Micellar modified spectrophotometric determination of nitrobenzenes based upon reduction with tin(II), diazotisation and coupling with the Bratton-Marshall reagent.

Nitrobenzenes, such as the antibiotic chloramphenicol, the vasodilator nicardipine, and the herbicides dinitramin, dinobuton, fenitrothion, methylparathion, oxyfluorfen, parathion, pendimethalin, quintozene, and trifluralin, were determined by using a spectrophotometric method in the visible region (540 nm). The method was based on the reduction of the nitrobenzenes to arylamines with tin(II) chloride, diazotisation of the arylamines and coupling of the diazonium ions with the Bratton-Marshall reagent. The two latter reactions were performed in a micellar medium of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The linear calibration range was 2x10(-6) to 7x10(-5) M (r>0.999), with limits of detection in the 10(-7) M level, which is 2-6 fold lower with respect to the corresponding spectrophotometric procedure in non-micellar medium. The procedure was applied to the analysis of the compounds in commercial preparations (pharmaceuticals and herbicide formulations) and in water samples, with good recoveries.