Color Reaction Between 4-(2-Pyridylazo)Resorcinol and Mercury (II) in the Presence of Surfactant, and Improved Spectrophotometric Determinations of Mercury(II) and Cyanide Ion with its Coloring

Abstract

The reactions among 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR), mercury(II) and/or cyanide ion in the presence of water soluble surfactants alone or combination were systematically investigated at about pH 9. The spectrophotometric determinations of mercury(II) and cyanide ion were investigated by using the PAR-mercury(II)-HPC complex (3:2:2 molar ratio) in the presence of N-hexadecylpyridinium chloride (HPC) alone; calibration graphs were rectilinear in the ranges of 0 – 40 μg mercury(II) and 0 –10 μg cyanide ion in a final 10 ml with the apparent molar absorptivities of 5.9 × 10⁴ for mercury(II) and 2.5 × 10⁴ 1 mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ for cyanide ion at 590 nm. The proposed method had advantages—rapidity, simplicity without solvent extraction, and sensitivity in comparison with reported solvent extraction methods. The interference of foreign ions decreased 1/2–l//4-fold compared with that in the presence of non-ionic surfactant alone.

Key Words:

• Color reaction
• 4-(2-Pyridylazo)resorcinol
• Surfactant micellar
• Spectrophotometry
• Mercury(II)
• Cyanide ion