A magnetic MoS2-Fe3O4 nanocomposite as an effective adsorbent for dispersive solid-phase microextraction of lead(II) and copper(II) prior to their determination by FAAS

The authors describe the preparation of a nanocomposite (mag-MoS2-Fe3O4) that was prepared from molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles by a hydrothermal method in an inert atmosphere. The composite is shown to be a viable magnetic adsorbent for dispersive solid phase microextraction of lead(II) and copper(II) ions from water and plant samples. The nanocomposite was characterized by FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, and BET methods. The factors affecting the extraction recovery of the analytes, including the pH value, type of dispersive solvent, sample volume, type and volume of eluent solution, and interfering ions, were optimized. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was then used for quantitation. Figures of merit of this method include a preconcentration factor of 50 for lead(II) and 35 for Cu(II), LODs of 3.3 mu g.L-1 for lead(II) and of 1.8 mu g.L-1 for Cu(II), and RSDs of 4.9 and 1.5%, respectively. The method was used to preconcentrate the analytes from plant and water samples prior to their determination by FAAS. It was then validated by analyzing certified reference materials (water and plant), and this resulted in good accuracy.