Extraction of trace nitrophenols in environmental water samples using boronate affinity sorbent

In this research, the applicability of a new sorbent based on boronate affinity material is demonstrated. For this purpose, six strong polar nitrophenols were selected as models which are difficult to be extracted in neutral form (only based on hydrophobic interactions). The extracted nitrophenols were separated and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The sorbent was synthesized by in situ copolymerization of 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid and divinylbenzene using dimethyl sulfoxide and azobisisobutyronitrile as porogen solvent and initiator, respectively. The effect of the preparation parameters in the polymerization mixture on extraction performance was investigated in detail. The size and morphology of the sorbent have been characterized via different techniques such as infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The important parameters influencing the extraction efficiency were studied and optimized thoroughly. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the limits of detection (S/N = 3) and limits of quantification (S/N = 10) for the target nitrophenols were 0.097–0.28 and 0.32–0.92 μg/L, respectively. The precision of the proposed method was evaluated in terms of intra- and inter-assay variability calculated as RSD, and it was found that the RSDs were all below 9%. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied for environmental water samples such as wastewater, tap, lake and river water. The recoveries varied within the range of 71.2–115% with RSD below 11% in all cases. The results well demonstrate that the new boronate affinity sorbent can extract nitrophenols effectively through multi-interactions including boron–nitrogen coordination, hydrogen-bond and hydrophobic interactions between sorbent and analytes.     

Micro-phase sorbent extraction for trace analysis via in situ sorbent formation: application to the spectrophotometric determination of nitrite in environmental waters.

A micro-phase sorbent in situ formation from an aqueous solution was proposed for the sensitive spectrophotometric determination of nitrite in environmental waters. Nitrite in a 10 mL sample solution was converted into a cationic azo dye by the reaction with 4-trifluoromethylanilinium ion and N-1-naphthylethylenediammonium ion in an acidic medium. Addition of dodecylbenzenesulfonate ion caused the formation of a suspension of ion associate in the solution. Centrifugation of the solution led to the isolation of a liquid organic phase that extracted the azo dye at the bottom of the centrifuge tube. The volume of the new phase was ca. 5 microL. After the aqueous phase was discarded, the organic phase was dissolved with 1 mL of 2-methoxyethanol to measure the absorbance. Nitrogen as NO2- at concentrations from 1.5 to 30 microg L(-1) was determined with sufficient precision. When 0.2 mL of 2-methoxyethanol was applied to dissolve the organic phase, 0.3-4.8 microg NO2--N L(-1) was determined. The recovery tests for nitrite added to some river water and seawater were satisfactory. This method is very simple and rapid. It takes only 30 min from the dye formation to the measurement of the absorbance.     

Calcon-modified silica gel sorbent. Application to preconcentration or elimination of trace metals

Silica gel impregnated with a mixture of Aliquat 336 and Calcon was used as chelating sorbent for preconcentration of metals from dilute aqueous solutions and their separation as well as for additional purification of analytical grade sodium and potassium salts from other metals. The relative capacities of sorbent towards 33 metal ions were determined in the pH range 1-9 as well as the concentrations of hydrochloric and perchloric acid eluting the retained metals. It was found that Calcon was not eluted from sorbent with 5M perchloric and 10M hydrochloric acids. The rate of sorption for Mg, Ca, Cu, Zn, Al, Cr(III) and Fe(III) was also studied and it was found that relatively high flow-rates (up to 5 ml/min) can be used for solutions passed through the column. The sorbent was used for preconcentration of traces of some metals from aqueous solutions before their determination by AAS, for separation of metal ion mixtures by column extraction chromatography and for additional purification of potassium chloride solutions used as supporting electrolyte in determination of some heavy metals by anodic stripping voltammetry.     

Electrospun polymer nanofibers as a solid-phase extraction sorbent for the determination of trace pollutants in environmental water

This paper describes the novel preparation of three kinds of nanofibers [poly(styrene-co-methacrylic acid), poly(styrene-co-p-styrene sulfonate), polystyrene] investigated as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents to extract six compounds (nitrobenzene, 2-naphthol, benzene, n-butyl p-hydroxybenzoate, naphthalene, p-dichlorobenzene) in environmental water by high-performance liquid chromatography. Parameters affecting extraction efficiency were investigated in detail to explore the extraction mechanism of the nanofibers. Under optimized conditions, six compounds followed an excellent linear relationship in the range 10–5,000 ng mL⁻¹ with coefficients of determination (r ²) greater than 0.99. The repeatability (expressed as relative standard deviations) was from 3.0 to 7.0%, corresponding to 2.0 mL of water samples at 25 and 500 ng mL⁻¹ spiked levels for the six compounds. The limits of detection varied from 0.01 to 0.15 ng mL⁻¹ (signal-to-noise ratio of3). A comparison of the SPE using nanofibers as sorbents and the most commonly used octadecylsilica SPE cartridges was carried out in terms of absolute recovery, sensitivity, and reproducibility for the compounds investigated. Finally, the method was applied to four real water samples. The results highlighted the importance of functional groups, and the polarity of nanofibers in controlling sorption of target compounds, and clearly showed that the new method could be a viable and environmentally friendly technique for analyzing pollutants in environmental samples.     

Reversed phase StrataTM-X resin as sorbent for automatic on-line solid phase extraction atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace metals: comparison of polymeric-based sorbent materials

A novel on-line flow injection solid phase extraction method for the preconcentration of trace toxic metals prior determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-SPE-FAAS) was developed. The potential application of the hydrophobic reversed phase co-polymer sorbent Strata^TM-X packed into an on-line microcolumn for the quantification of Cd(II), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cr(VI) was demonstrated for the first time. The method was based on the on-line formation of metal complexes using sodium diethyl-dithiocarbamate (DDTC) and on the subsequent retention of them onto the sorbent material. The target analytes were completely eluted by methanol and, subsequently, directed to FAAS for quantification. All chemical and flow variables affecting the performance of the developed method were thoroughly studied and optimised. For a preconcentration time of 90 s and a sampling frequency of 28 h^?1, enhancement factors of 72, 140, 185, 63 and detection limits of 0.18, 1.6, 0.20 and 1.2 μg L ^?1 were obtained for Cd(II), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cr(VI), respectively. The accuracy of the FI-SPE-FAAS method was evaluated by analysing certified reference materials as well as spiked environmental water samples. Furthermore, a comparative study of the analytical characteristics, the properties as well as the chemical structures of commercial polymeric based sorbent materials was employed. Strata-X sorbent was compared against Hypersep^TM SCX, Bond Elut® Plexa^TM PCX, Oasis-HLB^TM and Nobias^TM PA-1, regarding the adaptation in on-line FI-SPE-FAAS systems for metal determination, and herein presented.     

Application of polyurethane foam as a sorbent for trace metal pre-concentration — A review

The first publication on the use of polyurethane foam (PUF) for sorption processes dates back to 1970, and soon after the material was applied for separation processes. The application of PUF as a sorbent for solid phase extraction of inorganic analytes for separation and pre-concentration purposes is reviewed. The physical and chemical characteristics of PUF (polyether and polyester type) are discussed and an introduction to the characterization of these sorption processes using different types of isotherms is given. Separation and pre-concentration methods using unloaded and loaded PUF in batch and on-line procedures with continuous flow and flow injection systems are presented. Methods for the direct solid sampling analysis of the PUF after pre-concentration are discussed as well as approaches for speciation analysis. Thermodynamic proprieties of some extraction processes are evaluated and the interpretation of determined parameters, such as enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy in light of the physico-chemical processes is explained.     

Spherical silica particles decorated with graphene oxide nanosheets as a new sorbent in inorganic trace analysis

Graphene oxide (GO) is a novel material with excellent adsorptive properties. However, the very small particles of GO can cause serious problems is solid-phase extraction (SPE) such as the high pressure in SPE system and the adsorbent loss through pores of frit. These problems can be overcome by covalently binding GO nanosheets to a support. In this paper, GO was covalently bonded to spherical silica by coupling the amino groups of spherical aminosilica and the carboxyl groups of GO (GO@SiO₂). The successful immobilization of GO nanosheets on the aminosilica was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The spherical particle covered by GO with crumpled silk wave-like carbon sheets are an ideal sorbent for SPE of metal ions. The wrinkled structure of the coating results in large surface area and a high extractive capacity. The adsorption bath experiment shows that Cu(II) and Pb(II) can be quantitatively adsorbed at pH 5.5 with maximum adsorption capacity of 6.0 and 13.6 mg g⁻¹, respectively. Such features of GO nanosheets as softness and flexibility allow achieving excellent contact with analyzed solution in flow-rate conditions. In consequence, the metal ions can be quantitatively preconcentrated from high volume of aqueous samples with excellent flow-rate. SPE column is very stable and several adsorption–elution cycles can be performed without any loss of adsorptive properties. The GO@SiO₂ was used for analysis of various water samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry with excellent enrichment factors (200–250) and detection limits (0.084 and 0.27 ng mL⁻¹ for Cu(II) and Pb(II), respectively).     

Purification of activated charcoal for use as sorbent in NAA of trace elements in volcanic exhalations

Activated charcoals were analyzed by neutron activation analysis to test their applicability as sorbents for some volatile trace elements in volcanic exhalations. A high temperature volatilization process was applied, which reduces the concentrations of some trace elements, in particular Br, Hg, Sb and Zn.     

Silica gel modified with Eriochrome Blue SE as a sorbent in trace analysis for metal ions

The sorption of 14 metal ions on silica gel impregnated with a mixture of Aliquat 336 and Eriochrome Blue SE was investigated. It was found that the sorption behaviour depends upon the species and the pH of the loading solution. Alkali metal ions were not retained under any of the investigated conditions. The retained metal ions can be eluted with dilute solutions of hydrochloric or perchloric acid without significant elution of the chelating reagent from the sorbent. The sorbent was used for the separation of metal ion mixtures by column — extraction chromatography and for additional purification of some salt solutions from trace amounts of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu. The effectiveness of purification was confirmed by anodic stripping voltammetry.     

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes/cryogel composite, a new sorbent for determination of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A new cost-effective sorbent, multiwalled carbon nanotubes/poly (vinyl alcohol) cryogel composite (MWCNTs/PVA), was prepared under frozen conditions for the extraction and preconcentration of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water samples. This was followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The proposed method provided a high enrichment factor with an extremely high extraction efficiency (89–98%) of three spiked levels of three standard PAHs with relative standard deviations of less than 8%. The low detection limits of the method were 5, 8 and 5 ng L^{− 1} for benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene, respectively. This method was successfully applied for the determination of the three PAHs in real water samples where they were found in the range of 7 to 22 ng L^{− 1}. The major advantages of MWCNTs/PVA over the commercial C₁₈ is that it can be operated at a higher loading flow rate without sorbent clogging and requires a shorter time for completion without any loss of extraction efficiency.     

Application of multiwalled carbon nanotubes as solid phase extraction sorbent for preconcentration of trace copper in water samples

The adsorption behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) toward copper has been investigated systemically, and a new method has been developed for the determination of trace copper in water samples based on preconcentration with a microcolumn packed with MWNTs prior to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The optimum experimental parameters for preconcentration of copper, such as pH of the sample, sample flow rate and volume, elution solution and interfering ions, have been investigated. Copper can be quantitatively retained by MWNTs in the pH range 5-8, and then eluted completely with 0.5 M HNO3. The detection limit of this method for Cu was 0.42 ng/mL, and the RSD was 3.5% at the 10 ng/mL Cu level. The method was validated using a certified reference material, and has been successfully applied for the determination of trace copper in water samples.     

Modified nanoalumina sorbent for sensitive trace cobalt determination in environmental and food samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

1-(2-pryidylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) immobilized on sodium dodecyl sulfate-coated nano alumina was developed for the preconcentration and determination of metal cations Co (II) from environmental and food samples. The research results displayed that adsorbent has the highest adsorption capacity for Co (II) in this system. Desorption by elution of the adsorbent with 2.0?ml of a mixture of nitric acid and ethanol was carried out. After phase separation, the enriched analyte in the final solution is determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) by using a micro sample introduction system. Analytical influencing parameters including pH value, amount of sorbent, equilibrium time, sample volume, volume and concentration of eluent were examined. The effect of common matrix ions has also been investigated and it was found that they had no influence on cobalt preconcentration. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the maximum capacity of sorbent was obtained as 20?mg?g^?1. The preconcentration factor and limit of detection were found to be 250 and 0.15?µg?L^?1, respectively. This method showed good precision with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.4% and 2.1% in concentrations of 20 and 50?µg?L^?1, respectively. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by comparison of results with those obtained by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. This method was successfully applied for preconcentration and determination of Co (II) in environmental and food samples.     

Novel modified carbon nanotubes as a selective sorbent for preconcentration and determination of trace copper ions in fruit samples

In this work, multiwalled carbon nanotubes were reacted with N‐[3‐(triet‐hoxysilyl)propyl]isonicotinamide to prepare pyridine‐functionalized carbon nanotubes. This novel sorbent was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermal and elemental analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Functionalized carbon nanotubes were applied for the preconcentration and determination of copper ions using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Various parameters such as sample pH, flow rate, eluent type and concentration, and its volume were optimized. Under optimal experimental conditions, the limit of detection, the relative standard deviation, and the recovery of the method were 0.65 ng/mL, 3.2% and 99.4%, respectively. After validating the method using standard reference materials, the new sorbent was applied for the extraction and determination of trace copper(II) ions in fruit samples.     

Application of modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes as solid sorbent for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of manganese ions

In this work, the potential of modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of manganese ion is studied. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were oxidized with concentrated HNO₃ and then modified with loading 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphtol. Mn(II) ions could be quantitatively retained by modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes in the pH range of 8–9.5. Elution of the adsorbed manganese was carried out with 5.0 mL of 0.1 mol L^?1 HNO₃. Detection limit is 0.058 ng mL^?1 and analytical curve is linear in the range of 0.1 ng mL^?1–5.0 μg mL^?1 in the initial solution with a correlation coefficient 0.9977 and the preconcentration factor is 100. Relative standard deviation for eight replicate determination of 0.5 μg mL^?1 of manganese in the final solution is 0.41%. The effects of the experimental parameters, including the sample pH, flow rates of sample and eluent solution, eluent type, breakthrough volume and interference ions, were studied for preconcentration of Mn(II) ions in detail to optimize the conditions. The method was successfully applied for separation, preconcentration and determination of manganese in different samples.     

Solid sorbent collection and gas chromatographic determination of bis(2-chloroethyl)sulfide in air at trace concentrations

This article describes a method for the quantitative determination of the toxic military agent bis(2-chloroethyl)-sulfide (or sulfur mustard) in air or other similar gases at parts-per-trillion levels. The method entails the adsorptive trapping of mustard vapor on a bed of Tenax-GC, followed by the transfer of trapped mustard to a smaller sorbent bed and the thermal desorption of the mustard into a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector. Interference from an oxidizing gas (probably NO2) in the air is circumvented by sampling through a filter impregnated with triethanolamine (TEA) which selectively attenuates the NO2 while transmitting the mustard. The method is found to possess adequate accuracy and precision for most purposes, and the detection limit is observed to depend on the magnitude of the sample or sorbent background response rather than on instrument noise, adsorptive sampling capacity, or other fundamental limitations of the hardware.     

On-line trace enrichment of phenolic compounds from water using a pyrrole-based polymer as the solid-phase extraction sorbent coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography

A pyrrole-based conductive polymer was prepared and applied as new sorbent for on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) of phenol and chlorophenols from water samples. Polypyrrole (PPy) was synthesized by chemical oxidation of the monomer in non-aqueous solution. The efficiency of this polymer for extraction of phenol and chlorophenols was evaluated using 35 mg of PPy as the sorbent in an on-line SPE system coupled to reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection. The mobile phase were mixture of phosphate buffer-acetonitrile and compounds were eluted by the mobile phase using a six-port switching valve. High volumes of water, up to 160 ml, could be preconcentrated without the loss of phenols, except for the more polar ones. The R.S.D. for a river water sample spiked with phenol and chlorophenols at sub-ppb level was lower than 7% (n=5) and detection limits of 15-100 and 35-150 ng l⁻¹ for tap and river water were obtained, respectively.     

Synthesis of an ion-imprinted sorbent by surface imprinting of magnetized carbon nanotubes for determination of trace amounts of cadmium ions

Microchimica Acta - The authors report on the preparation of sol-gel coated magnetized carbon nanotubes whose surface were imprinted with Cd2+ ions and the application of these materials on...     

On-line preconcentration of trace copper for flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a spherical cellulose sorbent with chemically bound quinolin-8-ol

Preconcentration was effected using a 50 mm × 2 mm i.d. minicolumn packed with a spherical cellulose sorbent with chemically bound quinolin-8-ol function groups (Ostorb Oxin). The column was connected to the nebulizer of the atomic absorption spectrometer and the sample solution and eluent (2 M hydrochloric acid) were sucked through it at a flow-rate of 2–3 ml min^?1 by utilizing the negative pressure of the nebulizer. The experimental design was tested with the determination of traces of copper. Peak-area and peak-height measurements were compared. Owing to the simple calibration, the former method was used for quantification. The dynamic range was from 0.3 ng ml^?1 (detection limit) to 5 μg ml^?1 (breakthrough). The reproducibility in the concentration range 25 ng ml^?1-5 μg ml^?1 was better than 5%. Water-soluble inorganic salts, ammonia and sodium hydroxide were analysed. The accuracy of the results was checked by anodic-stripping voltammetry and by electrothermal AAS.     

Determination of trace amounts of vanadium by UV-vis spectrophotometric after separation and preconcentration with modified natural clinoptilolite as a new sorbent

Natural clinoptilolite was used as a sorbent material for solid phase extraction and preconcentration of vanadium. The clinoptilolite was first saturated with a cation such as nickel(II) and then modified with benzyldimethyltetradecyleammonium chloride (BDTA) for increasing sorption of 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR). Vanadium–PAR complex was quantitatively retained on the sorbent by the column method at the pH range 6.2–7.0 at a flow rate of 1 mL min⁻¹. It was removed from the column with 5.0 mL of dimethylformamide solution at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min⁻¹ and determined by UV–vis spectrophotometry at λ_max = 550 nm. 0.031 μg of vanadium can be concentrated from 450 mL of aqueous sample (where detection limit as 0.07 ng mL⁻¹ with preconcentration factor of 90). Relative standard deviation for eight replicate determination of 5.0 μg of vanadium in final solution is 2.1%. The interference of number of anions and cations has been studied in detail to optimize the conditions and method was successfully applied for determination of all vanadium as V(IV) form in standard samples.