ICP-AES detection of ultratrace aluminum(III) and chromium(III) ions with a microcolumn preconcentration system using dynamically immobilized 8-hydroxyquinoline on TiO2 nanoparticles

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle dynamically loaded with 8-hydroxyquinoline (nanometer TiO2-Oxine) was used as a solid-phase extractant for the preconcentration of trace amounts of aluminum(III) and chromium(III) prior to their determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The optimal conditions for preparing nanometer TiO2-Oxine were obtained. Also, the separation/preconcentration conditions of analytes, including the effects of the pH, the sample flow rate and the volume, the elution solution and the interfering ions on the recovery,of the analytes were investigated. At pH 6.0, the adsorption capacity of nanometer TiO2-Oxine was found to be 5.23 mg g(-1) and 9.58 mg g(-1) for Al(III) and Cr(III), respectively. An enrichment factor of 50 was achieved by this method, and the detection limits (3sigma) for Al(III) and Cr(III) were 1.96 and 0.32 mug L-1 respectively. The proposed method was applied for the determination of trace AI(III) and Cr(III) in biological samples and lake water with satisfactory results.