N,N'-disalicylidene-1,3-diaminopropane as a selective chelating titrant for copper(II).

This study was carried out to develop a new complexometric titration method for determination of copper. For this purpose, the standard solutions of copper(II) (10(-3)-10(-5) M) were potentiometrically titrated using N,N'-disalicylidene-1,3-diaminopropane (Schiff base) as titrant and copper(II)-selective electrode for end-point indication in both ammonium acetate and ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer media. The stoichiometry of titration reaction and interference effects of some metal ions on titration of copper were discussed. There was a good agreement between the results obtained by the proposed titration method and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) titration method. The accuracy and precision of Schiff base method were tested by five replicate determinations both on the standard solution of copper(II) and standard reference materials. The results have indicated that the percentage of copper in alloys can be safely determined by using the Schiff base method without interference from many other metals in alloys.