Analytical Sciences

Optical Sensor of Anionic Surfactants Using Solid-Phase Extraction with a Lactone-form Rhodamine B Membrane

Takashi MASADOME and Motoo AKATSU

Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Toyosu, Koto, Tokyo 135-8548, Japan

An optical sensor for the detection of anionic surfactants was developed. The optical sensing membrane is a 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether-plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane incorporating a lactone-form Rhodamine B (L-RB). The response of the optical membrane to anionic surfactants was a result of the ion-pair coextraction of an anionic surfactant and a proton into the PVC membrane. The L-RB forms an ion associate with the extracted anionic surfactant; simultaneously, the formed L-RB ion associate is accompanied by a spectral change. Namely, the extracted anionic surfactant changes the color of the membrane from light pink to dark pink (absorption maximum; 558 nm). The optical membrane responds to anionic surfactants, such as dodecylbenzenesulfonate, dodecylsulfate and di-2-ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate in the concentration range from 1 to 50 µM.

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