Indirect, ion-annihilation electrogenerated chemiluminescence and its application to the determination of aromatic tertiary amines

Abstract

A novel method for the determination of aromatic tertiary amines has been developed, based on indirect, ion-annihilation electrogenerated chemiluminescence detection, using simplified flow injection instrumentation. The method has been used for the determination of a model compound, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine. Various experimental conditions including applied potentials, electrolyte type and concentration, and flow rate have been optimized, leading to a detection limit of 4 × 10^–7 mol l^–1, with a log-linear range over three decades of concentration. The expected general formula of potential analyte compounds compatible with this technique is postulated to be ArNR₂, where R is a methyl or Ar group, and Ar is a simple aromatic system.