Silver nanoparticles attached to silica gel as a new solid phase adsorbent for preconcentration and determination of iron from biological samples

In this study, an easy and fast procedure based on solid phase extraction was developed that is intended to pre-concentrate, separate, and determine trace amounts of Fe(III) ions in biological samples using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Silver nanoparticles coated with silica gel were modified by morin and then used as a sorbent. It was synthesized by mixing slurried silica gel with silver nitrate and sodium citrate. The effects of experimental conditions, including pH, sample and eluent flow rates, and the type and least amount of an eluent to the elute iron from the sorbent were studied, and optimum values of these parameters have been found. Under the optimum conditions, the limit of detection of this procedure for Fe(III) was 67 ng/l. The relative standard deviation (RSD%) was 2.5 % (n = 10, C = 0.5 mg/l). The developed procedure was used to determine iron in biological samples.