MICELLAR-ENHANCED CYANIDE ION DETERMINATION IN SAMPLES FROM SYNTHETICORGANIC PROCESSES

A method was developed for the recovery and determination of cyanide i on in organic sample matrices. To facilitate the solubilization of cya nide ions, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was added at concentr ations above the critical micelle concentration. Sample cyanation reac tion products consisted of solvent mixtures of a hydroxynitrile in DMF -toluene or DMF-isopropylacetate (IPAC). Spectrophotometric determinat ion of cyanide ion at 578 nm by the pyridine-barbituric acid method wa s automated by flow injection analysis. Recovery of cyanide ion from s piked samples was 93.2% in DMF-IPAC solvent matrix and 93.9% in DMF-to luene. Low alkali concentration was observed to favor solubilization o f cyanide ion in the micellar solution. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.