A rapid extractive spectrophotometric determination of copper(II) in environmental samples, alloys, complexes and pharmaceutical samples using 4-[N,N(dimethyl)amino]benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone.

4-[N,N-(Dimethyl)amino]benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (DMABT) is proposed as an analytical reagent for the extractive spectrophotometric determination of copper(II). DMABT forms yellow colored complex with copper(II) in the pH range 4.4-5.4. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range up to 4.7 μg mL(-1). The optimum concentration range for minimum photometric error as determined by Ringbom plot method is 1.2-3.8 μg mL(-1). The yellowish Cu(II)-DMABT complex shows a maximum absorbance at 420 nm, with molar absorptivity of 1.72 × 10(4)dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1) and Sandell's sensitivity of the complex obtained from Beer's data is 0.0036 μg cm(-2). The composition of the Cu(II)-DMABT complex is found to be 1:2 (M/L). The interference of various cations and anions in the method were studied. Thus the method can be employed for the determination of trace amount of copper(II) in water, alloys and other natural samples of significant importance.