A nonenzymatic method for determination of hydrogen peroxide and organic peroxides

Reduction of hydrogen peroxide and organic peroxides (t-butyl hydroperoxide and linoleic acid hydroperoxide) was achieved with homovanillic acid as hydrogen donor in the presence of the triethylenetetramine-Fe3+ complex. By the catalytic action of this complex, homovanillic acid is oxidized to its fluorescent dimer. Based on this reaction a fluorometric method for the measurement of the hydroperoxides mentioned above is described. The method can be extended to the determination of substrate-enzyme systems that produce hydrogen peroxide, e.g., glucose-glucose oxidase. The method allows the determination of substances such as hydrogen peroxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide with an accuracy and precision of less than 3%. Glucose can be determined with similar precision and an accuracy of 4.7%.