Kinetic and Thermodynamic Investigations of Zn(II) Adsorption on Microcrystalline Anthracene Modified with 8‐Hydroxyquinoline and Its Application to the Preconcentration and Determination of Trace Zinc

A new method that utilizes microcrystalline anthracene modified with 8‐hydroxyquinoline as an adsorbent has been developed for the preconcentration of trace Zinc(II). The possible reaction mechanism is discussed in detail. The influences of different parameters, such as acidity, other metal ions, the amounts of 8‐hydroxyquinoline and anthracene, etc. on the enrichment yield of Zn(II) have been studied to optimize the experimental conditions. The experimental data were fitted well with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and Langmuir model at all studied temperatures and the maximum adsorption capacity was 32.58 mg·g^?1 (300 K). The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG^θ, ΔH^θ and ΔS^θ) showed the feasibility, exothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption at 280～320 K. Experiments indicate that Zn(II) can be completely separated from Cu(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Mn(II), Ni(II) in the eluent. The recovery of this method is in the range of 96.0%～105.0% with preconcentration factor of 100 and the limit of detection after preconcentration is 0.068 μg·L^?1. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of trace Zn(II) in effluents and synthetic water sample having a composition similar to certified water sample SLRS‐4 (NRC, Canada). Analytical results obtained by this recommended method were very satisfactory.     

Tailor‐made ion‐imprinted polymer based on functionalized graphene oxide for the preconcentration and determination of trace copper in food samples

A tailor‐made Cu(II) ion‐imprinted polymer based on large‐surface‐area graphene oxide sheets has been synthesized for the preconcentration and determination of trace copper from food samples by solid‐phase extraction. Attributed to the ultrahigh surface area and hydrophilicity of graphene oxide, the Cu(II) ion‐imprinted polymer prepared by the surface ion‐imprinting technique exhibited a high binding capacity and a fast adsorption rate under the optimized experimental conditions. In the static adsorption experiments, the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) ion‐imprinted polymer is 109.38 mg/g at 25°C, which is much higher than that of the nonimprinted polymer (32.12 mg/g). Meanwhile, the adsorption is very rapid and equilibrium is reached after approximately 30 min. The adsorption mechanism is found to follow Langmuir adsorption model and the pseudo‐second‐order adsorption process. The Cu(II) ion‐imprinted polymer was used for extracting and detecting Cu(II) in food samples combined with graphite flame atomic adsorption spectrometry with high recoveries in the range of 97.6–103.3%. The relative standard deviation and limit of detection of the method were evaluated as 1.2% and 0.37 μg/L, respectively. The results showed that the novel absorbent can be utilized as an effective material for the selective enrichment and determination of Cu(II) from food samples.     

Synthesis and Application of Co‐Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐ethylene dimethacrylate) Coupled with Alizarin Yellow for Preconcentration and Determination of Lead in Water Samples by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐ethylene dimethacrylate) (PHEMA‐EDMA) beads were produced by free radical co‐polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA). Then, metal complexing ligand alizarin yellow was covalently attached onto PHEMA‐EDMA beads. The resulting resin has been characterized by FT‐IR and studied for the preconcentration and determination of trace Pb(II) ion from solution samples. The optimum pH value for sorption of the metal ion was 5. The sorption capacity of functionalized resin is 100 mg.g^‐1. The chelating resin can be reused for 20 cycles of sorption‐desorption without any significant change in sorption capacity. A recovery of 96% was obtained for the metal ion with 0.1 M nitric acid as eluting agent. The equilibrium adsorption data of Pb(II) on modified resin were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich models. Based on equilibrium adsorption data the Langmuir and Freundlich constants were determined 2.571 and 418.7 at pH 5 and 25 °C. The method was applied for lead ions determination from well water sample.     

Attapulgite modified with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde as selective solid-phase extractant for determination of copper(II) in environmental samples by ICP-OES

Attapulgite modified with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde was prepared and applied to the separation, preconcentration and determination of Cu(II) in aqueous solutions by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of trace levels of Cu(II) were optimized using batch and column procedures. The optimum pH value for the separation of Cu(II) on the newly sorbent was 4.0 and complete elution of Cu(II) from the sorbent surface was carried out using 2 mL of 0.01 mol L^?1 HCl. The adsorption capacity for Cu(II) was 25.13 mg g^?1. The detection limits of the method defined by IUPAC were found to be 0.24 μg L^?1 with enrichment factor of 150. The method has been applied to the determination of Cu(II) in certified reference materials and natural water samples with satisfactory results.     

Selective solid-phase extraction of lead(II) from biological and natural water samples using surface-grafted lead(II)-imprinted polymers

A new Pb(II)-imprinted amino-functionalized silica gel sorbent was synthesized by an easy one-step reaction by combining a surface imprinting technique for selective solid-phase extraction of trace Pb(II) prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The Pb(II)-imprinted amino-functionalized silica gel sorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Compared to non-imprinted polymer particles, the ion-imprinted polymers had higher selectivity and adsorption capacity for Pb(II). The maximum static adsorption capacity of the ion-imprinted and non-imprinted sorbent for Pb(II) was 19.66 and 6.20 mg g^?1, respectively. The largest selectivity coefficient of the Pb(II)-imprinted sorbent for Pb(II) in the presence of Cd(II) was over 450. The relative selectivity (α _r) values of Pb(II)/Cd(II) were 49.3 and 46.3, which were greater than 1. The distribution ratio (D) values of Pb(II)-imprinted polymers for Pb(II) were much larger than that for Cd(II). The detection limit (3σ) was 0.20 μg L^?1. The relative standard deviation was 2.0% for 11 replicate determinations. The method was validated for the analysis three certified reference materials (GBW 08301, GBW 08504, GBW 08511), and the results are in good agreement with standard values. The method was also successfully applied to the determination of trace lead in plants and water samples with satisfactory results.     

Carbon Nanofibers as Solid‐Phase Extraction Adsorbent for the Preconcentration of Trace Rare Earth Elements and Their Determination by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Systematic investigations were carried out into the sorption of rare earth elements (REEs) on carbon nonofibers (CNFs) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). The experimental parameters for preconcentration of REEs, such as pH, sample flow rate and volume, eluent concentration, and interfering ions on preconcentration of REEs have been examined in detail. The studied metal ions can be adsorbed quantitatively on CNFs in a pH range from 2.0 to 5.0, and then eluted completely with 0.5 mol l^?1 HNO₃. Based on the above facts, a novel method using a microcolumn packed with carbon nanofibers as an adsorption material was developed for the separation and preconcentration of REEs prior to their determination by ICP‐MS. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of light (La), medium (Eu and Gd) and heavy (Yb) rare earth elements in real sample with the recovery more than 90%. In order to validate this method, two certified reference materials of tea leaves (GBW 07605) and mussel (GBW 08571) were analyzed, and the determined values are in good agreement with the certified values.     

Chemically modified activated carbon with S-benzyldithiocarbazate as a new solid-phase extractant for preconcentration of mercury prior to ICP-AES determination

A new sorbent S-benzyldithiocarbazate (SBDTC) modified activated carbon (AC-SBDTC) was prepared and studied for preconcentration for trace mercury(II) prior to inductively coupled plasma atom emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The experimental conditions were optimised with respect to different experimental parameters using both batch and column procedures in detail. The optimum pH value for the separation of Hg(II) on the new sorbent was 3, while the adsorption equilibrium was achieved in less than 5?min. Complete elution of the adsorbed metal ions from the sorbent surface was carried out using 5?mL of 0.25?mol?L^?1 of HCl and 2% CS(NH₂)₂. Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the determination. The maximum static adsorption capacity of the sorbent under optimum conditions was found to be 0.55?mmol?g^?1. The detection limit of the present method was found to be 0.09?ng?mL^?1, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 2.0%. The procedure was validated by analysing the certified reference river sediment material (GBW 08301, China), the results obtained were in good agreement with standard values. This sorbent was successfully employed in the separation and preconcentration of trace Hg(II) from the natural water samples yielding 80-fold concentration factor.     

Selective Solid‐phase Extraction of Cu2+ by a Novel Cu(II)‐imprinted Silica Gel

A new Cu(II)‐imprinted salen functionalized silica gel adsorbent was synthesized by surface imprinting technique and was employed as a selective solid phase extraction material for Cu²⁺ removal from aqueous solutions. The samples were characterized by FT‐IR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR, CHNS and DTG techniques. The BET surface area of the silica gel was also determined. The adsorbent was then used for removal of Cu²⁺ from aqueous solutions under different experimental conditions. It was concluded that the synthesized imprinted silica gel had higher selectivity and capacity compared to the non‐imprinted silica gel and the maximal adsorption capacity of 67.3 and 56.5 mg.g^?1 was obtained respectively for ion‐imprinted and non‐imprinted adsorbents. The relative selectivity factor (β) of 50.32 and 31.94 was obtained respectively for Cu²⁺/Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺/Zn²⁺ pairs. The dynamic adsorption capacity of the imprinted adsorbent was close to the static adsorption capacity due to the fast kinetic of adsorption. Furthermore, the ion‐imprinted adsorbent was recovered and repeatedly used and satisfactory adsorption capacity with acceptable precision was obtained. Each experiment was repeated at least for three times and the mean and the standard deviation for each measurement were calculated. The applicability of the method was examined for Zayandehrood water as real sample. Acceptabe standard deviation was obtained.     

Investigation of the Removal of Lead by Adsorption onto 1‐(2‐Thiazolylazo)‐2‐Naphthol (TAN) Imbedded Polyurethane Foam from Aqueous Solution

A new preconcentration method is presented for lead on TAN‐loaded polyurethane foam (PUF) and its measurement by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The optimum sorption conditions of 1.29 × 10^?5 M solution of Pb(II) ions on TAN‐loaded PUF were investigated. The maximum sorption was observed at pH 7 with 20 minutes equilibrated time on 7.25 mg mL^?1 of TAN‐loaded foam. The kinetic study indicates that the overall sorption process was controlled by the intra‐particle diffusion process. The validity of Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin ‐ Radushkevich adsorption isotherms were tested. The Freundlich constants 1/n and K_F are evaluated to be 0.45 ±0.04 and (1.03 +0.61) × 10^?3 mol g^?1, respectively. The monolayer sorption capacity and adsorption constant related to the Langmuir isotherm are (1.38 ± 0.08) × 10^?5 mol g^?1 and (1.46 ± 0.27) × 10⁵ L mol^?1, respectively. The mean free energy of Pb(II) ions sorption on‐TAN loaded PUF is 11.04 ± 0.28 kJ mol^?1 indicating chemisorption phenomena. The effect of temperature on the sorption yields thermodynamics parameters of ΔH, ΔS and ΔG at 298 K that are 15.0 ± 1.4 kJ mol^?1, 74 ±5 J mol^?1 K^?1 and ‐7.37 ± 0.28 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The positive values of enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) indicate the endothermic sorption and stability of the sorbed complexes are entropy driven. However, the negative value of Gibb's free energy (ΔG) indicates the spontaneous nature of sorption. On the basis of these data, the sorption mechanism has been postulated. The effect of different foreign ions on the sorption and desorption studies were also carried out. The method was successfully applied for the determination of lead from different water samples at ng levels.     

New Application of Chemically Modified Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Thiosemicarbazide as a Sorbent for Separation and Preconcentration of Trace Amounts of Co(II), Cd(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) in Environmental and Biological Samples Prior to Determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

The present article reports the application of Thiosemicarbazide‐modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs‐TSC) as a new, easily prepared selective and stable solid sorbent for the preconcentration of trace Co(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions in aqueous solution prior to the determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The studied metal ions can be adsorbed quantitatively on MMWNTs at pH 5.0 and then eluted completely with HNO₃ (1.5 mol L^?1) prior to their determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The separation/preconcentration conditions of analytes were investigated, including the pH, the sample flow rate and volume, the elution condition and the interfering ions. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent at optimum conditions were found to be 32.5, 27.3, 44.5 and 34.1 mg g^?1 for Co(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II), and the detection limits of the method were found to be 0.28, 0.13, 0.21 and 0.17 μg L^?1, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for extraction and determination of the analytes in well water, sea water, wastewater, soil, and blood samples.     

Solid-phase extraction and preconcentration of cadmium(II) in aqueous solution with Cd(II)-imprinted resin (poly-Cd(II)-DAAB-VP) packed columns

A novel chelating resin (poly-Cd(II)-DAAB-VP) was prepared by metal ion imprinted polymer (MIIP) technique. The resin was obtained by one pot reaction of Cd(II)-diazoaminobenzene-vinylpyridine with cross-linker ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (EGDMA). Comparing with non-imprinted resin, the poly-Cd(II)-DAAB-VP has higher adsorption capacity and selectivity for Cd(II). The distribution ratio (D) values for the Cd(II)-imprinted resin show increase for Cd(II) with respect to both D values of Zn(II), Cu(II), Hg(II) and non-imprinted resin. The relatively selective factor (α_r) values of Cd(II)/Cu(II), Cd(II)/Zn(II) and Cd(II)/Hg(II), are 51.2, 45.6, and 85.4, which are greater than 1. poly-Cd(II)-DAAB-VP can be used at least 20 times without considerable loss of adsorption capacity. Based on poly-Cd(II)-DAAB-VP packed columns, a highly selective solid-phase extraction (SPE) and preconcentration method for Cd(II) from aqueous solution was developed. The MIIP-SPE preconcentration procedure showed a linear calibration curve within concentration range from 0.093 to 30 μg l⁻¹. The detection limit and quantification limit were 0.093 and 0.21 μg l⁻¹ (3σ) for flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The relative standard deviation of the eleven replicate determinations was 3.7% for the determination of 10 μg of Cd(II) in 100 ml water sample. Determination of Cd(II) in certified river sediment sample (GBW 08301) demonstrated that the interfering matrix had been almost removed during preconcentration. The column was good enough for Cd(II) determination in matrixes containing components with similar chemical property such as Cu(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II).     

Speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in Environmental Samples after Solid Phase Extraction on Amberlite XAD–2000

A method for speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in real samples has been developed. Cr(VI) has been separated from Cr(III) and preconcentrated as its pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) complex by using a column containing Amberlite XAD–2000 resin and determined by FAAS. Total chromium has also been determined by FAAS after conversion of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) by oxidation with KMnO₄. Cr(III) has been calculated by subtracting Cr(VI) from the total. The effect of pH, flow‐rate, adsorption and batch capacity and effect of various metal cations and salt anions on the sorption onto the resin were investigated. The adsorption is quantitative in the pH range of 1.5–2.5, and Cr(VI) ion was desorbed by using H₂SO₄ in acetone. The recovery of Cr(VI) was 97 ± 4 at a 95% confidence level. The highest preconcentration factor was 80 for a 200 mL sample volume. The adsorption and batch capacity of sorbent were 7.4 and 8.0 mg g^?1 Cr(VI), respectively, and loading half time was 5.0 min. The detection limit of Cr(VI) is 0.6 μg/L. The procedure has been applied to the determination and speciation of chromium in stream water, tap water, mineral spring water and spring water. Also, the proposed method was applied to total chromium preconcentration in microwave digested moss and rock samples with satisfactory results. The developed method was validated with CRM‐TMDW‐500 (Certified Reference Material Trace Metals in Drinking Water) and BCR‐CRM 144R s (Certified Reference Material Sewage Sludge, Domestic Origin) and the results obtained were in good agreement with the certified values. The relative standard deviations were below 6%.     

Synthesis of ion-imprinted mesoporous silica gel sorbent for selective adsorption of copper ions in aqueous media

A new Cu(II) ion-imprinted sorbent was synthesized by a surface imprinting technique and characterized by FT-IR and SEM. Compared to the non-imprinted sorbent, the Cu(II) ion-imprinted sorbent had a higher adsorption capacity and selectivity for Cu(II). The static adsorption capacity of the Cu(II) ion-imprinted sorbent and non-imprinted sorbent for Cu(II) were 84.5 and 46.5 μmol?g^?1, respectively. The best selectivity coefficient over Zn(II) or Cd(II) ion was over 12. The relative selectivity coefficients of the sorbent for Cu(II) in the presence of Zn(II) and Cd(II) were 13 and 35, respectively. Furthermore, the new sorbent possessed a fast kinetics for Cu(II) sorption from aqueous solution with saturation time of <30 min, and could be used repeatedly. The standard deviation for 11 replicate determinations of 0.5 mg?L^?1 Cu(II) was 0.8%. This new Cu(II) ion-imprinted sorbent can be used as an effective solid-phase extraction material for the selective preconcentration and separation of Cu(II).     

Selective solid-phase extraction of nickel(II) using a surface-imprinted silica gel sorbent

A new Ni(II)-imprinted amino-functionalized silica gel sorbent with excellent selectivity for nickel(II) was prepared by an easy one-step reaction by combining a surface imprinting technique for selective solid-phase extraction (SPE) of trace Ni(II) in water samples prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Compared with non-imprinted polymer particles, the ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs) had higher selectivity and adsorption capacity for Ni(II). The maximum static adsorption capacity of the ion-imprinted and non-imprinted sorbent for Ni(II) was 12.61 and 4.25 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The relatively selective factor (α_r) values of Ni(II)/Cu(II), Ni(II)/Co(II), Ni(II)/Zn(II) and Ni(II)/Pd(II) were 45.99, 32.83, 43.79 and 28.36, which were greater than 1. The distribution ratio (D) values of Ni(II)-imprinted polymers for Ni(II) were greatly larger than that for Cu(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Pd(II). The detection limit (3σ) was 0.16 ng mL⁻¹. The relative standard deviation of the method was 1.48% for eight replicate determinations. The method was validated by analyzing two certified reference materials (GBW 08618 and GBW 08402), the results obtained is in good agreement with standard values. The developed method was also successfully applied to the determination of trace nickel in plants and water samples with satisfactory results.     

Highly selective determination of rhodium(III) using silica gel surface-imprinted solid-phase extraction

A novel Rh(III)-imprinted amino-functionalised silica gel sorbent was prepared by a surface imprinting technique for preconcentration and separation of Rh(III) prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Compared with the traditional solid sorbents and non-imprinted polymer particles, the ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs) had higher adsorption capacity and selectivity for Rh(III). The maximum static adsorption capacity of the imprinted and non-imprinted sorbent for Rh(III) was 29.86?mg?g^?1 and 11.23?mg?g^?1, respectively. The imprinted Rh(III) was removed with 2?mL of 3% thiourea?+?2?mol?L^?1 HCl. The obtained imprinted particles exhibited excellent selectivity and rapid kinetics process for Rh(III). The relatively selective factor (α_r) values of Rh(III)/Ru(III), Rh(III)/Au(III), Rh(III)/Pt(IV), Rh(III)/Ir(IV), Rh(III)/Pd(II) were 26.7, 39.0 29.2, 28.1, 43.7, respectively, which were greater than 1. The detection limit (3σ) of the method was 0.26?µg?L^?1. The relative standard deviation of the method was 1.79% for eight replicate determination of 10?µg of Rh³⁺ in 200?mL water sample. The method was validated by analysing standard reference material (GBW 07293), the results obtained is in good agreement with standard values. The developed method was also successfully applied to the determination of trace rhodium(III) in geological samples with satisfactory results.     

Silica gel surface modified with sulfanilamide for selective solid-phase extraction of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II)

A new chelating matrix has been prepared by immobilising sulfanilamide (SA) on silica gel (SG) surface modified with 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane as a sorbent for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II). The determination of metal ions in aqueous solutions was carried out by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Experimental conditions for effective sorption of trace levels of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) were optimised with respect to different experimental parameters using the batch and column procedures. The presence of common coexisting ions does not affect the sorption capacities. The maximum sorption capacity of the sorbent at optimum conditions was found to be 34.91, 19.07 and 23.62 mg g^?1 for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II), respectively. The detection limit of the method defined by IUPAC was found to be 1.60, 0.50 and 0.61 µg L^?1 for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II), respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the method under optimum conditions was 4.0% (n = 8). The method was applied to the recovery of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II) from the certified reference material (GBW 08301, river sediment) and to the simultaneous determination of these cations in different water samples with satisfactory results.     

Simultaneous preconcentration and determination of nickel and cobalt using functionalised mesoporous silica spheres by ICP-OES

In this work functionalised mesoporous silica spheres have been utilised for the simultaneous preconcentration of nickel and cobalt. The silica spheres (SiSPs) prepared by the sol-gel method were functionalised with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC-SiSPs). They were characterised by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, CHN and nitrogen adsorption. The adsorption efficiency of DDTC-SiSPs was examined by batch equilibrium technique. The DDTC-SiSPs showed 100% adsorption for Ni (II) and Co (II). The effect of changing variables such as pH, shaking time, sample volume, preconcentration factor, eluent type and volume were investigated so as to obtain maximum recovery with high selectivity over interfering ions. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 15.15 mg g^?1 and 11.80 mg g^?1 for Ni (II) and Co (II) respectively using DDTC-SiSPs. 100% recovery was achieved with 5 mL of 2 M HNO₃. The maximum preconcentration factor was 400 and the 3σ limits of detection were 0.201 µg L^?1 and 0.198 µg L^?1 for Ni (II) and Co (II) respectively. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption of Ni (II) and Co (II) on DDTC-SiSPs is exothermic with enthalpy changes of –0.514 KJ mol^?1 and –0.854 KJ mol^?1 for Ni (II) and Co (II) respectively. The method was applied to the preconcentration and determination of Ni (II) and Co (II) from tap, river and sea water.     

Selective Pre-concentration and Solid Phase Extraction of Mercury（Ⅱ） from Natural Water by Silica Gel-loaded （E）-N-（1-Thien-2＇-ylethylidene）-1,2-phenylenediamine Phase

Silica gel-loaded （E）-N-（1-thien-2＇-ylethylidene）-1,2-phenylenediamine （TEPDA） phase was synthesized based on physical adsorption approaches. The stability of a chemically modified TEPDA especially in concentrated hydrochloric acid that was then used as a recycling and preconcentration reagent allowed the further uses of silica gel-loaded immobilized TEPDA phase. The application of this silica gel-loaded phase to sorption of a series of metal ions was performed by using different controlling factors such as the pH of the metal ion solution and the equilibration shaking time by the static technique. This difference was interpreted on the basis of selectivity incorporated in these sulfur containing silica gel-loaded TEPDA phases. Hg（Ⅱ） was found to exhibit the highest affinity towards extraction by these silica gel-loaded TEPDA phases. The pronounced selectivity was also confirmed by the determined distribution coefficients （Kd） of all the metal ions, showing the highest value reported for mercury（Ⅱ） extraction by the silica gel immobilized TEPDA phase. The potential applications of the silica gel immobilized TEPDA phase to selective extraction of mercury（Ⅱ） from aqueous solution were successfully accomplished and preconcentration of low concentration of Hg（Ⅱ） （30 pg·mL^-1） from natural tap water with a preconcentration factor of 200 for Hg（Ⅱ） off-line analysis was conducted by cold vapor atomic absorption analysis.     

Highly Selective and Sensitive Copper(II) Membrane Sensors Based on 6‐Methyl‐4‐(1‐phenylmethylidene)amino‐3‐thioxo‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5‐one as a New Neutral Ionophore

A new Cu(II) ion‐selective PVC membrane sensor based on 6‐methyl‐4‐(1‐phenylmethylidene)amino‐3‐thioxo‐1,2,4‐triazin‐5‐one (MATTO) as an excellent sensing material was developed. The electrode exhibits a Nernstian slope of 29.2±0.4 mV per decade over a very wide concentration range between 1.0×10^?1 and 1.0×10^?6 M, with a detection limit of 4.8×10^?7 M (30.5 ng/mL). The sensor possesses the advantages of short conditioning time, fast response time (<10 s), and especially, very good selectivity towards transition and heavy metal, and some mono, di and trivalent cations. The proposed electrode was successfully applied to the determination of copper in wastewater of copper electroplating samples and as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of Cu(II) ions with EDTA.     

Nanometer‐sized alumina packed microcolumn solid‐phase extraction combined with field‐amplified sample stacking‐capillary electrophoresis for the speciation analysis of inorganic selenium in environmental water samples

In this paper, a new method of nanometer‐sized alumina packed microcolumn SPE combined with field‐amplified sample stacking (FASS)–CE‐UV detection was developed for the speciation analysis of inorganic selenium in environmental water samples. Self‐synthesized nanometer‐sized alumina was packed in a microcolumn as the SPE adsorbent to retain Se(IV) and Se(VI) simultaneously at pH 6 and the retained inorganic selenium was eluted by concentrated ammonia. The eluent was used for FASS–CE–UV analysis after NH₃ evaporation. The factors affecting the preconcentration of both Se(IV) and Se(VI) by SPE and FASS were studied and the optimal CE separation conditions for Se(IV) and Se(VI) were obtained. Under the optimal conditions, the LODs of 57 ng L^?1 (Se(IV)) and 71 ng L^?1 (Se(VI)) were obtained, respectively. The developed method was validated by the analysis of a certified reference material of GBW(E)080395 environmental water and the determined value was in a good agreement with the certified value. It was also successfully applied to the speciation analysis of inorganic selenium in environmental water samples, including Yangtze River water, spring water, and tap water.