Chemiluminescence of sulfite based on auto-oxidation sensitized by rhodamine 6G Original Research Article

A novel chemiluminescence (CL) flow system for sulfite based on auto-oxidation sensitized by rhodamine 6G in the presence of Tween 80 surfactant micelles is described. When the sample is injected into a mixture of acidic Rh6G and Tween 80, strong chemiluminescence occurs. The chemiluminescence response was linearly related to the concentration of sulfite in the range 0.05–10 mg l−1 (r=0.998) with a detection limit (3σ) of 0.03 mg l−1. Relative standard deviation was less than 5% (n=11). The system has been successfully applied to the determination of total sulfite in beverages. The possible reaction mechanism is also discussed.