Microchemical Journal, 110: 485-493, 2013 The original publication is available at: http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.microc.2013.06.006 Abstract Solid-phase extraction (SPE) approach was introduced approximately five decades ago, and until then development of SPE materials is seamlessly continued. Lately, the SPE-based research is increasingly focused in developing more explicit materials to achieve meticulous separation of elements from complex solution matrices with high concentrations of interfering ions. One group of SPE materials includes those with macrocyclic ligands immobilized on a solid-phase, which are capable of selective separation and preconcentration of elements, and such selectivity in metal retention is generally termed as molecular recognition. In the process, the designed 'host' material possesses a high degree of recognition to specific elements or groups of elements called 'guest', and the recognition capability remains effective at the very low concentrations of the 'guest' species or when those present in complex matrices. The routes to the development of element-selective SPEs, the operating principles, applications and limitations are discussed in this review.
KeywordsSeparation; element-selectivity; Macrocycles; Solid-phase extraction; Molecular recognition 2 Microchemical Journal, 110: 485-493, 2013 The original publication is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2013.06.006
IntroductionAlthough metals and metalloids are ubiquitous in nature, the environmental concentrations of both toxic and essential elements have been largely increased mostly pursuant to anthropogenic activities related to the industrial development and improved living standards in modern societies. The growing extent of metal pollution also initiated a number of legislative measures, such as, RoHS or ELV directive has been imposed to specify the limit of trace elements in the industrial products, while the EU directive defined the acceptable concentrations of different elements in cultivable soils.Sensitive analytical techniques such as, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and so forth are available for precise analysis of trace elements in solution. An overall analytical process comprises a number of succeeding steps, including sampling, sample preparation, separation and quantification. Among the aforementioned steps, sample preparation is by far the most important error source in modern analytical method development due to the low species concentration or heterogeneous distribution of the analytes in the matrix as well as the complex nature of the sample matrices. Therefore, a clean-up/separation step is often recommended before the analytical determination of trace elements in effluent or industrial waste waters to avoid the interfering effect from the matrix ions or to facilitate preconcentration due to their low concentrations in samples. The t...