Comparative Spectrophotometric Determination of Neodymium (III), Praseodymium (III), Samarium (III) and Terbium (III) in Aqueous and Micelle Media

Abstract

This research work titled comparative spectrophotometric determination of neodymium (III), praseodymium (III), samarium (III) and terbium (III)in aqueous and micelle media using schiff base was carried out with the aim to use a simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of Nd (III), Pr (III), Sm(III) and Tb(III) using the Schiff base 2,2′-((1E,1′E)-(1,2-phenylenebis(azanlylidene)bis (methanylylidene))diphenol (BSOPD) as a ligand. Spectral and absorbance measurements were carried out using UV/Visible Spectrophotometer (Jenway model no.: 6305) with 1-cm matched quartz cells. This method of experiment was based on the formation of green coloured complexes, upon the reaction of Nd(III) and Pr(III) and a brown coloured complexes for Sm(III) and Tb(III) having a maximum absorbance of 376, 386, 384 and 380 nm respectively. The comparative analysis of the complexes formed in aqueous and in micellar media were investigated in this study. In the obtained results, it was discovered that, Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration ranges of 0.001 - 0.02 ppm. The molar absorptivity was found to be in the range of 7,776- 23,197 and 27,087 dm³mol^-1cm^-1 and the Sandell’s sensitivity for the compounds analyzed were in the ranges of 6.13-19.34 g cm^-2. The increase in absorbance in the presence of the surfactants is due to micelle formation. The reactants were bound in a small volume of stern layer of the micelle leading to a greater increase in concentration effect. This effect in concentration reaches a maximum before decreasing due to dilution effect occasioned by increase in metal ion concentration.