Microcolorimetric Determination of Organic Sulfur by the Tin(II)-Strong Phosphoric Acid Reduction Method

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Abstract
A simple and rapid method for the determination of minute amounts of organic sulfur was established by using the oxidizing action of chromium (VI)-strong phosphoric acid and the reducing power of tin (II)-strong phosphoric acid. Organic sulfur was oxidized to sulfate by the former in a test-tube of fused silica and the sulfate was reduced to hydrogen sulfide by the latter in the same vessel. The hydrogen sulfide evolved was absorbed in zinc acetate solution and estimated colorimetrically by the ordinary methylene blue method. The absorbancy of the colored solution was measured at 655 mμ with a photoelectric colorimeter using 1-cm. cells. The sulfur content of the sample was estimated by comparing the absorbancy value with the standard curve prepared with sodium sulfate. Some organic compounds containing sulfur were analyzed by this method and satisfactory results were obtained. However, analysis of the miscellaneous organic substances such as biological specimens has not been undertaken and the problems for this purpose remain to be solved in future.

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