Extraction of copper ions using silica gel with chemically modified surface

The applicability of silica gels for the application in solid-phase extraction was tested. Silica was modified with ketoimine groups. Surface characteristics of the modified silica were determined by elemental analysis, NMR spectra of solid phases (²⁹Si CP MAS NMR), analysis of pore size distribution of the silica support, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. Newly proposed sorbents with ketoimine groups were applied in the preconcentration of trace amounts of the Cu (II) ions from lake water, post-industrial water, and demineralized water unburdened back to the lake. Presented at the 34th International Conference of the Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, Tatranské Matliare, 21–25 May 2007.