4-(2-Pyridylazo)resorcinol is used in studies of zinc release from Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamoylase. It is used in cloud point extraction of copper, zinc, cadmium, and nickel in water samples. It is used in the chelate titration of aluminum, mercury, lead and nickel. It is employed as reagent in the colorimetric analysis of gold, cobalt, chromium, iron.
Purify PAR as the sodium salt by recrystallisation from 1:1 EtOH/water. Purity can be checked by TLC using a silica gel plate and a mixed solvent (n-BuOH:EtOH:2M NH3; 6:2:2). [Beilstein 22 I 694, 22 III/IV 7074, 22/14 V 619.]