Ultra-sensitive Sb speciation analysis in water samples by magnetic ionic liquid dispersive liquid-liquid...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Antimony (Sb) speciation in water is crucial for environmental and health risk assessment.
• Existing methods for Sb separation and preconcentration can be complex and time-consuming.
• Development of sensitive and selective analytical techniques for Sb speciation is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method for efficient separation and preconcentration of inorganic Sb species.
• To apply the method for Sb speciation analysis in diverse water samples using electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS).
• To optimize extraction conditions using a multivariate study.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) ([P6,6,6,14]FeCl4) as an extractant for Sb(iii) complexed with ammonium diethyldithiophosphate (DDTP).
• Employed a magnetic rod for rapid phase separation of the MIL.
• Applied selective reduction of Sb(v) to Sb(iii) using potassium iodide (KI) for total inorganic Sb determination.
• Determined Sb using electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS).

Main Results:

• Achieved high extraction efficiencies: 98.0% for Sb(iii) and 92.6% for Sb(v).
• Obtained a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.02 μg L-1 for Sb(iii).
• Demonstrated good precision with relative standard deviations of 3.1% for Sb(iii) and 3.5% for Sb(v).
• Established a wide calibration linear range of 0.08-20 μg L-1.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DLLME method using MIL and ETAAS is highly sensitive and selective for Sb speciation.
• The method is effective for analyzing inorganic Sb species in various real-world water samples.
• This technique offers an efficient approach for environmental monitoring of antimony.