Synthesis of Zn(II) ion-imprinted solid-phase extraction material and its analytical application

Zn(II) ion-imprinted polymer materials used for solid-phase extraction (SPE) column were prepared by the copolymerization of 8-acryloyloxyquinoline (8-AOQ) monomer and a crosslinker ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) in the presence of 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. After removing Zn(II) ion from the polymer, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) capable of selectively rebinding Zn(II) ion were obtained. The maximum adsorption capacity of Zn(II) on MIPs beads was about 3.9 mg g−1. The effect of pH and flow rate for quantitative enrichment was also investigated. The Zn(II)-imprinted microbeads have a greater affinity for Zn(II) with respect to Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) ions. A detection limit of 0.65 μg L−1(3σ) and a relative standard deviation (R.S.D., n = 7) of 2.9% were obtained. The MIPs–SPE preconcentration procedure showed a linear calibration curve within concentration range from 0.65 to 130 μg L−1. Zn(II) ion-imprinted beads enabled the selective extraction of zinc ions from a complex matrix, and after 20 times of adsorption and desorption cycle, the recovery of adsorption capacity of Zn(II) on MIPs beads was only decreased 3.2%. The results suggested that these MIPs can be used several times without considerable loss of adsorption capacity.