Synthesis and comparison of two different morphologies of graphitic carbon nitride as adsorbent for preconcentration of heavy metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive micro solid phase extraction method

Abstract

The g-C₃N₄ (GCN) adsorbent with two different morphologies, coral (CGCN) and nano fiber (GCNNF), was synthesized and recruited for extraction and preconcentration of lead and copper metal ions by effervescent salt-assisted dispersive micro solid phase extraction procedure. The structures of the two adsorbents were affirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses. The factors affecting the extraction efficiency were carefully studied and the optimum values of the parameters for both adsorbents were pH 6.5, adsorbent dosage 8 mg, desorption time 3 min, and the elution solvent 300 μL of 2 mol L⁻¹ of HNO₃. The detection limits of Pb(II (and Cu(II) ions for CGCN were 0.9 and 0.3 μgL⁻¹ and for GCNNF were 1.56 and 0.7 μgL⁻¹, respectively. The percent relative standard deviations were obtained to be 1.32% and 2.23% for CGCN (n = 3) and 1.24% and 2.29% for GCNNF (n = 3), respectively for the lead and copper metal ions. In addition, the adsorbents could be used up to 7 times without an imperative reduction in the percentages of analytes recovery. Finally, the performance of CGCN and GCNNF were used for preconcentrate of lead and copper ions in honey, canned fish, and human hair samples.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Graphitic carbon nitride
• dispersive micro-solid phase extraction
• effervescent
• metal ions
• adsorbent

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the Semnan University Research Council for the financial support of this work.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.