Sorption-catalytic method for the determination of copper (II) in combination with planar chromatography

An activating action of hexamethylenediamine is revealed in the copper (II)-catalyzed indicator reaction of iron (III) reduced by sodium thiosulfate. It is shown that the addition of hexamethylenediamine to a mobile phase (thin-layer chromatography) and the impregnation of paper with hexamethylenediamine (paper chromatography) enhance the efficiency of metal separation for the model mixture containing Cu (II), Hg (II), Cd (II), and Pb (II). The techniques for the sorption-catalytic determination of copper (II) with the help of Sorbfil plates, including those in combination with thin-layer chromatography, are developed; they work within the concentration range from 0.005 to 10 ??g/mL, the detection limit being 4 ng/mL, which is approximately an order of magnitude lower than in solution. The methods are tested in analysis of waste and river waters.