Spectroelectrochemistry of morphine and related alkaloids and their investigation by fluorescence in a gold micromesh cell

Abstract

A standard microflow cell containing a transparent gold micromesh electrode has been designed for in situ fluorescence monitoring of electrogenerated species by frontal illumination. Oxidative dimerisation of morphine to the fluorescent pseudomorphine proved to be a model fluorogenic reaction for study. The fluorescence calibration graph was linear over the concentration range 1 × 10^–3–1 × 10^–6M and the limit of detection was 5 × 10^–7M. The procedure, which is selective and free from interference from most of the opium alkaloids, enabled morphine to be assayed directly in papaveretum.