Abstract
Both L-ascorbic acid (AA) and erythorbic acid (EA) gave two oxidation waves in basic solutions of pH about 9 to 11. In more basic solutions, the two waves of L-ascorbic acid coalesced into a single step, whereas the two steps of erythorbic acid remained unaltered ; -in 0.5N NaOH the half-wave potential of L-ascorbic acid was -0.31V (vs. SCE) and those of erythorbic acid were -0.25V and -0.39V. The oxidation waves were diffusioncontrolled and rather stable in deaerated solution.
A method of simultaneous polarographic determination of these two acids was proposed on the basis of the application of matrix algebra to the resolution of overlapping polarographic waves. The method_ was successfully applied to the analysis of canned foods.
