Flow injection analysis–direct chemiluminescence determination of ergonovine maleate enhanced by hexadecylpyridinium chloride

Abstract

A flow injection analysis–direct chemiluminescence method is proposed for the determination of ergonovine maleate, based on the oxidation of the drug by hexacyanoferrate(III) in sodium hydroxide. The chemiluminescence was enhanced by a cationic surfactant, hexadecylpyridinium chloride. The calibration graph was linear over the range from the limit of detection (70 ppt) to 1 ppm of ergonovine maleate, with an RSD (n = 50, 50 ppb) of 1.8% and a sample throughput of 118 h^–1. The influence of foreign compounds was tested. The method was applied to the determination of ergonovine maleate in synthetic samples.