Investigation of cobalt interference on lead hydride generation with tetrahydroborate(III) in the presence of hexacyanoferrate(III)

The interference of Co(II) on plumbane generation with tetrahydroborate in the presence of hexacyanoferrate(III) was studied with a new mechanism proposed to explain the interference. The products that were obtained, following reactions of a CoCl₂ solution with tetrahydroborate(III), which interfere with plumbane generation, were precipitated and investigated by inductively-coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and -mass spectrometry (ICP-OES and ICP-MS). Batch experiments of the potentiometer analysis and pH determination were performed to investigate a mechanism of Co(II) interference on plumbane generation, the role of hexacyanoferrate(III) on plumbane generation, and the function of the masking agent on Co(II) interference. The preferentially formed nanoscale catalytic and magnetic cobalt borides in the redox system cause a potential for a strong reducing condition and induces the precipitation of Fe(III) and Pb(II) in the solution, which is counter to plumbane generation. Potassium thiocyanate/oxalic acid/1,10-phenanthroline, as the combined masking agent and working with hexacyanoferrate(III), decreases the amount of borides in the precipitates and acts as a kind of buffer of the redox potential, which maintains the conditions for plumbane generation. This hydride generation method has been applied to the direct determination of trace Pb in cobalt oxide standard reference materials with a detection limit of 0.3 µg L^− 1.