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Separation and preconcentration of mercury in water samples by ionic liquid supported cloud point extraction and fluorimetric determination

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Abstract

We have developed a cloud point extraction procedure based on room temperature ionic liquid for the preconcentration and determination of mercury in water samples. Mercury ion was quantitatively extracted with tetraethyleneglycol-bis(3- methylimidazolium) diiodide in the form of its complex with 5,10,15,20-tetra-(4-phenoxyphenyl)porphyrin. The complex was back extracted from the room temperature ionic liquid phase into an aqueous media prior to its analysis by spectrofluorimetry. An overall preconcentration factor of 45 was accomplished upon preconcentration of a 20 mL sample. The limit of detection obtained under the optimal conditions is 0.08 μg mL−1, and the relative standard deviation for 10 replicate assays (at 0.5 g mL−1 of Hg) was 2.4%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in tap, river and mineral water samples.

In this work, a novel and sensitive analytical methodology for mercury preconcentration and determination in different water samples using ionic liquid was developed. The use of room temperature ionic liquid‘s biphasic systems as an alternative to conventional solvents offers several advantages including safety and high capacity to extract Hg(II) and other elements with high recoveries. İonic liquid in combination with porphyrin complexing reagent was successfully applied in this study for the extraction and preconcentration of Hg(II). Likewise, a fast and quantitative back extraction of the analyte from room temperature ionic liquid phase into aqueous phase was possible, allowing its further determination by spectrofluorimetry. The preconcentration method allowed mercury determination in tap, river and mineral water samples at trace levels with high accuracy and reproducibility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Kaynaklar Campus, 35160, Izmir, Turkey

    Serap Seyhan Bozkurt & Melek Merdivan

  2. Advanced Technologies Research & Application Center, Mersin University, Ciftlikkoy Campus, TR33343, Mersin, Turkey

    Kasim Ocakoglu

Authors
  1. Serap Seyhan Bozkurt
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  2. Kasim Ocakoglu
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  3. Melek Merdivan
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Correspondence to Serap Seyhan Bozkurt.

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Bozkurt, S.S., Ocakoglu, K. & Merdivan, M. Separation and preconcentration of mercury in water samples by ionic liquid supported cloud point extraction and fluorimetric determination. Microchim Acta 177, 47–52 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-011-0751-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-011-0751-8

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