A miniaturized, portable, cost-effective photometer with a smartphone detector as a demonstrative model for measuring the total phenolic content of some nutraceuticals

The capability of smartphones is progressing quickly; they have been incorporated into spectrophotometric methods of analysis, which are used in almost all analytical laboratories. A demonstrative, teaching, miniaturized, portable and cost-effective photometer was built by operating a smartphone as a detector, a light-emitting diode lamp as radiation source with a freely accessible web application to determine the absorbance. The device miniaturization enables the in site analysis; in addition to minimal power usage significantly supports green analytical chemistry (GAC) principles. Total polyphenol content as example of routine colorimetric method of analysis was used to test the functionality of the introduced model. The statistically compared results to those produced from a commercially available model revealed no significant difference between the two models' output. Furtherly, total polyphenol content was quantitatively determined utilizing the suggested photometer for two nutraceutical products. Concerning GAC principles, the presented model verified sufficient greenness when measured using AGREE metric system for greenness assessment of the proposed method of analysis using the proposed model.

Graphical Abstract