Copper is an essential element whose role is complex in many body functions such as hemoglobin synthesis, normal function of the central nervous system, and oxidative phosphorylation [1]. It is an important nutrient for plants and animals and plays a significant role as a cofactor in at least 30 important enzymes [2]. Many different microextraction procedures combined with spectrometric determinations have been developed for copper[3] Supramolecular–based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was proposed for separation and preconcentration of trace quantities of copper as prior step to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry for the first time. The copper ions are micro–extracted with coacervates composed of reverse micelles formed using decanoic acid and dispersed in tetrahydrofuran–water mixtures[4]. The method involves the partitioning of the metal chelates, produced from the reaction of Cu2+ with cupferron in acidic medium and combination of DLLME with coacervation–based microextraction. It combines the advantages of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with those based on coacervation and reverse micelles[5]. All the critical parameters affecting the analytical performance were studied. Under the optimum conditions, the enhancement factor was 30. The detection limit and precision (RSD) were 1.6 μg L−1 and 3.2% (200 μg L−1) respectively. The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by analyzing a certified reference material and applied successfully to the analysis of water and vegetables samples.

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