Flow injection analysis methods for determination of diffusion coefficients

Two flow injection analyses (FIA) methods for the determination of diffusion coefficients in a straight single tube FIA system were developed. Based on the analytical solution of the convection-diffusion equation, linear relationships of the logarithmic values of the dispersion coefficient (D) and the half-peak width (W12) with the diffusion coefficient (Dm) were obtained. Experiments were designed to verify these methods. For example, for potassium hexacyanoferrate (III) a Dm value of 0.72 × 105 cm2 s−1 was found versus a literature value of 0.76 × 105 cm2 s−1 (error, 5%). For potassium hexacyanoferrate (II) a Dm value of 0.67 × 105 cm2 s−1 was obtained versus a literature value of 0.63 × 105 cm2 s−1 (error, 6%). The diffusion coefficients of some important biomedical compounds, such as dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and ascorbic acid, were then determined. The values of 105 Dm/cm2 s−1 are 0.60 ± 0.03, 0.44 ± 0.02, 0.60 ± 0.01 and 0.68 ± 0.06, respectively.