A Prussian blue-based flow-through renewable surface optosensor for analysis of ascorbic acid

Abstract

Ascorbic acid is determined by a simple Bead Injection Spectroscopy–Flow Injection Analysis (BIS–FIA) system with spectrophotometric detection. The sensor is based on the decrease of absorbance obtained (720 nm) when Prussian blue (PB) is reduced by ascorbic acid. Commercial available flow-cell (Hellma 138-OS) is used and an appropriate volume of homogeneous bead suspension of Sephadex QAE A-25 was injected to fill this flow-cell for each measurement. The chromogenic reagent (PB) is injected into the carrier and immobilized on beads. When sample is injected, reaching the bead surface where PB is sorbed, ascorbic acid converts it to Prussian white form, which is transparent, producing the discoloration of the detection zone. At the end of the analysis, beads are discarded by reversing the flow and instantaneously transported out of the system. The calibration graph was linear over the range 5.1×10 −6–6.8×10 −5 M. The detection limit and RSD (%) were 4.5×10 −7 M and 5.0%, respectively, using 800 μl of sample volume. This method is highly selective in the presence of other species that are normally encountered with the analyte. The sensor was applied satisfactorily to the determination ascorbic acid in fruit juices, pharmaceuticals, sweets and conservative liquids.