A low-cost automated flow analyzer based on low temperature co-fired ceramic and LED photometer for ascorbic acid determination

An automated flow analyzer based on low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC), a solid-phase reactor (SPR) and a low-cost photometer was designed for ascorbic acid (AA) determination in pharmaceutical formulations. It consists of a peristaltic pump, three-way solenoid valves, SPR to chemically convert Cu(II) into Cu(I), and a LTCC device for mixing the liberated copper with bathocuproine and detection. The flow cell in the LTCC employed an ultrabright LED — photodiode photometer. The analyzer successfully determined AA in pharmaceutical formulations. The analytical curve from 8.5×10 −6 to 7.0×10 −4 M gave a detection limit of 7.0×10 −7 M and a RSD of 2.1% for a 2.0×10 −4 M AA solution ( n = 10). A high sampling frequency of 102 h −1 and low reagent and sample consumption (150 µL) resulted.