Evaluation of the stability constants of uranyl association complexes with chloride, fluoride, bromide, and sulfate anions in solutions of constant ionic strength

Use of ascorbic acid as an indicator for the determination of the classical formation constants of uranyl association complexes with some ligand anions is studied in solutions of 0.05 ionic strength. The results enable the establishment of a sequence of complexation for the anions investigated vis., fluoride, chloride, bromide, and sulfate. This is as follows in order of decreasing complexing power on uranium: F⁻ > SO₄²⁻ > Cl⁻ > Br⁻. The validity of using the indirect ascorbate method for the determination of classical equilibrium constants is established for the uranyl sulfate complex by comparison of the K values with those obtained by the direct spectrophotometric procedure using the continuous variation method. Both procedures indicate the formation of a 1:1 uranyl sulfate complex.