Spectrophotometric and potentiometric study of the cobalt(II)-thiocyanate system in aqueous medium

The cobalt(II)—thiocyanate system was spectrophotometrically studied at 2.0 M ionic strength (NaClO₄) and 25°C. The following formation constants were obtained: β₁ = 6.9 M^?, β₂ = 28.9 M^?2, β₃ = 12.1 M^?3 and β₄ = 1.30 M^?4. Three wavelengths were considered, 515, 590 and 615 nm, and the molar absorptivities of each species were calculated. Linear relationships were obtained for $\text{ε}$ vs $\text{n}$ and α_i. There is strong evidence that the tetrahedral Co(SCN)₄]^2? is virtually the only species absorbing at 590 and 615 nm. An indirect potentiometric method led to comparable equilibrium constants. The cadmium(II)—thiocyanate formation constants used in the indirect method, under the same conditions, were found to be β₁ = 21.51 ± 0.09 M^?1, β₂ = 123 ± 1 M^?2, β₃ = 130 ± 3 M^?3 and β₄ = 173 ± 1.2 M^?4, in good agreement with earlier literature data.