Fast Determination of a Novel Iron Chelate Prototype Used as a Fertilizer by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to a Diode Array Detector.

The environmental risk of the application of synthetic chelates has favored the implementation of new biodegradable ligands to correct Fe-deficient plants. This study developed and validated an analytical method for determination of a new prototype iron chelate─Fe(III)-benzeneacetate, 2-hydroxy-α-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]─(BHH/Fe3+) based on liquid chromatography with diode array detection, as a potential sustainable alternative. Chromatographic analysis was performed on a LiChrospher RP-18 in reverse-phase mode, with a mobile phase consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile (solvent A) and sodium borate buffer 0.20 mM at pH = 8 (solvent B) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min in isocratic elution mode. This method was fully validated and found to be linear from the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 50 mg/L and precise (standard deviation below 5%). The proposed method was demonstrated to be selective, precise, and robust. The developed methodology indicated that it is suitable for the quantification of iron chelate BHH/Fe3+.