Abstract

Environmental Protection Agencies impose stringent limits for weak-acid dissociable metal-cyanide complexes (WAD) content in waters. The maximum contaminant level in drinking water is as low as 50 µg/L as CN-. Hence, sensitive methods for WAD cyanide determination are strongly required. Recently, ninhydrin reaction with free cyanide has been proven as a very sensitive at 485 nm (e = 1.2 105 L/mol.cm), fast (15 min), selective and with non-toxic reagents. In the presence of free cyanide the absorbance measurement was based on the formation of a red hydrindatin resulting from cyanide’s catalytic effect on ninhydrin at pH 10.8. This report presents the results from a study on the reaction between ninhydrin and complexed cyanide at ambient conditions. The WAD complexes: Hg(CN)42-; Ni(CN)42-; Cu(CN)43-; Ag(CN)2-; Zn(CN)42-; Cd(CN)42- are discussed. The reaction kinetic and standard curves are presented. Ligand exchange approach was applied without additional separation. Ninhydrin was showed to be selective and sensitive for direct cyanide quantification.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.