Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum by extraction of its thiosulphate complex.

A simple and rapid spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum is described. The molybdenum thiosulphate complex is extracted into isoamyl alcohol from 1.0-1.5M hydrochloric acid containing 36-40 mg of Na(2)S(2)O(3).5H(2)O per ml. The absorbance at lambda(max) = 475 nm obeys Beer's law over the range 0-32 microg of Mo per ml of solvent phase. Up to 5 mg/ml of Ti(IV), V(V), Cr(VI), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), U(VI), W(VI), Sb(III), 1 mg/ml of Cu(II), Sn(II), Bi(V) and 10 microg/ml of Pt(IV) and Pd(II) do not interfere. Large amounts of complexing agents interfere. The method has been applied to analysis of synthetic and industrial samples.