Ion-pair extraction and determination of copper(II) and zinc(II) in environmental and pharmaceutical samples.

Copper and zinc were extracted from salicylate solution into Aliquat 336 dissolved in toluene and determined in the organic phase spectrophotometrically using 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol. The determination of copper and zinc was also carried out titrimetrically or by atomic absorption spectrometry after stripping the metal ions from the organic phase. The method permits the determination of copper and zinc in environmental and pharmaceutical samples. The standard deviation and relative standard deviation are 0.052 micrograms and 0.69%, respectively, for copper and 0.041 micrograms and 0.60%, respectively, for zinc.