In situ generation of Co(II) by use of a solid-phase reactor in an FIA assembly for the spectrophotometric determination of penicillamine

A flow injection analysis (FIA) manifold for the determination of penicillamine in pharmaceutical preparations is proposed. The manifold includes a solid-phase reactor for the in situ production of the derivatizing reagent, Co(II) ion, which forms a coloured complex with penicillamine in an alkaline medium. The reactor is prepared by natural immobilization of cobalt carbonate on a polymer matrix, which endows it with a high mechanical and microbiological stability. The cobalt released by passage of a 5 × 10−4 mol l−1 sulphuric acid stream at a flow-rate of 2.3 ml min−1 is merged with a volume of 314 μl of sample containing penicillamine in ammonium-ammonia buffer at pH 9.5 to measure the absorbance at 360 nm. Beer's law is obeyed over the penicillamine concentration range 5-60 mg l−1. The limit of detection (LOD) of the method is 1 mg l−1 and its throughput 70 samples h−1.