Development of an Efficient Procedure for Determination of Copper,Zinc and Iron after Solid Phase Extraction on 3‐(1‐(1‐H‐Indol‐3‐yl)‐3‐Phenylallyl)‐1H‐Indole Loaded on Duolite XAD 761

A method for the simultaneous preconcentration of Cu²⁺,Zn²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions, in some food samples has been reported. The method is based on the adsorption of 3‐(1‐(1‐H‐indol‐3‐yl)‐3‐phenylallyl)‐1H‐indole (IPAI) loaded on Duolite XAD 761. The metal ions adsorbed on the modified solid phase resin are eluted using 6 mL of 4 mol L^?1 nitric acid. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH and amount of ligand and solid phase and type and amount of surfactant and sample volume on the metal ions recoveries were investigated. The effects of matrix ions on the retentions of the analytes were also examined. The recoveries of analytes were generally higher than 95% with a RSD lower than 5%. The method has been successfully applied for these metals content evaluation in some real samples.     

Determination of Copper and Zinc Ions by Flame-AAS After Preconcentraction Using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Coated Alumina Modified with 3-((1H-Indol-3-yl)-3,4,5-trimethyl)-1H-indole

A sensitive and simple method for the simultaneous preconcentration of trace amount Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions in some real samples has been established, which is based on the sorption of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ on 3‐((1H‐indol‐3‐yl)‐3,4,5‐trimethyl)‐1H‐indole (ITMI) loaded on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) coated alumina. The metal absorbed on the complexes was eluted using 3 mol/L nitric acid. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH and sample volume were investigated. The effects of matrix ions on the retentions of the analytes were also examined. The recoveries of analytes were generally higher than 95% with a low RSD. The method has been successfully applied to content evaluation of these metals in real samples.     

Dynamic double coating,electrophoretic method with indirect detection for the simultaneous quantification of mono‐ and divalent cations in various water samples

An indirect UV detection method based on CE was developed and validated to determinate 12 metal cations, including alkali, alkaline earth, transition metal, and ammonium. In this paper, a new electrolyte system (pH 4.22) contained 20 mM benzimidazole (as co‐ion), 75 mM acetic acid (as a counter‐ion) as well as 0.6 mM 18‐crown‐6 ether was applied. The metal ions were completely separated within 8 min under hydrodynamic mode injection with a running voltage of 20 kV at 25 ± 0.1°C. Additional use of the dynamic double coating method enabled to get an excellent repeatability of migration times and quantitative parameters for all analytes. The repeatability of migration times for analytes were less than 0.9% and peak areas and peak heights ranged from 3.7 to 7.2 and 3.9 to 7.7%, respectively (n = 6). The proposed technique proved to be definitely faster and less expensive in comparison to currently employed methods. In this work, we discuss also the linear range, method detection limits as well as precision and accuracy. The applicability of the elaborated method was authenticated by the quantification of metal ions in commercially available mineral water, tap water, and selected medical injection samples.     

Copper and Nickel Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using New Chelating Poly[Acrylamide/N‐vinyl pyrrolidone/3‐(2‐hydroxyethyl carbamoyl)acrylic acid] Hydrogels

New poly[Acrylamide/N‐vinyl pyrrolidone/3‐(2‐hydroxyethyl carbamoyl)acrylic acid], poly [AAm/NVP/HECA], chelating hydrogels with different composition of HECA monomer have been prepared via free radical solution polymerization using N,N‐methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker. The hydrogels obtained were loaded with metal ions and characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Thermogravimatric analysis (TGA). The removal of Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ from aqueous solutions by the hydrogel was examined by a batch equilibrium method. The influence of treatment time, pH, initial concentration of the metal ions and HECA content in the feed compositions on the amount of adsorbed metal ions was studied. Swelling of the hydrogel was also carried out in distilled water and metal ion solutions. The removal of the metal ions followed the following order: Ni²⁺>Cu²⁺. The amount of metal ions removed increased with increasing HECA content in the feed composition, treatment time, pH of the medium and initial concentration of metal ions. The desorption of metal ions were carried out using 1 N HCl and 0.5 N H₂SO₄. The poly[AAm/NVP/HECA] hydrogels could be used many times without significantly decreasing their adsorption capacity.     

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.     

Biosorption of copper(II), lead(II), iron(III) and cobalt(II) on Bacillus sphaericus-loaded Diaion SP-850 resin

The biosorption of copper(II), lead(II), iron(III) and cobalt(II) on Bacillus sphaericus-loaded Diaion SP-850 resin for preconcentration-separation of them have been investigated. The sorbed analytes on biosorbent were eluted by using 1 mol L⁻¹ HCl and analytes were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The influences of analytical parameters including amounts of pH, B. sphaericus, sample volume etc. on the quantitative recoveries of analytes were investigated. The effects of alkaline, earth alkaline ions and some metal ions on the retentions of the analytes on the biosorbent were also examined. Separation and preconcentration of Cu, Pb, Fe and Co ions from real samples was achieved quantitatively. The detection limits by 3 sigma for analyte ions were in the range of 0.20-0.75 μg L⁻¹ for aqueous samples and in the range of 2.5-9.4 ng g⁻¹ for solid samples. The validation of the procedure was performed by the analysis of the certified standard reference materials (NRCC-SLRS 4 Riverine Water, SRM 2711 Montana soil and GBW 07605 Tea). The presented method was applied to the determination of analyte ions in green tea, black tea, cultivated mushroom, boiled wheat, rice and soil samples with successfully results.     

Environmental and food analysis by desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization‐mass spectrometry

Desorption atmospheric pressure photoionization‐mass spectrometry (DAPPI‐MS) is a versatile surface analysis technique for a wide range of analytes, especially for neutral and non‐polar analytes. Here, a set of analytes typically found in environmental or food samples was analyzed by DAPPI‐MS. The set included five polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), one N‐PAH, one brominated flame retardant, and nine pesticides, which were studied with three different spray solvents: acetone and toluene in positive ion mode, and anisole in negative ion mode. The analytes showed [M + H]⁺, M^+?, and [M–H]^? ions as well as fragmentation and substitution products. Detection limits for the studied compounds ranged from 30 pg to 1 ng (from 0.14 to 5.6 pmol). To demonstrate the feasibility of the use of DAPPI‐MS two authentic samples – a circuit board and orange peel – and a spiked soil sample were analyzed. Tetrabromobisphenol A, imazalil, and PAHs were observed from the three above‐mentioned samples, respectively. The method is best suited for rapid screening analysis of environmental or food samples. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissolvable layered double hydroxide nanoadsorbent‐based dispersive solid‐phase extraction for highly efficient and eco‐friendly simultaneous microextraction of two toxic metal cations and two anionic azo dyes in real samples

For the first time, a new mode of dispersive solid‐phase extraction is presented as a simple, rapid, adsorbent‐free and environmentally friendly method for the simultaneous microextraction and preconcentration of trace amounts of two metal ions (Pb²⁺ and Cr³⁺) and two anionic azo dyes (reactive yellow 15 (RY15) and reactive black 5 (RB5)). This method is based upon the in situ formation of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosorbent through an electrostatic induction process. In this method, extraction of the analytes is performed simultaneously with the formation of the nanosorbent only by adding hydroxide ions. After extraction and separation of the sorbent from the sample solution through a syringe nanofilter, the analytes are eluted by dissolving the LDHs in an acidic solution. Finally, the extracted metal cations and anionic azo dyes are directly determined by micro‐sampling flame atomic absorption spectrometry and micro‐volume UV–visible spectrophotometry, respectively. Under the optimal experimental conditions including 20 μmol of hydroxide ions, 248.4:20.8 μg l^?1 of M²⁺:M³⁺ ions, 12 cycles of air agitation and 200 μl of CF₃COOH (2 M), good linearities were obtained for Pb²⁺, Cr³⁺, RY15 and RB5 in the concentration ranges 50–600, 5.0–280, 30–2500 and 30–2000 ng ml^?1, respectively, with correlation of determinations higher than 0.995. The preconcentration factor for the target analytes was 50 in a 10 ml sample solution. The limits of detection were found to be 15, 1.5, 10 and 10 μg l^?1 for Pb²⁺, Cr³⁺, RY15 and RB5, respectively. The intra‐day and inter‐day precisions were in the ranges 4.3–6.1 and 5.5–6.8%, respectively. Additionally, the presented method is applicable for the analysis of the target analytes in different water samples with reasonable recoveries (>87%).     

Chemically bonded multiwalled carbon nanotubes as efficient material for solid phase extraction of some metal ions in food samples

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes chemically functionalized with 2-((3-silylpropylimino) methyl) phenol (SPIMP-MWCNT) and successfully applied for the solid phase extraction (SPE) of some metal ions in food samples. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH, amounts of solid phase, eluent conditions (type, volume and concentrations), sample volume and interference of some metal ions on the recoveries of ions Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ion were investigated. The metal ions retained on SPIMP-MWCNT was eluted using 6?mL of 4?mol?L^?1 HNO₃ solution and their content was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) with recoveries more than 95% and relative standard deviations (n?=?5) between 2.4–3.4% for both reproducibility and repeatability. The detection limit of this metal ions was between 1.0–2.6?ng?mL^?1 (3S _b , n?=?10) and their preconcentration factor was 100, while their loading capacity was above 32.9?mg?g^?1 of SPIMP-MWCNT. The proposed method was successfully applied for the preconcentration and determination of analytes in different samples.     

Pattern‐Based Detection of Toxic Metals in Surface Water with DNA Polyfluorophores

Heavy metal contamination of water can be toxic to humans and wildlife; thus the development of methods to detect this contamination is of high importance. Here we describe the design and application of DNA‐based fluorescent chemosensors on microbeads to differentiate eight toxic metal ions in water. We developed and synthesized four fluorescent 2′‐deoxyribosides of metal‐binding ligands. A tetramer‐length oligodeoxy‐fluoroside (ODF) library of 6561 members was constructed and screened for sequences responsive to metal ions, of which seven sequences were selected. Statistical analysis of the response patterns showed successful differentiation of the analytes at concentrations as low as 100 nM . Sensors were able to classify water samples from 13 varied sites and quantify metal contamination in unknown specimens. The results demonstrate the practical potential of bead‐based ODF chemosensors to analyze heavy metal contamination in water samples by a simple and inexpensive optical method.     

A Multifunctional Bimetallic Molecular Device for Ultrasensitive Detection,Naked‐Eye Recognition,and Elimination of Cyanide Ions

A new bimetallic Fe^II–Cu^II complex was synthesized, characterized, and applied as a selective and sensitive sensor for cyanide detection in water. This complex is the first multifunctional device that can simultaneously detect cyanide ions in real water samples, amplify the colorimetric signal upon detection for naked‐eye recognition at the parts‐per‐million (ppb) level, and convert the toxic cyanide ion into the much safer cyanate ion in situ. The mechanism of the bimetallic complex for high‐selectivity recognition and signaling toward cyanide ions was investigated through a series of binding kinetics of the complex with different analytes, including CN^?, SO₄^2?, HCO₃^?, HPO₄^2?, N₃^?, CH₃COO^?, NCS^?, NO₃^?, and Cl^? ions. In addition, the use of the indicator/catalyst displacement assay (ICDA) is demonstrated in the present system in which one metal center acts as a receptor and inhibitor and is bridged to another metal center that is responsible for signal transduction and catalysis, thus showing a versatile approach to the design of new multifunctional devices.     

Simultaneous determination of mercury, lead and cadmium ions in water using near-infrared spectroscopy with preconcentration by thiol-functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate clay

Analysis of metal ions in environment is of great importance for evaluating the risk of heavy metal to public health and ecological safety. A method for simultaneous determination of metal ions in water samples was developed by using adsorption preconcentration and near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (NIRDRS). A high capacity adsorbent of thiol-functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate, named Mg-MTMS, was prepared by co-condensation for preconcentration of Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ in aqueous solutions. After adsorbing the analytes onto the adsorbent, NIRDRS was measured and PLS models were established for fast and simultaneous quantitative prediction. Because the interaction of the ions with the functional group of the adsorbent can be reflected in the spectra, the models built with the samples prepared by river water were proven to be efficient enough for precise prediction. The determination coefficients (R²) of the validation samples for the three ions were found as high as 0.9197, 0.9599 and 0.9861, respectively. Furthermore, because the high adsorption efficiency of Mg-MTMS, the detected concentrations are as low as milligrams per liter for the three ions, and the concentration can be further reduced. Therefore, the feasibility of quantitative analysis metal ions in river water by NIRDRS is proven and this may provide a new way for fast simultaneous determination of trace metals in environmental waters.     

Solid phase extraction of trace metals in water and leafy vegetables using a resin functionalized with potassium 2-benzoylhydrazinecarbodithioate and determination by ICP–AES

A solid phase extraction method for the determination of Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) metal ions in natural water and leafy vegetable samples by ICP-AES was developed. The method was based on the sorption of metal ions onto Amberlite XAD-16 functionalized with a new chelating ligand potassium 2-benzoylhydrazinecarbodithioate (Amberlite XAD-16-PBHCD) and elution with nitric acid. The optimum experimental conditions for the quantitative sorption of the three metal ions, namely, effect of pH, sample volume, flow rate, concentration of eluent, sorption capacity, kinetics of sorption, and the effect of diverse ions on the sorption of analytes have been investigated. All the metal ions were quantitatively retained by the functionalized resin at pH 5.0 and sorbed metals could be eluted with 2.0?M HNO₃. The detection limits were 5.6, 4.5 and 1.8?µg?L^?1 for Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II), respectively. The developed method was applied for the determination of Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) in water and leafy vegetable samples.     

Simultaneous preconcentration of copper, nickel, cobalt and lead ions prior to their flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

A sensitive and simple method for the simultaneous preconcentration of nutritionally important minerals in real samples has been reported. The method is based on the adsorption of Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+ and Pb2+ on 4-propyl-2-thiouracil (PUT) loaded on activated carbon. The metals on the complexes are eluted using 5 mL 3 M HNO3 in acetone. The influences of the analytical parameters including pH and sample volume were investigated. The effects of matrix ions on the retentions of the analytes were also examined. The recoveries of analytes were generally higher than 95%. The detection limits for Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+ and Pb2+ were 1.6, 1.3, 1.2, 2.3 ng ml(-1), respectively. The method has been successfully applied for these metals content evaluation in some real samples including natural water samples.     

Solid-phase extraction using multiwalled carbon nanotubes and quinalizarin for preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of some heavy metals in food,water and environmental samples

A solid phase extraction procedure has been developed using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a solid sorbent and quinalizarin [1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxyanthracene-9,10-dione] as a chelating agent for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of some heavy metal ions, Cd(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) before their determination by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). The influences of the analytical parameters, including pH, amounts of quinalizarin and adsorbent, sample volume, elution conditions such as volume and concentration of eluent, flow rates of solution and matrix ions, were investigated for the optimum recoveries of the analyte ions. No interference effects were observed from the foreign metal ions. The preconcentration factor was 100. The detection limit (LOD) for the investigated metals at the optimal conditions were observed in the range of 0.30–0.65 μg L^?1. The relative standard deviation (RSDs), and the recoveries of standard addition for this method were lower than 5.0% and 96–102%, respectively. The new procedure was successfully applied to the determination of analytes in food, water and environmental samples with satisfactory results.     

Selective separation of some ecotoxic transition metal ions from aqueous solutions using immobilized macrocyclic material containing solid phase extraction system

A simple flow-based method was developed for the simultaneous separation of certain transition metal ions (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) from aqueous systems, which ions show ecotoxic effects when present at elevated concentrations. A silica-gel-bonded macrocycle system, commonly known as molecular recognition technology (MRT) gel, was used for solid phase extraction (SPE) of the target analytes. The collection behavior of the MRT-SPE system was studied based on pH. Fortified deionized water samples containing 250 μg L⁻¹ of each of the elements were treated at the flow rate of 1 mL min⁻¹. The collected analytes were then eluted by 3 M HNO₃ and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. Detection limits of the proposed technique were in the range of 0.004–0.040 μg L⁻¹ for the studied metal ions. The validity of this separation technique was checked with spiked ‘real’ water samples, which produced satisfactory recoveries of 96–102%. The non-destructive nature and highly selective ion-extraction capability of the SPE material are the most important aspects of the proposed method and they are the main focus of this paper.      

Silica Gel Coated with Schiff's Base: Synthesis and Application as an Adsorbent for Cadmium, Copper, Zinc, and Nickel Determination after Preconcentration by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A method for the preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Ni(II) is proposed using a minicolumn filled with silica gel modified by Schiff's base. The retained analytes on the ligand-coated silica gel were recovered with a small volume of HNO₃ (nitric acid). The metal ions in the eluent were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). Different factors, including the pH of the sample solution, the sample volume, the amount of silica gel, eluent volume and matrix effects for preconcentration were examined. The recoveries for the analytes under optimum working conditions were higher than 95%. The relative standard deviations of the determination were 1.50, 2.10, 2.40, 3.43% for Cu(II), Cd(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II). The limits of detection (3s, n = 10) for Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Ni(II) were found to be 3, 5, 5 and 4.7 ngL^–1. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of some natural water samples and standard reference aluminum alloy material (NBS SRM 85b).     

Investigation of the Interaction between N,N′‐Di(4‐Chlorophenyl)Thiourea and Human Serum Albumin by Fluorescence Spectroscopy: Synchronous Fluorescence Determination of Human Serum Albumin

Under physiological conditions, interaction between N,N′‐di(4‐chlorophenyl)thiourea synthesized and human serum albumin was investigated by using fluorescence spectroscopy and UV absorption spectrum. The intrinsic fluorescence of human serum albumin was quenched by N,N′‐di(4‐chlorophenyl)‐thiourea through a static quenching procedure. The binding constants (K) at 14 °C and 24 °C were obtained, and the values were 2.541 × 10⁵ M^?1 and 2.021 × 10⁵ M^?1, respectively. Thermodynamic parameter enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were calculated to be ‐16.19 KJ/mol and 47.05 J·mol¹·K^?1, respectively, which indicated that hydrophobic force played a major role in interaction. The binding distance was evaluated on the basis of the theory of Föster energy transfer. The effects of various metal ions on the binding constants of N,N′‐di(4‐chlorophenyl)thiourea with human serum albumin were studied. A synchronous fluorescence technique for determination of human serum albumin was developed, and the method was successfully applied to the detection of HSA in human serum samples.     

Selective retention of basic compounds by metal aquo‐ion affinity chromatography

A novel metal aquo‐ion affinity chromatography has been developed for the analysis of basic compounds using heat‐treated silica gel containing hydrated metal cations (metal aquo‐ions) as the packing material. The packing materials of the metal aquo‐ion affinity chromatography were prepared by the immobilization of a single metal component such as Fe(III), Al(III), Ag(I), and Ni(II) on silica gel followed by extensive heat treatment. The immobilized metals form aquo‐ions to present cation‐exchange ability for basic analytes and the cation‐exchange ability for basic analytes depends on pK_a of the immobilized metal species. In the present study, to evaluate the retention characteristics of metal aquo‐ion affinity chromatography, the on‐line solid‐phase extraction of drugs was investigated. Obtained data clearly evidence the selective retention capability of metal aquo‐ion affinity chromatography for basic analytes with sufficient capacity.     

Analysis of active alkaloids in the Menispermaceae family by nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis‐ion trap mass spectrometry

A nonaqueous CE‐IT MS with a nanospray ionization interface method was developed for the identification and quantification of tetrandrine (TET), fangchinoline (FAN), and sinomenine (SIN) using berberine as internal standard. The TET, FAN, and SIN standard solutions were directly infused into IT‐MS for collecting MS^1–3 spectra. The major fragment ions of analytes were confirmed and possible main cleavage pathways of fragment ions were studied. A bare fused‐silica capillary was used for separation of the analytes. A sheath liquid (50% aqueous methanol containing 0.2% acetic acid) to the capillary effluent with a nanoelectrospray ionization interface was added. Separation buffer comprised 80 mM solution of ammonium acetate, in a mixture of 70% methanol, 20% ACN, and 10% water, which also contained 1% acetic acid. The CE‐MS method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision, and then used to determine the content of the above components. The detection limits of TET, FAN, and SIN are 0.05, 0.08, and 0.15μg/mL, respectively. The precision was no more than 4.67% and the mean recovery of the analytes were 95.36–99.24%. This method was successfully applied to determine TET, FAN, and SIN in real samples radix Stephaniae tetrandrae and rhizomes of Menispermum dauricum.