THE USE OF PHENANTHRENEQUINONEDIOXIME SUPPORTED ON NAPHTHALENE FOR THE PRECONCENTRATION AND DETERMINATION OF COPPER IN ALLOYS AND HUMAN HAIR

Solid chelating compound, phenanthrenequinonedioxime (PQDO), supported on naphthalene, provides a simple, rapid and economical means of preconcentrating copper in alloys and biological samples. Copper forms a chelate with PQDO supported on naphthalene in the column at pH 1.8 approximately 8.4. The metal complex and naphthalene are dissolved out of the column with 5 ml of dimethylformamide (DMF) and the absorbance is measured by an atomic absorption spectrometer at 324 nm. A calibration curve is linear over the concentration range 0.5 approximately 12.0-mu-g of copper in 5 ml of the final solution. The preconcentration factor is 80. The sensitivity for 1% absorption is 0.039-mu-g/ml (0.153-mu-g/ml for the direct AAS method from the aqueous medium). The method has been used for the determination of copper in various standard alloys and biological samples.