Selective ion-imprinted polymers for preconcentration and determination of silver in water and hair by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A new Ag(I)-ion imprinted polymer (IIP) was prepared by formation of 2-(4-hydroxypent-3-en-2-ylideneamine) phenol complex for selective extraction and preconcentration of silver ions. Polymerization was performed with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinking monomer and methacrylic acid as functional monomer in the presence of 2,2-azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator via bulk polymerization method. The Ag(I)-imprinted polymeric particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The template silver ion was removed from the polymeric matrix using 2.0 M HNO₃. Optimum pH for maximum sorption was 6.0. Maximum sorbent capacity and enrichment factor for Ag(I) were 12.5 mg/g and 50, respectively. The relative standard deviation and detection limit of the method were evaluated as ±4% and 2.3 ng/L, respectively. The developed IIP has also been tested for preconcentration and recovery of Ag(I) ions from water and hair samples.