Anodic stripping voltammetry of tellurium(IV) in aqueous solution and mixed solvents

Abstract The anodic stripping determination of Te(IV) using a rotating glassy carbon disc electrode is described. 0.1 ppm tellurium can be determined in 1 M HCl. Interfering effects of the metals forming intermetallic compounds with tellurium on the electrode are eliminated by solvent extraction. Te(IV) is determined either after its extraction — as an ion associate or as the chelate with diphenylthiocarbazone — in the organic phase which is adjusted for the stripping determination by the addition of methanolic solution of LiCl or after the separation of all interfering elements by an extraction procedure involving the extraction of Te(IV) into methylisobutylketone and back extraction of Te(IV) with water followed by the separation of the remaining interfering elements into diisopropylether. The proposed method enables the determination of 10 μg Te in the presence of 25 mg Pb and Sb and 0.5 mg Ag, Cu, Bi, As, Sn, Cd, Zn with reproducible results and error ±5%.