Chemical microtechniques

There have been attempts to locate the site of alkaloid production by means of chemical microtechniques. These methods were based on the assumption that the site of accumulation is also the site of biosynthesis however, conclusive results have not been obtained. 

For a detailed account, see E. M. Chamot and C. W. Mason Handbook of Chemical Microscopy, Volume I (1938) and Volume II (1940) (J. Wiley Chapman and Hall) also A. A. Benedetti-Pichler Introduction to the Microtechnique of Inorganic Analysis (1942) (J. Wiley Chapman and Hall.)... 

Hydride generation can be performed efficiently by reduction with nascent hydrogen. This can be produced chemically by the reaction of zinc or NaBH4 with dilute acids. In the latter case, use can be made of a solid pellet of NaBH4 and placing the sample on it, which might be useful as a microtechnique (see, e.g., Ref. [173]). However, a flow of a solution of NaBH4 stabilized with NaOH can be joined by one of an acidifled sample. This can be done in a reaction vessel, as was first... 

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