagents reported previously. A flow-injection spectrophotometric determination of cadmium with QADP after on-line separation using silica gel column was proposed. A 450 mug/l cadmium concentration could be determined in the presence of 13 mg/l zinc, 83 mg/l lead and 11 mg/l iron.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of acrivastine in spiked human urine and pharmaceuticals

A spectrofluorimetric method to determine acrivastine is proposed and applied to its determination in human urine and pharmaceuticals. The fluorimetric method allows the determination of 58-2000 ng ml(-1) of acrivastine in aqueous solutions containing acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.5) with lambda(exc)=230 nm and lambda(em)=380 nm.     

Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of chromium(VI) by on-line preconcentration system using a PTFE packed column

A new, sensitive and robust time-based flow injection (FI) method for on-line preconcentration and determination of ultra trace amounts of chromium(VI) by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) has been elaborated. The sample is initially mixed on-line with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and the Cr(VI)-PDC chelate is absorbed quantitatively on a mini-column packed with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) turnings at a pH range 0.8-1.4. The complex is subsequently eluted with isobutyl methyl ketone (IBMK) and introduced directly into the nebulizer-burner system. The optimized system offered improved performance characteristics, with unlimited lifetime of the proposed column. The enhancement factor was 80, for a 3-min preconcentration time and the sample frequency was 18 h(-1). The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 1-40 mug l(-1) with a detection limit of c(L)=0.8 mug l(-1) and a relative standard deviation of s(r)=3.2%, at the 20 mug l(-1) level. The proposed method was evaluated by analyzing samples of certified and spiked water, and it was applied to the analysis of natural water samples and sediments.     

Continuous flow system for the determination of trace boron in iron and steel utilizing in-line preconcentration/separation by Sephadex column coupled with fluorimetric detection

A simple, rapid and sensitive system for the determination of trace boron in iron and steels is presented, in which in-line separation/preconcentration of boron from iron matrix is directly coupled with fluorimetric detection in a continuous flow system. Boron was adsorbed on a small column packed with Sephadex G-25 gel, followed by elution with a small volume of dilute hydrochloric acid. The formation of boron complex with 1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-naphthalenedisulphonic acid in a continuous flow system was used for the sensitive determination of boron by fluorescence detection(lambda(ex)=314 nm and lambda(em)=355 nm). The present FIA system offers many advantages over existing methods, especially with respect to simplicity and sensitivity, permitting semi-automated determination of boron with a short analysis time (about 10 min), low limit of determination (0.1 ppm in steels) and good reproducibility (rsd<3% for 1-18 mug g(-1) boron in steels).The present FIA system can be readily applied to the steel samples.     

Spectrofluorometric determination of trace amounts of coenzyme II using norfioxacin-terbium complex as a fluorescent probe.

When terbium ion (Tb3+)-norfloxacin (NFLX) complex is issued a fluorescent probe, in a buffer solution of pH = 7.6, NADP can remarkably enhance the fluorescence intensity of the Tb3+ -NFLX complex at lambda = 545 nm. The enhanced fluorescence intensity of Tb3+ is in proportion to the concentration of NADP. The dynamic range for the determination of NADP is 1.11 x 10(-7) - 6.16 x 10(-5) mol l(-1), with a detection limit of 4.31 x 10(-8) mol l(-1). This method is simple, practical and relatively free of interference from coexisting substances, so it can be successfully applied to determination of NADP in synthetic water samples.     

Determination of nickel by anodic adsorptive stripping voltammetry with a cation exchanger-modified carbon paste electrode

The behavior of a modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) for nickel determination by anodic adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AAdsSV) was studied. The electrode was built incorporating the Dowex 50W x 12 (H(+) form) ion exchanger to a Nujol-graphite base paste. Ni(2+) was preconcentrated on the electrode surface in open circuit conditions, with the reduction (-1300 mV)/reoxidation step carried out in HCl solution (pH 3). During deposition time (5 min), the hydrogen evolution did not present obstacle in the quantification of nickel. For 12 min of accumulation and 5 min of deposition, nickel can be quantified up to 600 mug l(-1). The detection limit was 0.005 mug l(-1) at a linear potential scan rate of 200 mV s(-1). Interferences from Hg(2+) and Ag(2+) up to a concentration of 1 and 0.6 mg l(-1), respectively, were eliminated with the aid of the anion exchanger Dowex-2 (mesh 200-400) which was added to the sample in the preconcentration step. The tolerance for some metal ions such as Cu(2+), Cd(2+), Fe(3+), Zn(2+), Co(2+) and Pb(2+) was improved in the same way. The method was applied for the determination of nickel in samples of tap and mineral water. At the concentration level of 50 mug l(-1) of Ni (2+), the results were in good agreement with those obtained using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). For a Ni(2+) concentration of 5 mug l(-1), the results obtained showed better accuracy than those obtained by ICP-AES.