Séparation de traces métalliques sur goutte de mercure; application à la préconcentration de Cu(II) et Cu(I)

A method for the rapid separation of copper(II) traces on metallic mercury is proposed. The separation is rendered possible by the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) on mercury in the presence of iodide ions followed by the adsorption of the uncharged complex, Cu(I), on Hg⁰. After a minute of agitation, this adsorption is quantitative (90–100%) for initial concentrations of Cu(II) between 10^?4 to 10^?6 M and iodide cone, of 10^?2 to 10^?3 M at pH 3. The volumes of the aqueous solutions are of the order of 3–10 ml and those of the drops of mercury between 0.5–1 ml. The tests were made using the isotope ⁶⁴Cu (T _1/2 = 12.8 h).