Chemiluminescence of HOOH and AE
During the cruise I will be measuring the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide (O2–), and antioxidants. All of these species are colorless, odorless, and found at extremely low concentrations. The challenge for analytical chemists is to make these invisible species visible. A good example of a qualitative analytical measurement is the use of litmus paper to detect the acid/base properties of solutions (litmus paper is red in acid and blue in base). In my measurements I need a more sensitive technique that can be automated to perform hundreds of measurements per day with as little human intervention as possible. The technique that I have selected is chemilumniescence – a chemical reaction that produces light. Recent advances in light detector technology makes it possible to measure individual photons produced by a chemical reaction. By adding an acridinum ester reagent to seawater I can produce the blue chemiluminescence shown above. The method is very sensitive because of sensitive light measurements and because Avogadro’s number is big, very big! Continue reading
