Study of the chemiluminescent characteristics of ninhydrin and its application

Abstract

Ninhydrin was found to exhibit chemiluminescence (CL) when it was oxidized with hydrogen peroxide in neutral or weakly acidic solution. Copper(II) and Co^II can catalyse the CL reaction, on the basis of which ppb levels of Cu^II and Co^II can be determined. In the presence of Cu^II, some amino acids enhanced the CL reaction, whereas others inhibited the CL reaction in the presence of Co^II. A flow-injection system with CL detection was developed for the determination of some amino acids. The mechanism of the CL reaction is discussed.