Spectrophotometry Determination of Carboxylic Acids by Ferric Hydroxamate Formation with Water-Soluble Carbodiimide

Abstract
Carboxylic acids in aqueous solution were determined spectrophotometrically as ferric hydroxamates. A water-soluble carbodiimide, l-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpho-linyl-(4)-ethyl)carbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate, was used as a cuopling agent to form hydroxamic acids. The coupling reaction was carried out at 37°C for 30 min in a solution buffered at pH 5.3 with pyridine and hydrochloric acid. Calibration curves of benzoic, acetic, citric, and a-ketoglutaric acids were linear between 0.25 and 8 μmol.