Synthesis and properties of a newly obtained sorbent based on silica gel coated with a polyaniline film as the stationary phase for non-suppressed ion chromatography

The new sorbent for non-suppressed ion chromatography based on silica gel coated with a film of polyaniline (PANI) was obtained in a process of in situ polymerization of aniline by oxidation with ammonium peroxydisulfate. Raman analyses performed using a Thermo Scientific DXR confocal Raman Microscope equipped with the Omnic 8 software from Thermo Fisher Scientific have proved a uniform distribution of PANI on the surface of chromatographic beads and in the pores of the particle. The obtained stationary phase was packed into a stainless steel HPLC column. The quality of the prepared column was verified on the basis of hydrodynamic parameters such as column efficiency index (I-p) and separation impedance (E). The potential application of silica gel modified with polyaniline for separation and determination of selected anions using non-suppressed ion chromatography was also investigated. Chromatographic analyses were performed using of the ion chromatograph Dionex DX-500. The best results were obtained for the mobile phase consisting of an aqueous or methanolic solution of hydrochloric acid. The tested column and optimized chromatographic system were successfully used for the analysis of nitrate, bromide and iodide in waters samples. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.