Fluorometric determination of uranium and tungsten with o-hydroxyhydroquinonephthalein in the presence of non-ionic surfactant

Complex formation between uranium or tungsten and o-hydroxyhydroquinonephthalein (Qnph) in various micellar surfactant media has been investigated fluorometrically, and determination of uranium and tungsten based on the difference between the relative fluorescence intensities of Qnph and the metal complex at 535 nm, with excitation at 400 nm in the presence of poly(vinyl) alcohol as a non-ionic surfactant. The calibration curves were linear up to 1.0 μ/ml uranium and 0.9, μ/ml tungsten. The relative standard deviations (5 replicates) were 2.6% for tungsten and 3.0% for uranium, and recovery tests gave relatively good results (97–104%).