Determination of Trace Cobalt in Water Samples by Ionic Liquid-Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A new method for the determination of ultra-trace cobalt by ionic liquid-dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was developed. The trace cobalt was extracted by DLLME using the homemade reagent 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-dimethylaminobenzenamine (5-Br-PADMA) as chelating agent, the ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C6mim][PF6]) as extractant, and acetonitrile (CH3CN) as dispersing agent, and then determined by GFAAS. The factors affecting the cobalt extraction efficiency: the type and volume of extraction solvent and dispersive solvent, the concentration and dosage of chelating agent, and the pH of the solution, were explored using the one-way rotation method. Under the optimized conditions, the cobalt concentration showed excellent linearity in the range of 0.05–1.50 ng/mL with the detection limit of 0.026 ng/mL; the relative standard deviation (RSD) for the determination of the cobalt standard solution with the mass concentration of 1.0 ng/mL was 4.83% (n = 9). From the slope of the linear regression equation for the determination of cobalt obtained after extraction compared with that before extraction, the enrichment factor of the method was found to be 62, and the spiked recoveries were in the range of 94.0–104.4%. The method is characterized by low detection limit, high sensitivity, and environment friendliness as well as convenient and rapid operation for the determination of trace cobalt in water samples. The results of this method are satisfactory.