Investigation of polyelectrolytes by total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Water soluble polyelectrolyte samples containing mono-, bi- and trivalent metal ions were investigated without any pretreatment. Acid digestion of linear polymers may lead to a product insoluble in water so the digestion has to be avoided. The aim of this paper was the determination of analytical characteristics and limitations of the total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis for poly (vinylalcohol-vinylsulphate) salts and poly (acrylic acid, acrylamide) copolymers containing the following cations: K+, Cs+, Ba2+, Cu2+ and La3+. On the basis of our results efficiency of ion-exchange during preparation of polyelectrolytes and stoichiometry of the end-product were determined. TXRF results were compared with data gained by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) measurements except in the case of Cs+ which has poor sensitivity in ICP-AES. Good agreement was found between the results of the two techniques and calculations from titrimetric data. Concentration of Li+ and Mg2+ in polymer samples was measured by ICP-AES. In majority of cases film-like dry residues of aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes can be characterized by homogeneous spatial distribution of metal ions within the organic matrix. This is because the migration of the ions is hindered during drying process. Determination of metals in polyelectrolyte films by TXRF is quite ideal as model for analysis of plant, animal or human tissues which is a frequent task in environmental and inorganic biomedical analytical chemistry. (author)