Coulometric titrations of bases in propylene carbonate and γ-butyrolactone using hydroquinone as the depolarizer and a quinhydrone indicator electrode

Abstract

The application of hydroquinone for the coulometric generation of hydrogen ions in propylene carbonate (PC) and ?-butyrolactone (GBL) is described. The current-potential curves recorded for this depolarizer, titrated bases, indicator and the solvents used showed that the investigated depolarizer is oxidized at lower potentials than the oxidation potentials of other components in the solution. The hydrogen ions generated by the oxidation of hydroquinone were used for the titration of organic bases (triethylamine, n-butylamine, pyridine, quinoline, aniline, N,N'-diphenylguanidine, piperidine, and 2,2?-bi?pyridine) in PC and GBL with with visual (Crystal Violet as indicator) and potentiometric end-point detection using a quinhydrone electrode as the indicator electrode. The quinhydrone added to the to be analyzed solution served both as a source of hydrogen ions and, together with the immersed platinum electrode, as a quinhydrone electrode. The relative error of the determination of the bases was about 1%.