Quantitative classical spectrophotometric analysi

Mixtures of components, that caimot be physically separated but whose molar fractions can be changed under a number of factors are considered as undefined. Such mixtures cannot be analyzed by means of classical spectrophotometric analysis (lack of calibration as shown above) and tautomeric mixtures are a typical example. Therefore, there are two approaches to treat tautomeric mixtures presented as a set of spectra with different tautomeric ratios direct quantitative analysis based on overlapping band decomposition or nonlinear optimization based on existing physical relations between the tautomeric constant and the external factor causing the shift in the equilibrium. The first one is the only option to analyze changes caused by the solvent or by salt addition. Both could be used to estimate the effects of temperature, acidity, or concentration and a critical comparison is available in Section 2.2.3 in this respect... 

Analytical Techniques. Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are assayed titrimetricaHy (51). The quantitative analysis of sorbic acid in food or beverages, which may require solvent extraction or steam distillation (52,53), employs various techniques. The two classical methods are both spectrophotometric (54—56). In the ultraviolet method, the prepared sample is acidified and the sorbic acid is measured at 250 260 nm. In the colorimetric method, the sorbic acid in the prepared sample is oxidized and then reacts with thiobarbituric acid the complex is measured at - 530 nm. Chromatographic techniques are also used for the analysis of sorbic acid. High pressure Hquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection is used to separate and quantify sorbic acid from other ultraviolet-absorbing species (57—59). Sorbic acid in food extracts is deterrnined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (60—62). 

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