Salen impregnated silica gel as a new sorbent for on-line preconcentration of cadmium(II)

A new sorbent – salen impregnated silica gel – was prepared and characterised for application as a minicolumn packing for flow-injection on-line preconcentration of cadmium(II). The system was coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-FAAS). The optimal pH for Cd(II) sorption was in the range of 7.4–8.8 and nitric acid (1%, v/v) was efficient as eluent. Sorption was most effective within the sample flow rate up to 7 mL min−1. Sorption capacity of the sorbent found in a batch procedure was 26.3 µmol g−1 (2.95 mg g−1). Enrichment factor (EF) and limit of detection (LOD) obtained for 120-second loading time were 113 and 0.26 µg L−1, respectively. The sorbent stability in the working conditions was proved for at least 100 preconcentration cycles. The evaluated method was applied to Cd(II) determination in various water samples.