Ion-pair chromatography of bis (sodium-sulfopropyl) disulfide brightener in acidic copper plating baths

Quantitative analysis of the brightener component bis (sodium-sulfopropyl) disulfide (SPS) in acidic copper plating baths poses a real challenge due to the complex chemical matrix containing large amounts of Cu(II) ion and sulfuric acid together with other organic additives and additive decomposition products. We developed a new ion-pair chromatography method to analyze micro-molar amounts of SPS directly in plating bath samples without the need for sample pre-treatment. Addition of tetra-N-methylammonium cation as ion-pairing agent to a methanol-sulfuric acid-water eluent increases the retention time of the anionic SPS2− on a C18 column sufficiently to separate this compound from Cu(II) ion and additive by-products.