Chemiluminescence determination of tetracycline based on radical production in a basic acetonitrile–hydrogen peroxide reaction

Here we report a rather simple and convenient chemiluminescence (CL) method for the determination of tetracycline (TC). It is based on the observation that tetracycline can greatly enhance an ultra-weak CL between H2O2 and acetonitrile in a basic alkaline solution. Light emission is intense and long-lived, and even with a simple set-up, a high sensitivity could be achieved. The linear range was 5 (mu)M–200 nM with a detection limit of 60 nM. Singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical are suggested to be involved in this new reaction, and the CL emitter is classified as the oxidized tetracycline, not tetracycline itself. As a preliminary application, this simple method has been successfully applied into the determination of tetracycline in the drugs.