4(5)-D-Arabinotetrahydroxybutylimidazoline-2-thione (THBIT), a new reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of palladium

Summary 4(5)-D-Arabinotetrahydroxybutylimidazoline-2-thione, THBIT, is proposed as a new reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of Pd(II). Pd(II) forms 11, 12 and 14 complexes with THBIT. The system conforms to Beer's law up to 5g/ml palladium concentration in aqueous medium (molar absorptivity, 1.99×10⁴ l· mole^–1·cm^–1 at 338 nm). The most serious interference is from Hg(II), Os(VIII), Ru(IV), Cr(VI), V(V) and S₂O₃ ^2–. The method has been used successfully for the determination of palladium in catalysts and synthetic samples.