Abstract
A new reagent 2-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxocyclobut-2-enylidene) hydrozinecarbothiamide has been synthesized and used for developing a simple spectrophotometric method for the determination of Fe(III) which is based on a 2โ:โ1 complex formation between Fe(III) and new reagent in aqueous solution. The method is optimized in terms of the pH value, amount of reagent required, ionic strength, and stability of the complex, sensitivity, linearity, and tolerance limits of various foreign ions. The complex is a red-brown chelate, with โnm at pH = 3 ( Lmolโ1cmโ1). The ionic strength was kept constant at 0.02 by adding appropriate amounts of NaCl solution. The calibration curve is linear in the concentration range from 0.27โ33.50 ฮผgmLโ1. The effects of foreign ions on the determination of Fe(III) were investigated in order to assess the selectivity of the method. The method was applied in determination of Fe(III) in tap water, cow milk, and human serum.
1. Introduction
Iron is the most important transition element involved in living system, being vital to both plants and animals. Its versatility is unique. It is at the active center of molecules responsible for oxygen transport and electron transport and is found in such diverse metalloenzyme as nitrogenase, various oxidases, hydrogenases, reductases, dehydrogenases, deoxygenases, and dehydrases. Iron is involved in enormous range of function and the whole range of life forms, from bacteria to man [1, 2]. Determination of oxidation state of iron in aquatic system is very important for environmental and biological studies because of the influence of the chemical forms on the bioavailability of iron [3]. Owing to simplicity, cheapness, and rapidity, UV-Visible spectrophotometric methods have been developed for the determination of metal ions. It involves using a number of chromogenic reagents for this purpose. Ferric ion is the most stable state of iron in the solutions; hence the determination of iron is generally demonstrated on Fe(III) contents. In recent years, numerous chromogenic reagents, which are capable to form high stable complexes with Fe(III) ion, have been widely used for the determination of iron contents in numerous complicated matrices [4].
There are many spectrophotometric methods for the determination of iron [5]. Several techniques, such as spectrophotometry [6โ9], atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) [3, 7, 10โ12], inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) [13, 14], ICP-mass spectrometry (MS) [15โ17], cathodic or anodic stripping voltammetry [18, 19], chromatography [20, 21], cloud point extraction (CPE) [22โ26], and spectroscopic sensors [27], have been reported for the determination of Fe.
In this study, 2-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxocyclobut-2-enylidene) hydrozinecarbothiamide is a new ligand used for spectrophotometric determination of Fe(III) ion. The procedure was applied to the determination of iron in tap water, cow milk, and human serum.
2. Experimental
Absorbance was measured and absorption spectra were recorded using a Cary 100 model Varian UV-VIS spectrophotometer (Australia) equipped with a quartz cell of 10โmm path length. pH measurement was made with 827 pH lab Metrohm pH meter (Switzerland). IR spectra were obtained on a Matson 1000, FT-IR spectrometer (USA). Peaks are reported in wave numbers (cmโ1). All NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker model DRX-500 AVANCE (1Hโ:โ500โMHz) (13Cโ:โ125โMHz) (Germany). Chemical shift is reported in parts per million (ppm) from tetramethylsilane (TMS) as an internal standard in DMSO-d6 as a solvent.
All chemicals used were of analytical reagent grade (Merck). All solutions were prepared with deionized water. The stock standard Fe(III) solution was prepared by dissolving 0.6757โg of FeCl36H2O in 1 10โ3โMโHCl and diluting to 250โmL. A 1 10โ2โM stock complexing agent solution was prepared by dissolving 0.1871โg ligand in 1 10โ3โMโHCl and diluting to 100โmL. The working solution was obtained by diluting the stock Fe(III) and ligand solution in 1 10โ3โMโHCl. The ionic strength was kept constant at 0.02 by adding appropriate amounts of NaCl solution (0.5โM). All the glassware used was washed with aqueous HCl (1โ:โ1) and then thoroughly rinsed with tap, distilled, and finally deionised water.
3. Preparation of Ligand
A solution of 3,4-Dihydroxy cyclo but -3 ene -1,2 dione (6.37โg, 48.97โmmoL) was added in small portions to a solution of thiosemicarbazide (4.46โg, 48.97โmmoL) in water (45โmL) and 12โM hydrochloric acid (4.18โmL) in ethanol (40โmL). The solution was stirred at room temperature for 2โhours. The resulting white precipitate was filtered, washed with cold water, and dried under vacuum at 70ยฐC for 5โhours to give 9.05โg, 91% yield of 2-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxocyclobut-2-enylidene) hydrozinecarbothiamide as a white solid, White powder (Figure 1). FT-IR (KBr) max (cmโ1): 3210โ3370 (NโH, NH2), 1780, (C=O), 1666 (C=N). 1H-NMR (DMSO d6, 500 MHz); ฮด (ppm): 14.89 (2H, OH), 8.75 (2H, NH2), 7.63 (1H, NH). 13C-NMR (DMSO d6, 125.77โMHz); ฮด (ppm): 190.89 (C=O), 179.50 (C=S), 162.43, 159.67, 156.21 (C=C, C=N).
3.1. Spectrophotometric Determination of Fe(III) Ions
For the determination of Fe(III), transfer aliquots of the standard or sample solutionโ (pH = 3) containing 0.002โ0.335โmg of iron to a 10โmL volumetric flask, โadd 4โmL of 10โ3โM reagent solution and 0.4โmL of 0.5โM of NaCl. Dilute to the mark with 10โ3โMโHCl, Mix, and measure the absorbance at 465โnm.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1. Absorption Spectra
The absorption spectra of Fe(III), ligand and Fe(III)-ligand complex were recorded (Figure 2 curves a, b, and c, respectively). The absorption maximum of the ligand is at 236โnm and that of complex is at 465โnm indicating the formation of a complex between the ligand and Fe(III). The molar absorptivity of the complex calculated from the absorbance data was found to be 1.95 103โLmolโ1cmโ1 at 465โnm.
4.2. The Effect of pH
The effect of pH on the determination of Fe(III) in aqueous medium was investigated spectrophotometrically. For this purpose, the absorbances were measured in the range of 10โ1โ10โ6โMโHCl at 465โnm. The results obtained are shown in Figure 3. As it is clearly seen, the amount of Fe(III) can be determined quantitatively in the 10โ3โMโHCl at pHโ~โ3.
4.3. Effect of Ionic Strength
The effect of ionic strength was examined by establishing various concentrations of NaCl in the range of 0โ0.1โM in the sample solutions. It was observed that ionic strength at 0.02 gave the most satisfactory results as evident by having obtained the maximum absorbance at 465โnm (Figure 4).
4.4. Effect of Reagent Concentration
The effect of ligand concentration on the complex formation was examined in the range of 0.5โ6โรโ10โ4โM using the solutions in which the concentrations of Fe(III) were fixed on 1โรโ10โ4โM. As shown in Figure 5, the absorbance measurements established that the requested ligand concentration to complete the complex formation should be 4 ร 10โ4โM.
4.5. Nature and Stability of the Complex
The stoichiometric ratio of Fe(III) and ligand in the complex was determined using the Jobโs method of continuous variation. Solutions of Fe(III) and ligand of the same concentration (10โ4โM) were prepared and then mixed in the volume ratio from 1โ:โ9 to 9โ:โ1. The Job curve of this system at HCl concentration of 10โ3โM and I = 0.02 is shown in Figure 6. The maximum at Mโ:โL = 0.33 indicates that the formation of the complex is in the metal: ligand ratio of 2โ:โ1. The color of Fe(III) complex was instantaneous, and the intensity remained constant for at least 48โh.
The composition of the complex was also determined by applying the mole ratio method. A series of solutions were prepared with a constant concentration of FeCl36H2O (10โ4โM) and variable 2-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxocyclobut-2-enylidene) hydrozinecarbothiamide concentrations (0.1 ร 10โ4โ5 ร 10โ4โM). It can be seen (Figure 7) that the metal: ligand ratio in the complex is 2โ:โ1, which agrees with result obtained by the Jobโs method.
4.6. Beerโs Law and Sensitivity
Table 1 compares the analytical characteristics of the proposed with those of previously published spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Fe(III). A calibration graph for the determination of Fe(III) was prepared under optimum experimental conditions (Ionic strength = 0.02 and 4 ร 10โ4โM ligand in 10โ3โMโHCl) (Figure 8). Beerโs law is obeyed within a wide range of 0.27โ33.50โฮผgmLโ1 of Fe(III) at 465โnm (Table 2). The calibration graph can be represented by a linear regression equation: โโ. Here, y is the absorbance and x the concentration of Fe(III) in ฮผgmLโ1. The molar absorptivity is 1.95 103โLmoLโ1cmโ1 and the Sandellโs sensitivity calculated on the basis of total Fe(III) present is 0.114โฮผgcmโ2.
4.7. Precision
The precision of the method was checked by taking 10 replicate measurements on solutions each containing 0.3โ30โฮผgยทmLโ1 of Fe(III). The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the results of the determination of Fe(III) was in the range of 0.8โ1.2%. Detection limit estimated from the standard deviation (SD) of the blank and calibration sensitivity (slope of calibration line), (LOD = 3 SD/sensitivity [32]) amounted to 0.08โฮผgยทmLโ1 of Fe(III) (Table 1). Limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.26โฮผgยทmLโ1 of Fe(III), and the LOD/LOQ ratio is 0.3.
4.8. Effect of Diverse Ions
The interference effect of cations and anions on the determination of iron ( = 10โ4โM) and the tolerance limits of the interfering ions are given in Table 3.
5. Applications
The proposed method was applied for the determination of Fe(III) in real samples such as tap water, cow milk, and human serum.
Tap water samples were obtained from Rafsanjan City. To determine Fe(III), 10โmL of water sample was spiked with solution of 10โ3โM Fe(III) and was analyzed by the analytical procedure.
To 10โmL of cow milk, few drops of concentrated nitric acid were added, and the sample was centrifuged for few minutes. Then the supernatant solution was taken, its pH was adjusted to ~3, and the resulting solution was spiked. The solution was then analyzed according to the given procedure.
To 1โmL of human serum added 5โmL of 30 wt% trichloroacetic acid to precipitate protein. The mixture was centrifuged to remove protein. Supernatant liquid was transferred to a fresh test tube and then pH was adjusted to ~3 and the resulting solution was spiked. The solution was then analyzed according to the given procedure. The obtained results are given in Table 4.
6. Conclusions
The proposed method is simple, rapid, and selective. The performance of the method described here allows the determination of iron(III) in tap water, cow milk, and human serum. The stoichiometry of complex was determined (2โ:โ1 for Fe(III): ligand). This method provides an appropriate selectivity for easy determination of 0.27โ33.50โฮผgmLโ1 Fe(III) ions. The ligand used in this study has advantage over other ligands currently utilized for photometric Fe(III) determination and there was no interference from Fe(II) at the detection of Fe(III) at concentration ratio = 10. As a result, this ligand can be used in speciation analysis.