Determination of nickel(II) as the nickel dimethylglyoxime complex using colorimetric solid phase extraction

Colorimetric solid phase extraction (C-SPE) is an analytical technique in which analytes in water samples are extracted onto a solid adsorbent matrix impregnated with a colorimetric reagent and then quantified directly on the adsorbent surface using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. This paper presents a further development in C-SPE. In this case, the reagent employed to detect the analyte is not impregnated on the extraction medium. Instead, the reagent is weakly immobilized on a solid support (i.e., filter paper) and released into the sample as it flows through the support. The reagent complexes the analyte in solution, forming a highly colored precipitate that is collected on the surface of an extraction membrane. The concentration of analyte is determined using the Kubelka-Munk function calculated from the diffuse reflectance spectrum of the precipitate on the membrane surface. This precipitation-spectrophotometric platform is extensively evaluated by determining nickel(II) using dimethylglyoxime (DMG) as the precipitating reagent. The ability to optimize reaction conditions with immobilized reagents by in-line buffering is also demonstrated. Specifically, borax buffer was utilized to adjust the pH of nickel(II) samples prepared in deionized water. This combination of immobilized buffer and reagent allows C-SPE to operate in a solid-phase mode in which all the reagents requisite for optimal analyte determination are immobilized on solid supports. Using this method, nickel(II) was determined in a single processing step over the concentration range 0.50-5.0 ppm in ∼40 s with 1.0 ml sample volumes.