Use of 3-hydroxy-2-(2 '-thienyl)-4H-chromen-4-one as an analytical reagentfor the spectrophotometric determination of zirconium

An extractive spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amou nts of zirconium is worked out employing 3-hydroxy-2-(2'-thienyl)-4H-chrome n-4-one (in ethanol) for complexation of the metal ion in acidic medium. Th e coloured species thus produced is quantitatively extracted into 1,2-dichl oromethane. The method obeys Beer's law in the range 0.0-2.2 mu g ml(-1) of zirconium with lambda(max) at 425 nm and has a Sandell sensitivity of 1.38 x 10(-3) mu g cm(-2). The ratio of metal to ligand in the extracted specie s is del:ermined as 1:3. Utilizing the method, the analysis of various synt hetic samples has been carried out satisfactorily.