Green assay of anionic surfactant via ion-association with methylene blue sorbed on polyurethane foam monolithic rod and using a smartphone.

Anionic surfactant as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) can be assayed by using methylene blue (MB). The ion-association of SDS-MB can be extracted solventless but sorbed on a specified polyurethane foam (PUF) monolithic rod, prepared in the lab by mixing polyether with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). The blue product (the ion-association of SDS-MB) on the rod can be followed by a smartphone (iPhone 6S). With a set of conditions, a single standard calibration can be applied. The proposed green analytical procedure can be employed for on-site assay. Application to real water samples was demonstrated.