Hi Ahmad,

I do not know a specific method, but maybe an analysis of separated dissolved and undissolved copper species (determine Cu in a original solution and in filtrated one = dissolved copper quantity; the difference in Cu content could be precipitated copper compounds) combined with equilibria calculations (PHREEQC) might give you some answer about copper speciation.

Best,

Krzysztof

Adsorbe them first, then use XPS to quantify them...

Hi Ahmed,

You can check the link (link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF03052855) for your query or search in the book: A. I. Vogel, "A text book of quantitative inorganic analysis", 4th Edn. (Longmans, London) (1978) .

All the best...

You can also use ion-selective electrode to determine ionic copper, define the total concentration of copper (by AAS method), pH and try to simulate the solution composition of MINTEQ programme.

You can try with selective extraction/precipitation and determination of different extract by AAS or ICP.

While measuring without fractionation (fuiltration, tec) by various methds (AAS, potentiomentry) don`t forget about the measurement error. It can overlap the expected concentrations of minor components.

HPLC/IC-ICP-MS may be a good bet, while I don't have specific application for you it should be pretty straightforward.

If sensitivity and matrix is not overwhelming I guess potentiometery could give the best asnwers, as each of the species should have a distinct different redox potential.

Electron configurations

Elemental Cu [Ar] 3d10 4s1 

Cu 1+ is [Ar] 3d10 

Cu 2+ is [Ar] 3d9 

Elemental Cu (0) is not soluble in water

Cu 1+ is diamagnetic (white salts, i.e. colorless solution)

Cu+2 is paramagnetic (blue solution)

Cu+1 readily oxidizes to Cu+2 if there is any oxygen around.  Cu+1 is also very unstable in water because it disproportionates to Cu=2 and Cu(0).  It can be stabilized by complexation with a suitable ligand.  

You don't say what kind of aqueous sample you have.  (I'm assuming it's basic.)  But, you should be able to make use of this kind of information to come up with something.

In my aquatic chemistry class, we used MineQL to solve such problems. You tell the software what your pH is, and all the other info you have. MineQL tells you what is left.

You will have some Cu(OH)2 and Cu(OH)+ in solution. The ratios of these depends upon the pH. 

Polarography; you can see Cu+ and Cu++; Cu tot you can get with AAS analysis and then by difference Cu(met).

The species distribution can be calculated using any of a number of chemical equilibrium models.  You can search for models such as MINEQL, Visual MINTEQ, PHREEQ, and the Biotic Ligand Model

Approppriately Copper(II0 can be anysed with th ehelp of Iodometrically.

Here avoid the presence of Nitrate and Ferrous/Ferric ions

Thanks alot for all the worthy recommendations, i have tried ion chromatography and and few other techniques but wasnt successful to get the required information very accurately.. then finallyi have tried to precipitate out the metal ions and analyze by XPS and XRD. that has solved the issue almost..

I proposed the below article:

10.1016/S0039-9140(01)00400-3

experimental methods for speciation of metals in aqueous solutions are including amberlite exchange resine, X-ray fine absorption structure, ion selective electrometery ... . also there are some computer geochemical modelling such as minteq, phreeqc, geochem, wham ... that can specified the metals in solutions. 

Visual Minteq is freely available and the environment is user friendly. try it!..Good luck