11-Molybdobismuthophosphate—A new reagent for the determination of ascorbic acid in batch and sequential injection systems

The guanidinium salt of the new heteropolymolybdate 11-molybdobismuthophosphate Gua6PBiMo11O40 (11-MBP) was synthesized, characterized and used as a reagent for batch spectrophotometric (SP) and sequential injection determination of ascorbic acid (AsA). When compared to other Keggin's heteropolyanions, the reduction of 11-MBP with AsA is both fast and maximal within a pH range of 1.6–2.0. The stoichiometry of the reaction was determined using molar ratio and continuous variation methods and was shown to be 1:1. The molar absorptivity of the reduced form of 11-MBP was 6.0 × 103 L mol−1 cm−1 at 720 nm. The reaction is also specific for AsA. Only cysteine, hydroquinone and hydroxyacids were found to interfere with the reaction, while no interference was observed with the common reducing agents, including reducing sugars, catecholamines, nitrite, sulfite and iron(II) ions. Batch SP and sequential injection analysis (SIA) systems were developed for the determination of AsA, with calibration ranges of the SP methods at 2 × 10−6–8 × 10−5 M for a 10 mm cell and 5 × 10−7–3 × 10−5 M for a 50 mm cell and a limit of detection at 3 × 10−7 M. The linear range of the SIA method was 6 × 10−6–5 × 10−4 M, with a detection limit of 2 × 10−6 M and a sample throughput of 15 h−1. The proposed methods were successfully used for the determination of AsA in both pharmaceuticals and fruit juices, and the results were consistent with those provided by the 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol method.