A new spectrophotometric cuvette holder for low temperature studies; its application to the study of carbonmonoxyhemoglobin oxidation rate

A new spectrophotometric cuvette holder to be used for subzero temperature is described. The device is easily adaptable to a commercial spectrophotometer and it was checked down to --40 degrees C. Satisfactory mixing of the reactants contained in the cuvette at low temperatures is attained using a special stirrer and suitable solution volumes. The rate of carbonmonoxyhemoglobin oxidation by K3Fe(CN)6 at different subzero temperatures has been studied using this apparatus; the results are in agreement with the extrapolated data at room temperature.