potassium-bromide and selenium-disulfide

USP 2000 (The United States Pharmacopeia, Rockville, MD, 24th ed., 2000, pp. 1514-1515) and PH. EUR. 1997 (European Pharmacopoeia, 3rd ed., Council of Europe, Strasbourg, 1997, p. 1459) dissolve selenium sulfide by boiling with fuming nitric acid for about 1 h. After cooling to room temperature and dilution with water nitrous acid and nitrogen oxides are removed with urea also by boiling before the iodometric titration is performed. This method can be importantly simplified and improved, when using 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBH) in glacial acetic acid in presence of solid potassium bromide. Selenium sulfide is dissolved during 5-10 min at room temperature. The excess of DBH and bromine can be removed with 5-sulfosalicylic acid also without boiling. The point of the indicator change for the iodometric titration is improved in comparison to the method of the pharmacopeias, because the colloidal solution of selenium mostly coagulates. Also the sulfur content of selenium sulfide can be determined with DBH.

Topics: Bromides; Dermatitis, Seborrheic; Dermatologic Agents; Environmental Pollution; Hydantoins; Indicators and Reagents; Pharmacopoeias as Topic; Potassium Compounds; Selenium Compounds; Solubility; Solutions; Sulfur