Spectrophotometric determination of trace amount of copper(II) ion based on complexation with an anthraquinone derivative.

The spectrophotometric determination of Cu(II) with an anthraquinone derivative (Alizarin Red S) has been investigated. The experimental conditions, such as the pH of the sample and concentration of ligand, were optimized. This method is simple and sensitive for determination of Cu(II) ion. The interfering effects of diverse ions were investigated. Copper ion was determined by measuring the absorbance of the Cu(II)-ARS complex at 510 nm. Beer's law was obeyed over the concentration range of 0.011 - 0.320 mmol dm(-3) and the detection limit (S/N = 3) was 0.038 microg cm(-3). The relative standard deviation at 20 microg cm(-3) was 1.02% (n = 5). The method was applied for real samples.