Glycine modified graphene oxide as a novel sorbent for preconcentration of chromium, copper, and zinc ions from water samples prior to energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometric determination

A novel and selective sorbent for micro-solid phase extraction was synthesized by chemical functionalization of graphene oxide with glycine. The structure of this nanomaterial, referred to as GO-Gly, was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. GO-Gly was used for preconcentration of chromium, zinc, and copper ions from water samples prior to their determination by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). The proposed procedure is based on dispersion of micro amounts of GO-Gly in aqueous samples. After adsorption of metal ions on its surface, samples were filtered under vacuum and then membrane filters were directly submitted to energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometric measurements. In order to obtain optimal preconcentration conditions, some parameters affecting sorption process, such as pH, amount of GO-Gly, sorption times, and sample volume, were examined. Under optimal conditions the calibration curves were linear in a 1-150 ng mL(-1) range with recoveries higher than 97%. The obtained detection limits for Cr(III), Zn(II), and Cu(II) determinations are 0.15, 0.07, and 0.08 ng mL(-1), respectively. A relative standard deviation of the proposed procedure (at a 10 ng mL(-1) level for n = 10) is lower than 2.3%. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of Cr(III), Zn(II), and Cu(II) ions in water samples.