Chromatographic and electrophoretic separation of inorganic sulfur and sulfur-oxygen species

A review is presented of the use of chromatographic and electrophoretic met hods for the separation of inorganic sulfur species in aqueous matrices, wi th particular emphasis on ion chromatographic methods. The species consider ed are elemental sulfur, sulfide, polysulfides (S-x(2-)), sulfite, sulfate, thiosulfate, dithionate, polythionates (SxO62-) and metal-thiosulfate comp lexes. A brief introduction to sulfur anion chemistry is given, followed by a discussion of the separation and determination of sulfur species using i on chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and other separation-based tec hniques. Difficulties inherent in the analysis of complex sulfur anion mixt ures are indicated and the procedures that have been used to overcome these difficulties are also examined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.