Simultaneous preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) on Nano-TiO2 modified with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole prior to flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination

Nano-TiO2 modified with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) was investigated as a new adsorbent for preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II). The metal ions are adsorbed onto nano-TiO2-MBT, eluted by nitric acid and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The parameters affecting the adsorption were investigated. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.2–25.0, 0.2–20.0, and 3.0–70.0 ng mL−1 for cadmium, copper and lead, respectively. The limits of detection for Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) were 0.12, 0.15 and 1.38 ng mL−1, respectively. The method was applied to determination of Cd(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) in water and ore samples.