Determination of triorganotin compounds by liquid chromatography with indirect photometric detection

Abstract

An indirect photometric chromatographic method for the determination of triorganotin compounds in aqueous solution is described. Using methanol-10 mM sodium acetate buffer solution (70 + 30, pH 5.5) containing 2 mM benzyltrimethylammonium chloride as eluent, four UV-transparent trialkyltin cations, viz., tributyl-, tripropyl-, triethyl- and trimethyltin, and the UV-absorbing triphenyltin cation can be separated on a Partisil-10 SCX column and monitored indirectly at 263 nm with a UV detector. The absolute detection limits (3σ) range from 0.004 µg of triphenyltin (as tin) to 0.82 µg of trimethyltin (as tin). The method can be used for the determination of trace amounts of triorganotin compounds in natural waters.