Abstract
The origin of the method of standard additions (SAM) and of the use of internal standard (IS) in instrumental chemical analysis and their spread into other areas has been reviewed. Recorded applications of IS range from flame spectroscopy in 1877 through multiple techniques to current use in NMR and standard additions with isotopically labelled internal standards in hyphenated techniques. For SAM, applications stemmed from polarography in 1937 and spread to most instrumental methods. Some misconceptions on priorities are corrected.
Highlights
Method of standard additionsThe method of standard additions (SAM) and internal standard (IS) are regularly used and regarded as selfevident concepts to modern analytical chemists, apparently requiring no history
[9] BThis is a very simple method of obtaining experimental values, which has been known and widely used for a long time in all instrumental analyses, as it allows working with some accuracy without corrections and without adding reference elements^
The first recent use of the method of standard additions outside the area of polarography was in atomic emission spectrometry as described in Harvey’s book, Spectrochemical Procedures [17], who referred to the method as an extrapolation method
Summary
The method of standard additions (SAM) and internal standard (IS) are regularly used and regarded as selfevident concepts to modern analytical chemists, apparently requiring no history. The first recent use of the method of standard additions outside the area of polarography was in atomic emission spectrometry as described in Harvey’s book, Spectrochemical Procedures [17], who referred to the method as an extrapolation method. Et al discussed the priority for the use of SAM beyond the field of polarography noting its use in emission spectrography by Harvey, reported in 1950 [17] Their analysis of priority between Campbell and Carl’s use in X-ray fluorescence (1954) [18] and Chow and Thompson’s use in flame photometry (1955) [19] is rendered pointless in the light of Chow and Thompson’s reference to Smales [20] Innovation in SAM persists as shown by a recent study on a generic standard additions method in immunoassays to overcome complex biological matrix interference and accommodate non-linearity [52]
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