Kinetic-spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum (VI) and tungsten (VI) in mixtures

A simple kinetic-spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of molybdenum(VI) and tungsten(VI) in mixtures, without prior separation. The method is based on the catalytic effect of molybdenum(VI) and tungsten(VI) on the oxidation of 2,4-diaminophenol dihydrochloride (DAP) by hydrogen peroxide in acidic medium. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the rate of change in absorbance with time at 500 nm. A partial inhibition in the catalytic activity of each catalyst, when the other one is present, at all ratios of Mo(VI) W(VI) mixtures studied was observed. On the other hand, the catalytic activity of tungsten(VI) dropped to zero whilst that of molybdenum(VI) decreased slightly, in the presence of citrate ions. Two sets of experiments were carried out, the first in the absence and the other in the presence of citrate, and the resolution of Mo(VI)/W(VI) mixtures was achieved by solving two simultaneous equations. Various molar ratios of Mo(VI) W(VI), at the 10^–6 M level, from 0.2 1 to 5 1 can be determined with satisfactory precision and accuracy. The selectivity of the method was investigated and the method was applied successfully to the determination of molybdenum and tungsten in each other's presence in steel.