Spectrophotometric determination of traces of gallium and indium with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol

1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) reacts with either gallium or indium at pH 5–6 giving a red complex in an aqueous medium in the presence of N.N-dimethyl-formamide. The maximum absorption of both PAN complexes of gallium and indium in an aqueous solution is at 545 mμ. The gallium-PAN complex shows a characteristic enhancement of color by addition of small amounts of ethers. Based on this selective enhancement reaction, gallium can be determined in the presence of other metals without separation. The results of determining gallium and indium in the presence of each other are reported. Both gallium and indium form M₂(PAN)₃; but in the presence of certain organic solvents, a different gallium complex, Ga(PAN)₅, and the same indium complex, In₂(PAN)₃, are formed. The reaction of PAN with cadmium can be masked by iodide; an example of determining indium in the presence of cadmium is given. The PAN method has a sensitivity of 0.003 μg/cm² for gallium and 0.005μg/cm² for indium and an absorptivity of 24,900 for the Ga-PAN complex and of 24,500 for the In-PAN complex, respectively. The methods have been successfully applied to the determination of both gallium and indium in germanium thin films.