A thermometric titration study of the interaction of Al3+, Co2+, Ni2+ and Zr4+ with xylenol orange

A thermometric titrimetry study of the interaction in aqueous solution of A1³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zr⁴⁺ with xylenol orange has revealed in each case a linear reaction heat/Mⁿ⁺] relationship at a specified pH, thereby suggesting the potential of metallochromic indicators for the analytical determination of these metals in water. The effect of pH on the reaction heat is investigated and is interpreted in terms of the ability of these metal cations to complex with the known xylenol orange species existing at the various pH studied. An interference study, involving transition and non-transition metal ions, is also reported and the interference effect, as measured by the deviation ofQ/Q from unity (Q andQ are the relevant reaction heats in the presence and absence of interfering ion), is partially explained in terms of the coordination numbers, relative sizes and crystal field stabilization energies of the cations studied and the known behaviour of xylenol orange in aqueous solution.