Sensitive and selective fluorimetric determination of scandium with salicylaldehyde carbohydrazone

Abstract

The optimum conditions for scandium complex formation with salicylaldehyde carbohydrazone are described. A simple, rapid, sensitive and selective method for the fluorimetric determination of scandium has been developed. The reaction is carried out at pH 2.7–5.2 in aqueous ethanol (60% v/v ethanol). A limit of detection for scandium of 0.2 ng ml^–1 is obtained with a relative standard deviation of ±1.5%. The effect of interferences was also studied. Synthetic solutions containing known amounts of the rare earth elements, in addition to scandium, yttrium, thorium, and iron in proportions typical of some international standard reference rocks are prepared and scandium is determined using the proposed method.