Many Native American tribes knew that the bark of the cinchona tree was an effective treatment for malaria, and later scientific research revealed that quinine was the active ingredient in the bark. The quinine molecule is highly fluorescent, and fluorescence spectrometry is a sensitive and specific method for quinine analysis. In this experiment, you will measure the fluorescence of commercial tonic water to determine its quinine content. View the structure of quinine. Dilute solutions of H 2 SO 4 are used in this experiment.
Glasses are adequate eye protection.
All solutions from this lab may be poured down the sink. After disposing of acidic solutions, flush the sink with plenty of water. The solutions used in fluorescence spectroscopy are quite dilute. 2 SO 4 before use. Pipets should thoroughly cleaned first, then conditioned with the solution to be delivered.