2,4-Dioxo-4-(4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone-3-yl)butyric acid ethyl ester: Reagent for identifying and estimating metal ions in ring oven analysis

Ligand gave variously colored or fluorescent rings when reacted with several kinds of ions on a ring oven (Schleicher and Schuell filter paper 589²). With ions of Al(III), Be(II), Co(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(III), and Ni(II) the reactions were sensitive enough to enable application of ring colorimetry or fluorometry (excitation at 366 nm) for quantitation (detection limits, 0.1–2.0 μg of metal). A procedure for estimation of Al(III), Cr(III), and Fe(III) in mixtures was based on reaction with Ligand in combination with EDTA pretreatment, but omitting ion separation. Al(III) could be estimated reliably at its detection-limit-level, in the presence of up to 100 times as much of both Cr(III) and Fe(III).