ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for the solid-phase preconcentration of metals in diverse sample matrices and their subsequent determination by atomic spectrometric techniques. Chemical modification and activation of MWCNTs makes them a promising adsorbent for the sorption of trace and precious metal ions and also improves the analytical detection limit by preconcentration and separation methods. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and modified CNTs with chemical treatment are relatively new sorbents due to their unique properties such as chemical stability, chemical and thermal stability, unique morphology, relatively high reactivity, and the high surface area. Various types of interaction and forces are involved in the sorption of metal ions onto modified CNTs, such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, surface complexation and vander Waals forces, ion exchange, and so forth. A potential and an excellent single-walled carbon nanotubes used as an adsorbent for the separation and preconcentration of Au and Pd.
