Novel use of doublet peaks in flow injection analysis : Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of Nickel(II) and Iron(II)

A simple, non-separation method for the simultaneous, single-injection determination of nickel(II) and iron(II) is described. The method is based on doublet peaks in a single-line system, with multiple vertical (absorbance) measurements of the doublet peak profile. Doublet peaks occur when the center of the sample zone remains unmixed. Nickel(II), 0.17–0.24 M, in the presence of 2.7–5.4 mM iron(II) is determined by direct spectrophotometry of the nickel(II) ion at the center of the sample zone, Iron(II) is first oxidized on-line by peroxodisulfate to iron(III), which complexes with thiocyanate to form the intensely red complex; this is measured at the peak maximum corresponding to the trailing edge of the sample zone. Correction are made for absorbance of nickel and its reduction in the iron thiocyanate complex formation. The absorbance of nickel(II) ion and the iron thiocyanate complex are both measured at 395 nm from a single injected sample. The general utility of the doublet peak method is discussed.