Procedures for the enhancement of selectivity in liquid phase chemiluminescence detection

Abstract An overview of liquid phase chemiluminescence (CL) processes is presented and the potential for CL detection in liquid chromatography (LC) is discussed, with particular reference to the luminol and peroxyoxalate reactions. Post column ion displacement from a solid phase reagent [a cation exchange resin in the copper(II) form] followed by catalysis of the luminol reaction is used for the quantification of mixtures of weak acids after separation by ion-exclusion chromatography. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released during the combustion of biomass fuels are separated by reversed-phase chromatography and quantified by their sensitizing effect on the peroxyoxalate reaction. This procedure is also used for the determination of carboxylic acids in non-aqueous media after selective pre-column derivatization with a fluorescent label (9-anthracenemethanol).