Descreve-se a determinação de ácido giberélico em promotores de crescimento usados na agricultura, por análise de injecção sequencial e detecção potentiométrica. Os detectores potentiométricos com características melhoradas usam uma membrana de PVC preparada com Mn(III)tetrafenilporfirina-Cl ([(Mn(TPP)Cl]). Formularam-se diferentes membranas comparando-se aditivos iónicos com o objectivo de se seleccionar as unidades com as melhores características de declive, tempo de resposta, reprodutibilidade e selectividade. Para fins analíticos foi seleccionada uma membrana com 6% de [(Mn(TPP)Cl], 27% de PVC, 66% de dibutilftalato (DBP), como solvente mediador, e 1% de tetrafenilborato de sódio, como aditivo aniónico. Quando inserido num sistema SIA o eléctrodo tubular apresentava um intervalo de linearidade de 5×10-4 mol L-1 a 8×10-3 mol L-1, declive de -64,5 ± 1,6 mV/dec e melhores coeficientes de selectividade potenciométrica (log Kpot) do que os obtidos com eléctrodos convencionais. Na análise de amostras comercializadas em Portugal obtiveram-se desvios padrão de 0,01 e 0,4 (n= 4) e um ritmo de amostragem de 30 amostras/hora.

This work describes the determination of gibberellic acid in growth promoters formulations used in agriculture by sequential injection analysis and potentiometric detection. The potentiometric detectors with improved characteristics used a PVC membrane prepared with Mn(III)tetraphenylporphyrin-Cl as electroactive specie. Different membranes formulated with several ionic additives were compared in order to select the most suitable one concerning slope, response time, reproducibility and selectivity. A membrane containing 6 wt% of manganese tetraphenylporphyrin-Cl [(Mn(TPP)Cl], 27 wt% of PVC, 66 wt% of dibutylphthalate (DBP), as mediator solvent, and 1 wt% of sodium tetraphenylborate, as anionic additive, was chosen for analytical applications. When coupled to a SIA system the tubular electrode presented a linear range between 5×10-4 mol L-1 and 8×10-3 mol L-1, a slope of -64.5 ± 1.6 mV/dec and lower potentiometric selectivity coefficients (log Kpot) than those obtained with the conventional electrodes. Standard deviation of 0.01 and 0.4 (n= 4) and a sampling rate of 30 samples/hour were obtained in the analysis of real samples.

The field of flow injection potentiometry (FIP) is reviewed and its current status assessed. The research development and application of electrodes in flow injection systems are presented and discussed.

Stability constants of complexes formed by copper (II) with three different tetracyclines (tetracycline, oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline) have been determined potentiometrically with an automatic system in aqueous medium at 25,0 ± 0,2 ºC and I = 0,1 mol L-1 NaNO3. The protonation constants of the three tetracyclines were also determined under the same conditions. The distribution of the complexes was then simulated at therapeutic levels of the drugs.