Alternative non-chromatographic method for alcohols determination in Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentations

• A simple method for quantitative determination of total alcohols in ABE fermentation samples is proposed.
• The proposed method is rapid and multiple ABE fermentation samples can be processed simultaneously.
• The adapted method can be used in industries and laboratories as a screening test for butanol determination.

An economic, simple, quantitative, and non-chromatographic method for the determination of alcohols using microdiffusion principle has been adapted and validated for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation samples. This method, based on alcohols oxidation using potassium dichromate in acid medium, and detection by spectrophotometry, was evaluated varying, both, temperature (35 °C, 45 °C, and 55 °C) and reaction time (0 to 125 min). With a sample analysis time of 90 min at 45 °C, a limit of detection (LOD), and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.10, and 0.40 g/L, respectively. The proposed method has been successfully applied to determine butanol and ethanol concentrations in ABE fermentation samples with the advantage that multiple samples can be analyzed simultaneously. The measurements obtained with the proposed method were in good agreement with those obtained with the Gas Chromatography Method (GCM). This proposed method is useful for routine analysis of alcohols and screening samples in laboratories and industries.