High sensitivity flow-based analysis system using a semiconductor laser and thin long flow-through cell for the...

A highly sensitive detection system using a semiconductor laser (SCL) and a thin long flow-through cell (TLFCT) to match flow-based analysis, such as flow injection analysis (FIA), has been developed. The SCL was a GaAlAs semiconductor laser emitting at 780 nm (5 mW), and the TLFTC, which has a 100 mm thin long light path, was made of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) rod. The sensitivity was essentially improved about 10-fold in comparison to usual FIA-spectrophotometry using a 10 mm conventional flow cell. When this detection system was applied to the determination of total phosphorus (P) in water by molybdenum-blue spectrophotometry, the relative standard deviation, detection limit and linear range were 1.0% (n = 10 at 20 mug P 1(-1)), 0.6 (3 sigma) and 1.0-50 mug P 1(-1), respectively, and the results for the samples were fairly consistent with those by the official method. It may also be possible to apply the present detection system to other flow-based analytical methods such as the liquid chromatography family.