Determination of traces of osmium by the catalysed hydrogen peroxide-cyanocuprate(I) reaction.

The reaction between hydrogen peroxide and a mixture of cyanocuprate(I) species at pH 11.2 is selectively catalysed by traces of osmium. With potentiometric or amperometric monitoring, osmium concentrations up to 1 ng ml can be determined, with a lowest determinable concentration of 0.03 ng ml . In the presence of luminol a Landolt-type reaction proceeds and visual or instrumental monitoring of the chemiluminescence can be used. A large number of other cations can be tolerated. The kinetics, mechanism, rate constants and Arrhenius parameters have been investigated.