| Abstract: | A highly sensitive, selective and rapid method for the determination of mercury based on the rapid reaction of mercury(II) with 5‐(p‐aminobenzylidene)‐rhodanine (ABR) and the solid phase extraction of the colored chelate with C18 disks has been developed. In the presence of pH = 3.5 sodium acetate‐acetic acid buffer solution and Emulsifier‐OP medium, ABR reacts with mercury(II) to form a red chelate of a molar ratio 1:2 (mercury to ABR). This chelate was enriched by the solid phase extraction with C18 disks and eluted the retained chelate from the disks with dimethyl formamide (DMF). The enrichment factor of 50 was achieved. In the DMF medium, the molar absorptivity of the chelate is 1.16 × 105 L.mol?1.cm?1 at 540 nm. Beer's law is obeyed in the range of 0.01?3 μg/mL in the measured solution. The relative standard deviation for eleven replicated samples of 0.01 μg/mL level is 1.83%. This method was applied to the determination of mercury in tobacco and tobacco additives with good results. |
