Slurry nebulization ICP-AES spectrometry method for the determination of tin in organotin(IV) complexes

This paper proposes a quick, novel method for tin determination in organoti n chemicals by slurry nebulization inductively coupled plasma atomic emissi on (ICP-AES)spectrometry. The method was tested by the measurement of five organotin carboxylate complexes of known composition for obtaining simple s toichiometric data. The slurries were prepared by first dissolving the orga notins in an adequate solvent (methanol, pyridine or acetone) well miscible with water and then adding this solution drop-by-drop to a 0.0050% TX-100 tenzide solution while maintaining intensive mixing. Dynamic laser light sc attering experiments showed that the average equivalent particle size in th e resulting slurry was approximate to 0.3 mum for all samples and solvents. Under suitable ICP-AES measuring conditions, the signal recoveries were fo und to be between 101.8 and 106.6%, which allowed direct nebulization and c alibration against aqueous solutions. Typically, 70 mug 1(-1) detection lim it and 1-5% relative S.D. on five replicates can be, achieved by the descri bed method. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.