Combination of electrochemical biosensor and textile threads: A microfluidic device for phenol determination in tap water.

Microfluidic devices constructed using low cost materials presents as alternative for conventional flow analysis systems because they provide advantages as low consumption of reagents and samples, high speed of analysis, possibility of portability and the easiness of construction and maintenance. Herein, is described for the first time the use of an electrochemical biosensor for phenol detection combined with a very simple and efficient microfluidic device based on commercial textile threads. Taking advantages of capillary phenomena and gravity forces, the solution transportation is promoted without any external forces or injection pump. Screen printed electrodes were modified with carbon nanotubes/gold nanoparticles followed by covalent binding of tyrosinase. After the biosensor electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry technique, the optimization of relevant parameters such as pH, potential of detection and linear range for the biosensor performance was carried out; the system was evaluated for analytical phenol detection presenting limit of detection and limit of quantification 2.94nmolL-1 and 8.92nmolL-1 respectively. The proposed system was applied on phenol addition and recovery studies in drinking water, obtaining recoveries rates between 90% and 110%.

Flow injection determination of levodopa in tablets using a solid-phase reactor containing lead(IV) dioxide immobilized.

A flow injection spectrophotometric procedure was developed for determining levodopa in tablets. The determination of this drug was carried out by reacting it with lead(IV) dioxide immobilized in polyester resin packed in a solid-phase reactor and the dopachrome yielded was monitored at 520 nm. The analytical curve for levodopa was linear in the concentration range from 1.0x10(-4) to 1.0x10(-3) mol l(-1) with a detection limit of 8.0x10(-5) mol l(-1). The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was 0.2% for a solution containing 4.0x10(-4) mol l(-1) levodopa (n=10), and 90 determinations per hour were obtained.