Fluorimetric determination of trace amounts of yttrium with salicylaldehyde carbohydrazone

Abstract

The reaction of salicylaldehyde carbohydrazone with yttrium in an aqueous ethanolic medium (60%V/V ethanol) has been studied. A spectrofluorimetric method based on the formation of a fluorescent complex is proposed for the determination of yttrium. With excitation at 360 nm, the yttrium(III) chelate has an emission maximum at 442 nm; the reaction is carried out at pH 6.3–6.9. The accuracy and precision of the method are demonstrated by the analysis of synthetic mixtures containing various amounts of yttrium, and 75–600 p.p.b. of yttrium can be determined with a coefficient of variation of ±2.4%.