Cyclic flow-injection analysis for the repetitive determination of zinc with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]phenol and EDTA.

A circulatory flow-injection method (cyclic FIA) for the repetitive determination of zinc has been proposed. The procedure involves the use of 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-[N-n-propyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl)amino]phenol (5-Br-PAPS) together with EDTA as a reagent carrier solution, which is recycled in a single-line flow system via a reservoir. The formed 5-Br-PAPS-Zn(II) complex was measured spectrophotometrically at 552 nm, and the signal intensity corresponded to the zinc concentration. After passing through a flow-through cell, the carrier stream then returned to the reservoir, and the main reagent, 5-Br-PAPS, was successfully regenerated by a ligand-exchange reaction with EDTA, allowing the repetitive determination of zinc. The calibration curve for zinc was linear in the concentration range from 0.4 to 10.0 mg dm(-3) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9995 (n = 6). The detection limit of this method was 0.02 mg dm(-3) (S/N= 3). This method allowed as many as 300 repetitive determinations of 2.0 mg dm(-3) zinc solution with only 100 cm3 of the circulating carrier solution, providing a reduction in the consumption of reagents and an elimination of waste, an important approach towards clean chemistry.