Guaiacol as a new reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of uranium

Abstract

Guiacol, i.e. o-hydroxyanisole, gives a distinct color reaction with U(VI) suitable for spectrophotometric determination of the metal. The complex formed in the reaction has an absorption maximum at 352 nm. Optimum pH for the color development ranges from 6.5 to 8.5. The molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity of the method were found to be 3.75×10³ l·mol⁻¹·cm⁻¹ and 0.063 μg·cm⁻², respectively. Many anions and cations do not interfere up to 100 ppm. The method has been made very specific by selective extraction of U(VI) with TBP from a mixture of different cations and anions in the presence of 60% NH₄NO₃ as salting out agent followed by developing the color in the non-aqueous phase by adding quaiacol in methanol at pH 6.5 to 8.5 An amount as low as 30 μg of uranium (VI) per 10 ml of the solution could be satisfactorily determined with an RSD of ±2.0%. The method was applied to rock samples after U(VI) had been extracted from a sample solution into 25% TBP in hexane. Results obtained by the new method compare very well with those of conventional fluorimetric and radiometric assays. The features of the method include excellent precision, rapidity, good selectivity, and ease of performance.