Determination of niobium(V) and tantalum(V) as 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol–citrate ternary complexes in geological materials by ion-interaction reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A method for the simultaneous separation and determination of Nb(V) and Ta(V) as ternary complexes formed with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) and citrate was developed using ion-interaction reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a C₁₈ column. Method parameters, such as pre-column complex formation conditions and composition of the complexes were investigated using spectrophotometry and HPLC. Under the optimum conditions, the Nb(V) and Ta(V) complexes were eluted within 12 min with a mobile phase of methanol–water (32:68, v/v) containing 5 mM acetate, 5 mM TBABr and 5 mM citrate buffer at pH 6.5, with detection at 540 nm. A typical separation efficiency was 33 000 and 20 000 theoretical plates per metre for Nb(V) and Ta(V), respectively. The relative standard deviation of retention times for the Nb(V) and Ta(V) complexes were 0.16% and 0.17% and for peak areas were 0.28% and 1.36%, respectively. The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio=3) for Nb(V) and Ta(V) were 0.4 ppb and 1.4 ppb, respectively. Results obtained for standard reference rock samples agreed well with certified values and results obtained by inductively coupled plasma MS.