Adsorption-luminescence determination of copper concentration using silica gel chemically modified with <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-thiol)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>′-propylurea groups

Silica gel chemically modified with 1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-thiol groups recovered 99% of the copper(II) from solutions of pH 4–6; the adsorption equilibrium was attained in no more than 5 minutes. During irradiation with ultraviolet light, a yellow-orange luminescence (λ_max = 575 nm) of surface copper complexes appeared in the phase of adsorbent cooled to 77 K; it was used as an analytical signal in the procedure for the low-temperature adsorption-luminescence determination of copper concentration. The detection limit was 0.3 μ g/0.1 g adsorbent. The calibration graph was linear up to 50 μg/0.1 g adsorbent. The determination of copper concentration is not affected by 10000-fold amounts of Zn(II), Cd(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Ca(II), Mg(II), and Al(III) and 300-fold amounts of Fe(III). The procedure was used to determine copper concentration in natural and technogenic waters.