Extraction of Trace Quantities of Copper Using Novel Modified Magnetite Nanoparticles for Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Analysis

Background: Copper is one of several heavy metals. A low concentration of copper is vital for animals and plants, whereas it is highly toxic to aquatic plants and bacteria in a high concentration. Therefore, copper ions in water and food must be controlled, and as a result, the development of novel methods for the determination of copper in water samples is of interest. Objective: Different techniques have been proposed for copper ions extraction and determination. The magnetic solid-phase extraction method is considered superior to the other method for simplicity, its higher enrichment, and the need for lower quantities of solvents. The novel modified magnetite nanoparticles as the sorbent, along with the atomic absorption spectrometry analysis, can be a low-cost, simple and rapid method for this propose. Methods: Traces of Cu(II) in environmental samples were preconcentrated using a novel magnetic adsorbent developed based on 2,2´-((1E,1´E)-hydrazine-1,2-diylidenebis(methanylylidene)) diphenol coated magnetite nanoparticles. The influence of ligand concentration, amount of adsorbent, pH, type of eluent, sample volume, and effects of interfering ions were optimized. The adsorbed species were eluted for analysis through atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: A linear calibration curve was recorded from 2 to 40 μg ml^-1 (r²= 0.999) under optimal conditions, and the detection limit of the method was as low as 1.6 μg ml^-1. Also, good recoveries were obtained for the real sample analysis. Conclusion: The developed procedure constituted a rapid extraction, a low-cost and efficient method, and was used for the analysis of copper ions in the tap, river, and lake water.