Reactions of gallocyanine methyl ester with germanium(IV), tin(IV) and lead(II) ions

Abstract

The reactions of gallocyanine methyl ester with germanium(IV) and tin(IV) in 7.7% (m/m) ethanol and with lead(II) in 15.5% ethanol are studied spectrophotometrically. In slightly acid solutions, complexes of GeL3 (pH 2.5-6.5), SnL2 and SnL3 (pH 1.7-6 in the presence oftartaric acid), and PbL and PbL2 (pH 4-7) are formed. The conditional stability constants of the complexes and the equilibrium constants of the complexation reactions are calculated and procedures are suggested for the photometric determination of tin and for the chelometric determination of lead using visual or photometric indication with gallocyanine methyl ester as metallochromic indicator (colour change from red-violet to blue). A gallocyanine methyl ester-methyl orange screened indicator proved useful for the visual determination of lead, showing an expressive colour change from brown to green.