A Simple Minimized System Based on Moving Drops for Antioxidant Analysis Using a Smartphone.

In this paper, a novel antioxidant analysis is proposed using a simple minimized device based on moving drops as solution handling and a smartphone as a detector. This approach is based on the colorimetric determination of the scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•), expressed as the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). A small drop of the positive control or the samples moves by eluting an ethanol drop down by the force of gravity to react with a DPPH• drop in the detection zone. The color change of DPPH• is monitored by a smartphone camera, and the color signals are processed using Adobe Photoshop software. The magenta-to-yellow ratio was successfully applied to evaluate the percentage of DPPH• inhibition with no significant difference compared with the reference spectrophotometric method at a confidence level of 95%. The total phenolic content (TPC) was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. An application to Miang (fermented tea leaf extract) showed the consonant relationship between the scavenging activity of DPPH• and TPC.

A simple platform with moving drops for downscaling chemical analysis incorporating smartphone detection.

A simple cost-effective device for downscaling chemical analysis with microliter-scale dropwise handing and smartphone detection is proposed. The platform was made from easily available materials. Drops of constant volume of analyte and reagent were placed onto a channel then moved by gravity force to mix and react with each other. The color change due to reaction was monitored with a smartphone. Assays of iron, copper and phosphate employing the platform were demonstrated with 1,10-phenanthroline, bicinchoninic acid and molybdate reagents, respectively. Kinetic study was also demonstrated for this simple device.

Colorimetric ionophore-based coextraction titrimetry of potassium ions.

Potassium ion concentration can be successfully determined volumetrically by moving the titration from a homogeneous phase to a two phase solvent system. This is because potassium can be readily complexed in a selective and thermodynamically stable manner by ionophores such as valinomycin. Previous work demonstrated the successful titration of potassium by ion-exchange into an organic phase containing valinomycin, but the sample itself served as titrant, which is not sufficiently practical for routine applications. This problem is overcome here by a co-extraction based approach, with the sodium salt of the water soluble lipophilic anion tetraphenylborate as titrant. The extraction of potassium tetraphenylborate must be preferred over that of the hydrogen ion-tetraphenylborate pair, which is used to indicate the endpoint by the presence of a lipophilic indicator in the organic phase. This is controlled by the sample pH, which for the conditions chosen here is around 7 for optimal sharpness and accuracy of the endpoint. The approach is demonstrated in a colorimetric detection approach, by use of a tethered digital camera and subsequent automated analysis of the resulting image files. The potassium analysis in a variety of samples is successfully demonstrated, including blood serum.

Application of a webcam camera as a cost-effective sensor with image processing for dual electrochemical - colorimetric detection system.

A webcam camera as an alternative cost-effective colorimetric sensor for the simple dual electrochemical - colorimetric detection system is proposed. Performance test of the system was investigated through electrochemical and colorimetric behaviors of redox reactions of potassium ferrocyanide complex. Image processing with two color systems, RGB and HSV, was applied together with various electrochemical techniques. Color responses obtained from the webcam correlated with electrochemical signals in various electrochemical techniques. The results from the proposed dual detection system agreed well with those obtained using conventional UV-vis spectroelectrochemical system reported previously. The application of proposed system was demonstrated for studying the redox reaction of catechin and electrochemical - colorimetric behaviors of Fe(II) and Fe(III) mixture.