Spectrophotometric and derivative spectrophotometric study of the reaction of palladium (II) and rhodium (III) with 5-(3,4-methoxyhydroxybenzylidene)rhodanine and cationic surfactants

Spectrophotometric and derivative spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Pd(II) and Rh(III) are proposed. Pd(II) forms with 5-(3,4-methoxyhydroxybenzylidene)rhodanine [3,4-MHBR], in the absence and presence of cetylpyridinium bromide [CPB], 14 binary and 134 ternary complexes having molar absorptivities of 5.77 × 10⁴ and 7.46 × 10⁴M^–1cm^–1 at 525 and 530 nm, respectively. Rh(III) forms a 14 complex with 3,4-MHBR in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide [CTAB], which gives a maximum absorbance at 445 nm with a molar absorptivity of 5.13 × 10⁴M^–1cm^–1. Derivative spectrophotometric methods are employed for the determination of Pd(II) and Rh(III) at ng ml^–1 levels utilizing these complexes. Under the optimum conditions the calibration lines for Pd(II) and Rh(III) determination fit the equations d⁴A/d⁴ = 1.10 × 10⁶ [Pd] – 0.018 (r = 0.9967) and d⁴A/d⁴ = 2.25 × 10⁶ [Rh] + 0.03 (r = 1.0426) and have detection limits of 5.6 and 1.2 ng ml^–1, respectively. The influences of experimental variables and foreign ions are studied. The methods are free of interference from most common metal ions and anions. The results of the analysis of some synthetic mixtures of Pd(II) and Rh(III) are reported.