A green chemical analysis of ethanol using a smart phone.

This research presents a novel method for measuring ethanol concentrations using a smartphone. The method involves an oxidation reaction with potassium dichromate and concentrated sulfuric acid, resulting in a green-blue color formation. The color intensity, corresponding to ethanol concentrations ranging from 0 to 100%, was captured using a smartphone camera within a specialized photography box. The images were then analyzed using a specific application, converting the color signal into an absorbance value. The calibration curve demonstrated excellent linearity in the range of 0-0.55 v/v % and its detection limit is 0.01 v/v%, with a correlation coefficient exceeding 0.995. The method was successfully applied to measure ethanol in real samples, including ordinary rose water and a bitter wheat drink.•The method is inexpensive.•The method is rapid.•The method is green.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(© 2024 The Author(s).)