Modified bentonite with dithizone as nano clay mineral adsorbent for solid phase extraction of silver ions

Abstract

In this work, a simple flow injection system incorporating a microcolumn of immobilized dithizone on bentonite coated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) for on-line separation/preconcentration and determination of trace amounts of silver in water. Dithizone was physically immobilized on the surfactant coated bentonite particles and was used as the adsorbent in the preparation of microcolumn. Silver ions were deposited by processing a standard or sample solution of analyte in the pH range of 3-9 through the microcolumn. Injection of 250 μL of thiourea (0.4 mol L-1, pH = 5.0) served to elute the retained species to the FAAS. The capacity of the adsorbent under working conditions was found to be 7.2 mg of silver per gram of adsorbent. Processing a water sample volume of 30 mL resulted in an enrichment factor of 116. The method was successfully applied to the determination of silver in different natural waters and a certified reference material.