Detection limits optimization

A new cyanide dye for derivatizing thiols has been reported (65). This thiol label can be used with a visible diode laser and provide a detection limit of 8 X 10 M of the tested thiol. A highly sensitive laser-induced fluorescence detector for analysis of biogenic amines has been developed that employs a He—Cd laser (66). The amines are derivatized by naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde in the presence of cyanide ion to produce a cyanobenz[ isoindole which absorbs radiation at the output of He—Cd laser (441.6 nm). Optimization of the detection system yielded a detection limit of 2 x 10 M. 

It was found, that at standard gas-chromatograph sampling of 1 pL of analyte solution the limit of detection for different amines was measured as 0.1-3 ng/ml, or of about 1 femtomole of analyte in the probe. This detection limit is better of published data, obtained by conventional GC-MS technique. Evidently, that both the increasing of the laser spot size and the optimization of GC-capillary position can strongly improve the detection limit. 

In the presented work an algorithm for the primary radiation filter optimization has been developed and realized in the Mathcad envelope which provides a minimal detection limit of a critical element both at the given X-ray tube power and at the given maximal acceptable count rate. 

A simple electrochemical flow-through cell with powder carbon as cathodic material was used and optimized. The influence of the generation current, concentration of the catholyte, carrier stream, flow rate of the sample and interferences by other metals on the generation of hydrogen arsenide were studied. This system requires only a small sample volume and is very easily automatized. The electrochemical HG technique combined with AAS is a well-established method for achieving the required high sensitivity and low detection limits. 

ICP-SFMS (Thermo Finnigan, Flement) with cold vapour generation was developed with a guard electrode and a gold amalgamation device using an Au-sorbent for sample pre-concentration to improve the sensitivity. Instrumental parameters of ICP-SFMS such as take-up time, heating temperature of Au-sorbent, additional gas flow, and sample gas flow were optimized. Detection limit calculated as 3 times the standard deviation of 10 blanks was 0,05 ng/1, RSD = 7-9 %. 

As atomic fluorescence spectrometer a mercury analyzer Mercur , (Analytik-Jena, Germany) was used. In the amalgamation mode an increase of sensitivity by a factor of approximately 7-8 is obtained compared with direct introduction, resulting in a detection limit of 0,09 ng/1. This detection limit has been improved further by pre-concentration of larger volumes of samples and optimization of instrumental parameters. Detection limit 0,02 ng/1 was achieved, RSD = 1-6 %. 

The optimization of the biorecognition layer by the modification of a transducer used. Nanostmctured poly aniline composite comprising Prussian Blue or poly-ionic polymers has been synthesized and successfully used in the assembly of cholinesterase sensors. In comparison with non-modified sensors, this improved signal selectivity toward electrochemically active species and decreased the detection limits of Chloropyrifos-Methyl and Methyl-Pai athion down to 10 and 3 ppb, respectively. 

It is known that Selenium catalyzes reaction of some dye reduction by Sulphide. On this basis spectrophotometric and test-techniques for Selenium determination are developed. Inefficient reproducibility and low sensitivity are their deficiencies. In the present work, solid-phase reagent on silica gel modified first with quaternary ammonium salt and then by Indigocarmine was proposed for Selenium(IV) test-determination. Optimal conditions for the Selenium determination by method of fixed concentration were found. The detection limit of Se(IV) is 10 ftg/L = 2 ng/sample). Calibration curve is linear in the range 50-400 ftg/L of Se(IV). The proposed method is successfully applied to the Selenium determination in multivitamins and bioadditions. 

Detection and result The developed chromatogram was dried in a stream of cold air, immersed in the reagent solution for 1 s and heated to 80 °C for 20 — 30 min (until optimal color development occurred). Yellow to brown-colored zones were produced on a pale yellow-colored background these were suitable for quantitative analysis. The detection limits for cholesterol hRf 20 — 25) and coprostanol 25 — 30) were a few nanograms per chromatogram zone. 

The application of the fluorescence derivatization technique in an HPLC method involves utilization of a post column reaction system (PCRS) as shown in Figure 3 to carry out the wet chemistry involved. The reaction is a 2-step process with oxidation of the toxins by periodate at pH 7.8 followed by acidification with nitric acid. Among the factors that influence toxin detection in the PCRS are periodate concentration, oxidation pH, oxidation temperature, reaction time, and final pH. By far, the most important of these factors is oxidation pH and, unfortunately, there is not one set of reaction conditions that is optimum for all of the PSP toxins. The reaction conditions outlined in Table I, while not optimized for any particular toxin, were developed to allow for adequate detection of all of the toxins involved. Care must be exercised in setting up an HPLC for the PSP toxins to duplicate the conditions as closely as possible to those specified in order to achieve consistent adequate detection limits. 

Use of 10 pm LiChrosorb RP18 column and binary eluent of methanol and aqueous 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 4.0) according to suitable gradient elution program in less than 20-min run time with satisfactory precision sensitivity of spectrophotometric detection optimized, achieving for all additives considered detection limits ranging from 0.1 to 3.0 mg/1, below maximum permitted levels Simultaneous separation (20 min) of 14 synthetic colors using uncoated fused silica capillary column operated at 25 kV and elution with 18% acetonitrile and 82% 0.05 M sodium deoxycholate in borate-phosphate buffer (pH 7.8), recovery of all colors better than 82%... 

Absorbance detectors are also commonly used in combination with postcolumn reactors. Here, most issues of detector linearity and detection limit have to do with optimization of the performance of the reactor. In a typical application, organophosphorus compounds with weak optical absorbances have been separated, photolyzed to orthophosphate, and reacted with molybdic acid, with measurement being performed by optical absorbance.58... 

Fixed pathlength transmission flow-cells for aqueous solution analysis are easily clogged. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) provides an alternative method for aqueous solution analysis that avoids this problem. Sabo et al. [493] have reported the first application of an ATR flow-cell for both NPLC and RPLC-FUR. In micro-ATR-IR spectroscopy coupled to HPLC, the trapped effluent of the HPLC separation is added dropwise to the ATR crystal, where the chromatographic solvent is evaporated and the sample is enriched relative to the solution [494], Detection limits are not optimal. The ATR flow-cell is clearly inferior to other interfaces. 

Cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry, and controlled potential electrolysis were used to study the electrochemical oxidation behavior of niclosamide at a glassy carbon electrode. The number of electrons transferred, the wave characteristics, the diffusion coefficient and reversibility of the reactions were investigated. Following optimization of voltammetric parameters, pH, and reproducibility, a linear calibration curve over the range 1 x 10 6 to 1 x 10 4 mol/dm3 niclosamide was achieved. The detection limit was found to be 8 x 10 7 mol/dm3. This voltammetric method was applied for the determination of niclosamide in tablets [33]. 

Alemu et al. [35] developed a very sensitive and selective procedure for the determination of niclosamide based on square-wave voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical reduction of niclosamide at a glassy carbon electrode. Niclosamide was first irreversibly reduced from N02 to NHOH at —0.659 V in aqueous buffer solution of pH 8.5. Following optimization of the voltammetric parameters, pH and reproducibility, a linear calibration curve over the range 5 x 10 x to 1 x 10-6 mol/dm3 was achieved, with a detection limit of 2.05 x 10-8 mol/dm3 niclosamide. The results of the analysis suggested that the proposed method has promise for the routine determination of niclosamide in the products examined [35]. 

Capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with fast cyclic voltammetric detection was developed by Zhou et al. [27] for the separation and determination of OTC, TC, and CTC antibiotics. All compounds were well separated by optimization of pH and complexation with a boric acid sodium tetraborate buffer. The detection limit using fast on-line cyclic voltammetric detection with Hg-film-microm electrode was 1.5 x 10-6 mol/L for OTC (signal to noise ratio > 2). A continuous flow manifold coupled on-line to a capillary electrophoresis system was developed by Nozal et al. [28] for determining the trace levels of OTC, TC, and DC in surface water samples. 

Valproic acid has been determined in human serum using capillary electrophoresis and indirect laser induced fluorescence detection [26], The extract is injected at 75 mbar for 0.05 min onto a capillary column (74.4 cm x 50 pm i.d., effective length 56.2 cm). The optimized buffer 2.5 mM borate/phosphate of pH 8.4 with 6 pL fluorescein to generate the background signal. Separation was carried out at 30 kV and indirect fluorescence detection was achieved at 488/529 nm. A linear calibration was found in the range 4.5 144 pg/mL (0 = 0.9947) and detection and quantitation limits were 0.9 and 3.0 pg/mL. Polonski et al. [27] described a capillary isotache-phoresis method for sodium valproate in blood. The sample was injected into a column of an EKI 02 instrument for separation. The instrument incorporated a conductimetric detector. The mobile phase was 0.01 M histidine containing 0.1% methylhydroxycellulose at pH 5.5. The detection limit was 2 pg/mL. 

A flow injection optical fibre biosensor for choline was also developed55. Choline oxidase (ChOX) was immobilized by physical entrapment in a photo-cross-linkable poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer (PVA-SbQ) after adsorption on weak anion-exchanger beads (DEAE-Sepharose). In this way, the sensing layer was directly created at the surface of the working glassy carbon electrode. The optimization of the reaction conditions and of the physicochemical parameters influencing the FIA biosensor response allows the measurement of choline concentration with a detection limit of 10 pmol. The DEAE-based system also exhibited a good operational stability since 160 repeated measurements of 3 nmol of choline could be performed with a variation coefficient of 4.5%. 

The calibration curve obtained for hydrogen peroxide exhibited a detection limit of 30 pmol and ranged over three decades at least. These performances compared well with those previously obtained in non-micellar media54. The presence of surfactant compounds in the ECL measurement buffer appeared thus to have little effect on the H2O2 ECL sensor performances. In optimized conditions, the determination of free cholesterol could be performed with a detection limit of 0.6 nmol and a calibration curve ranging over two decades at least. 

O ring. At 20 min inhibition time the detection limits for malathion, parathion methyl and paraoxon were 3, 0.5 and 5pg I respectively. Although these bienzymatic systems look simple, it is difficult to provide optimal conditions for both enzymes. In general the optimum pH, temperature and buffer molarity for different enzymes are different. The experimental conditions are at the levels below the optimum capacity of both enzymes [14], This disadvantage can be minimized by use of a single enzyme system, which is readily inhibited by the pesticide. 

Improvement and optimization of the characteristics of the existing sensors is an important work that is constantly been addressed by many research groups, and is briefly reviewed here. The rational molecular design principles become important to the search for new sensor materials to be more selective and sensitive, possess better detection limits,... 

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