Chemiluminescence detection in flowing streams

Flow injection chemiluminescence analysis of phenolic compounds using the NCS-luminol system

A flow injection system coupled with two simple and sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) methods is described for the determination of some phenolic compounds. The methods are based on the inhibition effects of the investigated phenols on the CL signal intensities of N-chlorosuccinimide-KI-luminol (NCS-KI-luminol) and NCS-luminol systems. The influences of the chemical and hydrodynamic parameters on the decrease in CL signal intensities of NCS-KI-luminol and NCS-luminol systems for hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol, serving as the model compounds of analyte, were studied in the flow injection mode of analysis. Under the selected conditions, the proposed CL systems were used for the determination of some phenolic compound and analytical characteristics of the systems including calibration equation, correlation coefficient, linear dynamic range, limit of detection, and sample throughput. The limits of detection for hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol were 0.002, 0.01, and 0.3 microM using the NCS-KI-luminol system; for the NCS-luminol system these were 0.01, 0.17, and 1.6 microM, respectively. The relative standard deviation for 10 repeated measurements of 0.04, 0.06, and 1 microM of hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol were 1.9, 1.4, and 2.0%, respectively, with the NCS-KI-luminol system; for 0.2, 0.5, and 4 microM of hydroquinone, catechol, and resorcinol these were 2.6, 2.2, and 3.7%, respectively, using the NCS-luminol system. The method was applied to the determination of catechol in known environmental water samples with a relative error of less than 6%. A possible reaction mechanism of the proposed CL system is discussed briefly.

Derivatization of biomolecules for chemiluminescent detection in capillary electrophoresis

An overview is presented on the power and drawbacks of the relatively unfamiliar chemiluminescence-based detection technique applied in analysis by capillary electrophoresis, for determining chemically derivatized biomolecules. Examples of the most common systems are given for many series of biologically active compounds as well as for some pharmaceuticals. The most common chemiluminescent systems include the application of peroxyoxalate ester chemiluminescence, acridinium esters, luminol and derivatives, detection based on the tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) system, the huge potentials offered by direct oxidations-though often with still unelucidated reaction mechanisms-and the powerful area of bioluminescence techniques, revealing as well the fast developing area of microchip-based analysis employing this specific luminescence principle.

Chemiluminescence-based detection: principles and analytical applications in flowing streams and in immunoassays

The present paper provides the principles of chemiluminescence (CL) and its powerful applications in analytical chemistry, mainly in the area of flow injection analysis, column liquid chromatographic and capillary electrophoretic separating systems, and its potential in immunoassays. CL is light produced by a chemical reaction. The most common advantages of chemiluminescent reactions are the relatively simple instrumentation required, the very low detection limits and wide dynamic ranges, which have contributed to the interest of CL detection in flow injection analysis, high performance liquid chromatography, including miniaturized systems, and, most recently, the exploding area of capillary electrophoresis. The latter powerful microanalytical separation technique offers high numbers of theoretical plates and relatively short analysis times requiring only small sample volumes, the migrating system comprising aqueous buffer solutions. In non-isotopic immunoassays, covering a great variety of applications in human and veterinary medicine, forensic medicine, agriculture and food industry, the radioisotope is replaced by a fluorescence or chemiluminescent label. The use of CL as a detection principle permits quantitative determination of various compounds at low concentrations. Disadvantages of the CL-based technique may include lack of sufficient selectivity and sensitivity to various physicochemical factors.