Differential-pulse polarographic micro-determination of amines via in situ generation of dithiocarbamates

Abstract

Primary and secondary amines, after in situ derivatization to their corresponding dithiocarbamates salts by a two-phase reaction, were determined in aqueous solution using differential-pulse polarography. A single differential-pulse polarographic peak was obtained for dithiocarbamate derived from a secondary amine, whereas dithiocarbamate generated from a primary amine exhibited two peaks in its polarogram. The calibration graphs obtained from all polarographic peaks of the six amines under study were rectilinear over the range 5 × 10^–6–2.5 × 10^–5 mol dm^–3 in the sample solution. For the micro-determination of amines, the method was found to be precise and the detection limit was 10 µg of amine.