Abstract
Iron was determined spectrophotometrically in water samples and boiler scale by extracting the ion-associate formed between iron(II)-Bathophenanthroline cationic complex and Eosin anion into chloroform. The ion-associate was formed in the pH range 3.6-5.2. The method was highly sensitive and selective. The extracted species had an apparent molar absorptivity of (1.32±0.02)×105l mol-1 cm-1 at 542nm with a sensitivity index of 0.42ng cm-2. Beer′s law was valid up to 0.42μg ml-1 of iron in the aqueous phase. The composition of iron: Bathophenanthroline : Eosin ion- associate was 1:3:2. EDTA was used to mask Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+.
