Search

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a simple and low-cost colorimetric method based on Fe(III) chloride and potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) for determination of acetaminophen, ascorbic acid and phenylephrine, which can be used in small laboratories using restricted materials and resources. A paper based sensor using the reagent was introduced. Significance of different variables in determination of drugs were studied by Placket-Burman design and optimal values for concentration of hydrochloric acid, Fe(III) chloride and potassium hexacyano ferrate(III), 0.01 M, 0.004 M and 0.004 M, respectively were obtained. Without using any sophisticated instrument and only by image analysis the concentration of acetaminophen, ascorbic acid and phenylephrine was determined in pharmaceutical samples. In this way we were able to determine by analyzing the final color of the reactions. The linear range in ppm for all the analytes was obtained as 0.00–50.00 and limit of detection of 2.52, 2.48 and 2.48 were obtained for acetaminophen, ascorbic acid and phenylephrine, respectively. Percent relative standard deviation (RSD %) and percent relative error (RE %) of the proposed method for analysis of real samples of acetaminophen tablet were 4.77 and 7.64, ascorbic acid tablet, 4.73 and 1.41, and phenylephrine syrup, 2.44 and − 1.61, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]