Spectrophotofluorimetric determination of terbium, europium and samarium with pivaloyltrifluoroacetone and tri-n-octylphosphine oxide in micellar solution of nona-oxyethylene dodecyl ether.

The fluorescence intensities of terbium, europium and samarium complexes with several beta-diketone derivatives in the absence and presence of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) in micellar solution of nona-oxyethylene dodecyl ether (BL-9EX) were examined. The spectrophotofluorimetric determination of terbium (1.5-1500 ng/ml) has been investigated with pivaloyltrifluoroacetone (PTA) and TOPO in 0.5% micellar solution (pH 3.8-4.5) of BL-9EX. The excitation and emission wavelengths were 309 and 542 nm, respectively. Europium and samarium could be determined by a similar method.