Amino-functionalized Nano-size Composite Materials for Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction of Phosphate in Water Samples

An efficient analytical method for the preconcentration and determination of phosphate in water samples at trace levels was proposed. The method was based on sample enrichment using dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)-functionalized nano-size composite materials (TEPA-NCMs) as sorbents, which were fully characterized. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were systematically investigated. After extraction, the post-adsorbed TEPA-NCMs were eluted by a NaOH solution for desorption of the phosphate. The resulting eluate containing phosphate was determined by a spectrophotometric method. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.29 and 0.96 μg L−1, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were lower than 8.0% with average recoveries ranging from 91 to 118%. The present method was successfully applied to the determination of phosphate at trace levels in real water samples, and it was confirmed that the TEPA-NCMs are highly effective dSPE materials.