A sample-drying technique for room-temperature phosphorescence

The sample-drying procedure described improves the precision, decreases the time needed and reduces the expense of the solid-surface room-temperature phosphorescence technique. Samples are dried in a glovebg apparatus interfaced to the sample compartment of the spectrophotophosphorimeter. The samples are treated with sodium citrate to prevent moisture quenching the phosphorescence emission The relative standard deviations of measurements are reduced to less than 2% for large sets of samples. The total time required for 37 samples is only 5.5 h compared to 20 h by a conventional technique.