Spectrophotometric determination of uranium(vi) by the azide reaction

Azide has been investigated as a spectrophotometric reagent for uranium(VI). The system is more sensitive than the thiocyanate reaction. It obeys Beer's law in the range 2–180 p.p.m. of uranium. The colour is sensitive to hydrogen ion concentration ; maximum absorbance and stability are attained at pH 5–5.5. Iron(III) interferes seriously, but can be masked by EDTA. Fe⁺², Cr⁺³, Ni⁺², Th⁺⁴, Cr₂O₇^-2, WO₄^-2, VO₃^- and F^- interfere. The deep yellow colour cannot be extracted with organic solvents. A mono-azido-uranium(Vl) ion is present in dilute solutions; its dissociation constant is 2.3 ±20.27·10^-3.