ABSTRACT
The great preponderance of research in analytical chemistry is in the field of highly sensitive methods. The localization of reactive species on such an ion-exchange resin bed surface is essentially responsible for a significantly enhanced sensitivity of resin spot tests when compared with common spot test procedures. Fritz Feigl reveals a basic fact: if identification reactions are carried out on a single drop of test solution with a single drop of reagent solution, it is possible to attain not only much more sensitive tests, but also to achieve considerable savings of time and materials. In 1949, Feigl published Chemistry of Specific, Selective and Sensitive Reactions, a book which is a milestone in the development of modern analytical chemistry. The ion-exchange surface provides the sites for subsequent color development, and the tests performed on resins show considerable enhancement of sensitivity over the conventional spot tests.
