A new optical sensor for spectrophotometric determination of uranium (VI) and thorium (IV) in acidic medium

A spectrophotometric method was developed for U(VI) and Th(IV) determination in acidic medium by using proposed optical sensor. This sensor is base on the complexation reaction of the ionophore midodrine hydrochloride (L) with U(VI)/Th(IV) in plasticized (o-NPOE) high molecular weight (PVC). Several parameters such as effect of acidic medium, response time and sensor compositions were studied. The determination of the complexes stoichiometry was also studied using Job's method. The complexes stoichiometry were measured at the absorbance spectra 302 nm and the results were found to be 1:1 for both complexes U(VI)-L and Th(IV)-L. The complexation reaction was extremely rapid at room temperature; it takes 5, 10 min to complete the complexation reaction in U(VI) and Th(IV), respectively. Under the optimum conditions the calibration curves of U(VI)/Th(IV) determination, have good linearity at different acidic medium nitric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acids with low detection and quantification limits. The accuracy and precision studies proved that the proposed optical sensor is valid and qualified for U(VI)/Th(IV) spectrophotometric determination in different acidic medium. The selectivity of the proposed optical sensor was studied. The proposed optical sensor was applied successfully for U(VI)/Th(IV) determination in research and development (R&D) nuclear waste samples with satisfactory results. A comparative study of the proposed optical sensor with other previous spectrophotometric sensors for U(VI)/Th(IV) determination, proved the high efficiency of the proposed optical sensor, that it presents wide linear range and low detection limit. The proposed optical sensor could be applied for a quantitative determination of U(VI)/Th(IV) in acidic waste samples.