Spectrophotometric Determination of Zinc Using Carboxylic Carbon Nanotubes

A novel, simple, and sensitive spectrometric method for determination of Zinc was developed using carboxylic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a toner. The optimum operating conditions including pH, volume and addition order of reagents solution were established. The nature of the novel complex was also investigated. Comparative experiments proved that the carboxyl CNTs exhibit the obvious hyperchromic effect: the absorbance of the complex was increased by nearly 70.3% through optimizing the technological parameters; the coloration system showed the maximum absorbance at 529.6 nm with a molar absorptivity value of 1.12×105 L mol-1 cm-1; Beer’s law is obeyed over the zinc concentration range 0–11 μg/25.0mL.