| Abstract: | Substitution-inert metal complexes, Co(edda)(H2O)2]+, (Co(edda)(en)]+, Co(edda)(dmen)]+, Co(en)2-(gly)]2+, Co(en)2(acac)]2+, and Co(trien)(gly)]2+ in their nitrate salt solutions are used as eluents in nonsuppressed cation chromatography (where edda = ethylenediamine-N,N′-diacetic acid, en = ethylenediamine, dmen = N,N′-dime-thylethylenediamine, gly = glycine, acac = acetylacetone, and trien = triethylenetetraamine). It is found that all the mono- and di-valent charged complexes can be used to separate alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, respectively. The separations for monovalent cations are sometimes comparable to those using ultrapure HNO3 solutions. However, the divalent Ca2+ and Sr2+ ions cannot be resolved using the metal complex eluents. On the other hand, a selected, direct non-suppressed IC separation of zinc(II) and cadmium(II) ions is demonstrated for the first time using a substitution-inert metal complex eluent and a conductivity detector. Comparisons of these eluents with those reported previously, i. e. HNO3 and ethylenediammonium salt solution are made and explanations are proposed to account for the different selectivities observed where possible. The future development of this technique is also briefly discussed. |
