Highly efficient and simultaneous magnetic solid phase extraction of heavy metal ions from water samples with l-Cysteine modified magnetic polyamidoamine dendrimers prior to high performance liquid chromatography

Due to the strong metal-sulfur interaction between mercapto groups and metal ions , which can be used to functionalize polyamidoamine dendrimer decorated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles for high enrichment of trace heavy metal ions from waters. Based on this concept, polyamidoamine dendrimer modified Fe 3 O 4 nanomaterials were functionalized with l -Cysteine and a new magnetic solid phase extraction for rapid adsorption and separation of Hg 2+ , Pb 2+ , Co 2+ and Cd 2+ from waters was established. The factors affecting extraction efficiency have been optimized. Upon the optimal parameters, the established method provided good linear ranges of 0.1–200 μg L −1 for Hg 2+ and 0.05–200 μg L −1 for Pb 2+ , Co 2+ and Cd 2+ , and high sensitivity with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.018 μg L −1 , 0.014 μg L −1 , 0.013 μg L −1 and 0.025 μg L −1 for Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , Co 2+ and Hg 2+ , respectively. Real water samples were utilized to validate the proposed method, and achieved results revealed that the proposed method was sensitive, effective, stable and suitable for monitoring Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , Co 2+ and Hg 2+ in environmental waters. This work provided a novel strategy for the simultaneous analysis of target cations in waters, and a new direction for developing decoration method of nanomaterials according to specific purpose.