Trace determination of chromium(VI) in environmental water samples using innovative thermally reduced graphene (TRG) modified SiO₂ adsorbent for solid phase extraction and UV-vis spectrophotometry.

An innovative thermally reduced graphene (TRG) modified silica-supported 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (SiO2-APTES) composite was synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy SEM techniques. The adsorbent was then used in the solid phase extraction (SPE) of Cr (VI) as the Cr (VI)-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) complex with the subsequent measurement by UV-vis spectrophotometry. The adsorbent surface was activated by adding sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to the sample solution. The effect of the main experimental parameters such as type and volume of the extraction solvent, pH, dosage of DPC, SDS, the adsorbent, time of the extraction, and salt concentration on the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. A linear dynamic range of 1.3-40 ng mL(-1) with a satisfactory determination coefficient (R(2)) of 0.9930 was obtained. A detection limit of 0.4 ng mL(-1) Cr (VI) was attained when a sample volume of 25 mL was used. Intraday and inter-day precisions were obtained equal to 2.3% and 7.9%, respectively. The enrichment factor (EF) was calculated to be equal to 167. The technique was applied successfully to the determination of Cr (VI) at trace levels in tap, river, sewage and ground water samples and the relative recoveries of the added chromium were in the range of 92.6-109.9%.