| Abstract: | A new method for the simultaneous determination of five transition metal ions in water and food by rapid high‐performance liquid chromatography was developed. The cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and vanadium ions were pre‐column derivatized with 2‐(2‐quinolinylazo)‐4‐methyl‐1,3‐dihydroxidebenzene (QAMDHB) to form colored chelates, then the Co‐QAMDHB, Ni‐QAMDHB, Cu‐QAMDHB, Zn‐QAMDHB and V‐QAMDHB chelates were enriched by solid phase extraction with a C18 cartridge. The enrichment factor of 50 was achieved by eluting the retained chelates from the cartridge with tetrahydrofuran (THF). These chelates were separated on a ZORBAX Stable Bound rapid analysis column (4.6 × 50 mm, 1.8 um) with 68% methanol (containing 0.1% of acetic acid and 0.1% of CTMAB) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 2.0 mL/min and detected with a photodiode array detector from 450?600 nm. The Co‐QAMDHB, Ni‐QAMDHB, Cu‐QAMDHB, Zn‐QAMDHB and V‐QAMDHB chelates were separated completely within 2.0 min. The detection limits of cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and vanadium are 2 ng/L, 1.5 ng/L, 2 ng/L, 3 ng/L, and 3 ng/L, respectively, in the original samples. This method was applied to the determination of the five transition metal ions in water and food samples with good results. |
