Interaction of pyridine‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid with heavy metal ions in aqueous solutions

Interactions between pyridine‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid and Zn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), and Cu(II) were characterized in aqueous solutions (20°C; I = 0.4 (KNO₃)) by means of d.c.‐polarography, spectrophotometry, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Polarography was used to determine the concentration of free metal ions in the presence of 10‐fold excess ligand in weakly alkaline solutions, and to determine stability constants for the Zn(II), Cd(II), and Cu(II) complexes with pyridine‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid. ¹H NMR spectroscopy was used to further characterize complex formation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 16:285–291, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20123