Selective Determination of Trace Co(II) and Cu(II) in Food and Environmental Matrices via Carrier Element-Free Coprecipitation Using a Novel Thiosemicarbazone-Derived Schiff Base

A carrier element-free coprecipitation (CEFC) method was developed for the preconcentration and determination of trace Co(II) and Cu(II) in environmental and food samples using a novel thiosemicarbazone-derived Schiff base ligand (MBITAH). Unlike conventional coprecipitation approaches, the proposed strategy eliminates the need for inorganic carriers, reducing potential interferences and improving selectivity toward the target analytes. Under optimized conditions (pH 7.0, 1.5 mg ligand), quantitative recoveries were achieved with limits of detection of 1.16 and 0.79 µg L⁻¹ for Co(II) and Cu(II), respectively. A preconcentration factor of 50 enabled sensitive determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) with good precision (RSD ≤ 3.7%). The method exhibited good tolerance toward common matrix ions and was validated using certified-reference material (CRM-SA-C Sandy Soil C) and spike/recovery tests, showing agreement with certified values (p > 0.05). Its applicability was demonstrated in sea water, stream water, and food samples (red lentil and bulgur), confirming reliable performance in complex matrices. Compared with previously reported approaches, the proposed CEFC method offers a favorable balance between analytical performance, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. In addition, greenness assessment using the AGREE tool yielded a score of 0.45, indicating a moderate-to-good level of environmental friendliness.