New chelating agents for colorimetric determination of calcium

Two new calcium chromoionophores2 and3 are described and their potential application to colorimetric determination of calcium is assessed. Chromogenic compound2 bears two acetic acid chelating groups and a 4-(4-nitrophenyl)azophenol chromophore. Its complexation of Ca²⁺ at pH 9.0 is accompanied by a 109-nm bathochromic shift and increase in the absorptivity. Triaryl chromoionophore3 bears two phosphonic acid chelating groups and the same azophenol chromophore. Compound3 exhibits a 107-nm bathochromic shift of the absorption maximum, an increase in the absorptivity upon complexation with Ca²⁺, and good selectivity for Ca²⁺ over Mg²⁺ at pH 7.0. Both chromoionophores exhibit linear responses from 0 to 4×10^–3 M Ca²⁺.