We describe the analytical performance of a hybrid material composed of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 . It was prepared by a sol-gel process and can act as an adsorbent in the continuous-flow enrichment of copper. A minicolumn was packed with the material, copper ions are adsorbed at pH 9.13, then eluted with 1.0 mol L −1 nitric acid, and determined by FAAS. The material was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron and energy dispersive spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis, powder Xray diffraction, and specific surface area analysis. No significant interference was observed for most ions in up to copper/ interferent ratios of 1:100 and of 1:500 in case of Ca(II), Ba (II), and Mg(II). The breakthrough capacity is 1.4 mg g −1 under dynamic conditions. The limits of detection and of quantification are 0.50 and 1.4 μg L −1 , respectively, and the calibration plot is linear in the range from 5.0 to 245.0 μg L −1 (r00.999). The relative standard deviation is 3.20 (for n07 and at a Cu(II) concentration of 10 μg L −1 ). The method was applied to the determination of trace copper ions in water, vegetable and alcohol fuel samples.

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