• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2007

The present paper describes a procedure for separation, preconcentration and determination of trace amount of copper in natural water samples by using 2-mercaptobenzimidazol as the complexing agent. The proposed method is based on the surfactant aggregation formed on γ-alumina by mixing sodium dodecyl sulfate and γ-alumina in water; 2-mercaptobenzimidazol was incorporated into inner hydrophobic part of produced ad-micelles in acidic media to produce an assemble suitable for preconcentration and determination of copper ion. Optimum experimental conditions for adsorption of μg/ml levels of copper ions from aqueous solution by the adsorbent have been reported. The copper ions were quantitively adsorbed by the sorbent over the pH range of 7.1-8.0 and were quantitatively desorbed afterward by using sulfosalycilic acid as the eluent. The determination of copper was not interfered in the presence of common metal ions. The procedure was applied for analysis of river water sample. Relative standard deviation was found to be 4.91%.