Extraction of chromium(VI) with blue tetrazolium chloride and tetranitrotetrazolium blue chloride

The optimum conditions for extraction of microquantities of chromium(VI) as an ion-association complex with blue tetrazolium chloride (BTC) and tetranitrotetrazolium blue chloride (TNBT) has been determined. The extracted species was a 1: 2 of the BTC and TNBT cation and the chlorochromate anion. Beer’s law was obeyed in the range of 0.04–0.8 μg/mL Cr(VI) for BTC and 0.1–1.6 μg/mL Cr(VI) for TNBT. The molar absorptivities were ɛ255 = 7.77 × 104 L/(mol cm) (for BTC) and ɛ275 = 2.04 × 104 L/(mol cm) (for TNBT). Sandell’s sensitivity of the systems were found to be 6.69 × 10−4 μg/cm2 (for BTC) and 2.55 × 10−3 μg/cm2 (for TNBT). Limit of detection (LOD) is 8.55 ng/mL and limit of quantitation (LOQ) is 0.028 μg/mL Cr(VI) for BTC. For TNBT, LOD is 0.031 μg/mL and LOQ is 0.103 μg/mL. The characteristic values for the extraction equilibrium and the equilibrium in the aqueous phase have been determined. A sensitive method for determination of trace of chromium(VI) in plants has been developed.