Point-of-use detection of ascorbic acid using a spectrometric smartphone-based system

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectrometry
• Green Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) quantification is crucial for food and pharmaceutical quality control.
• Existing laboratory methods can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.
• Point-of-use analytical techniques are needed for rapid, on-site assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and portable analytical methodology for ascorbic acid quantification.
• To utilize a smartphone-based spectrometric system for the first time in this application.
• To enable point-of-use sample preparation and measurement for mobile quality control.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an oxidation-reduction reaction between ascorbic acid and methylene blue.
• Employed dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) for methylene blue extraction.
• Implemented a back-extraction procedure followed by smartphone-based spectrometric analysis.
• Optimized DLLME and back-extraction using a two-step multivariate strategy.

Main Results:

• Successfully quantified ascorbic acid in aqueous samples using a smartphone-based system.
• Demonstrated the method's applicability to real-world samples like vitamin C supplements and orange juice.
• Achieved comparable results to standard laboratory-based analytical approaches.

Conclusions:

• The developed smartphone-based method provides a rapid, portable, and effective means for ascorbic acid quantification.
• This technology facilitates mobile quality control in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
• The point-of-use approach simplifies sample handling and analysis, enhancing accessibility.