Magnetic nanomaterials for the removal,separation and preconcentration of organic and inorganic pollutants at trace levels and their practical applications: A review

The presence of organic and inorganic pollutants in nature even in very small concentrations threatens human and other living bodies health and makes it significant to remove, separate and preconcentrate these pollutants. Recently magnetic nano sorbents has been used frequently in the separation and preconcentration of these pollutants. The use of magnetic nano sorbents modified with inorganic and organic species has widespread applications in the solid phase extraction (SPE) studies due to its many unique properties. These modified nano sorbents are preferred due to their advantages such as high adsorption capacities and large surface areas. This review examined different types of magnetic materials such as magnetic carbon-based nano sorbents, inorganic nano sorbents with magnetic properties, magnetized biosorbents, magnetic metal-organic frameworks, and magnetized ionic liquids used in SPE studies. In this study, a comprehensive and systematic review of the separation and preconcentration of analytes such as heavy metal ions, drug active substances, pesticides, dyes, hormone disruptors, etc with SPE methods using magnetic nanomaterials has been revealed. Future aspects and challenges that may be encountered are discussed.     

Solid-phase extraction for metabolomic analysis of high-salinity samples by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

Environmental samples such as soil solutions contain inorganic ions such as NH4(+), K(+), Na(+), NO3(-), and PO4(3-) in high concentrations, which must be removed prior to capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis to obtain accurate results. However, the separation of these inorganic ions from ionic metabolites, which are the target compounds in capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry analysis, is difficult because the physicochemical properties of the inorganic ions are similar to those of the ionic metabolites. In this study, we used various solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns for the purification of the samples containing inorganic ions in high concentrations. We found that cation-exchange SPE columns successfully filtered out the inorganic ions while retaining most of the organic compounds, which were easily collected with high recovery rates. In addition, 17 cationic metabolites in the soil solution were quantified by CE-MS analysis following the SPE purification process. The results suggest that our method can be used to analyze other environmental samples containing inorganic ions in high concentrations.     

Selectivity of solid-phase extraction phases in the determination of biodegradation products

The extraction techniques connected with gas chromatography were used to describe quantitatively and qualitatively the biodegradation process. We investigated the biodegradation of hydrocarbons and non-ionic surfactants. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction were used for the isolation of the non-degraded compounds and their degradation products. The selectivity of SPE has a significant influence on the isolation and preconcentration of organic compounds from water.     

Liquid-phase polymer-based retention,a new method for separation and preconcentration of elements

A method based on the retention of inorganic ions by water-soluble polymeric reagents (liquid-phase polymer-based retention) in a membrane filtration cell is suggested for the separation and preconcentration of various elements. The preseparated elements remain in the aqueous solution, which is convenient for most instrumental methods of completing the analysis. The water-soluble poly(ethyleneimine) and its thiourea and methylated derivatives are shwon to be useful for retention of different inorganic ions and their separation from elements not bound to the polymer reagent.     

Preliminary results on the determination of ultratrace amounts of cadmium in tea samples using a flow injection on-line solid phase extraction separation and preconcentration technique to couple with a sequential injection hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

In this work, a method was developed for determination of ultra-trace levels of Cd in tea samples by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). A flow injection solid phase extraction (FI-SPE) separation and preconcentration technique, to on-line couple with a sequential injection hydride generation (SI-HG) technique is employed in this study. Cd was preconcentrated on the SPE column, which was made from a neutral extractant named Cyanex 923, while other matrix ions or interfering ions were completely or mostly separated off. Conditions for the SPE separation and preconcentration, as well as conditions for the HG technique, were studied. Due to the separation of interfering elements, Cd hydride generation efficiency could be greatly enhanced with the sole presence of Co²⁺ with a concentration of 200 μg L⁻¹, which is much lower than those in other works previously reported. Interferences on both the Cd separation and preconcentration, and Cd hydride generation (HG) were investigated; it showed that both the separation and preconcentration system, and the HG system had a strong anti-interference ability. The SPE column could be repeatedly used at least 400 times, a R.S.D. of 0.97% was obtained for 6 measurements of Cd with 0.2 μg L⁻¹ and a correlation coefficiency of 1.0000 was obtained for the measurement of a series of solutions with Cd concentrations from 0.1 to 2 μg L⁻¹. The method has a low detection limit of 10.8 ng L⁻¹ for a 25 mL solution and was successfully validated by using two tea standard reference materials (GBW08513 and GBW07605).     

On-line preconcentration of organic anions in capillary electrophoresis by solid-phase extraction using latex-coated monolithic stationary phases

Quaternary ammonium functionalised polymeric latex particles were coated onto the wall of a fused-silica capillary or onto a methacrylate monolithic bed synthesised inside the capillary in order to create ion-exchange stationary phases of varying ion-exchange capacity. These capillaries were coupled in-line to a separation capillary and used for the solid-phase extraction (SPE), preconcentration and subsequent separation of organic anions by capillary electrophoresis. A transient isotachophoretic gradient was used for the elution of bound analytes from the SPE phase using two modes of separation. The first comprised a low capacity SPE column combined with a fluoride/octanesulfonate discontinuous electrolyte system in which peak compression occurred at the isotachophoretic gradient front. The compressed anions were separated electrophoretically after elution from the SPE preconcentration phase and resolution was achieved by altering the pH of the electrolyte in which the separation was performed. In the second approach, a latex-coated monolithic SPE preconcentration stationary phase was used in combination with a fluoride/perchlorate electrolyte system, which allowed capillary electrochromatographic separation to occur behind the isotachophoretic gradient front. This method permitted the removal of weakly bound anions from the SPE phase, thereby establishing the possibility of sample clean-up. The effect of the nature of the strong electrolyte forming the isotachophoretic gradient on the separation and also on the preconcentration step was investigated. Capillary electrochromatography of inorganic and organic species performed on the latex-coated monolithic methacrylate column highlighted the presence of mixed-mode interactions resulting from the incomplete coverage of latex particles onto the monolithic surface. Analyte preconcentration prior to separation resulted in compression of the analyte zone by a factor of 300. Improvement in the limit of detection of up to 10400 times could be achieved when performing the preconcentration step and the presented methods had limits of detection (S/N=3) ranging between 1.5 and 12 nM for the organic anions studied.     

LC-MS analysis in the aquatic environment and in water treatment – a critical review

LC-MS has become an invaluable technique for trace analysis of polar compounds in aqueous samples of the environment and in water treatment. LC-MS is of particular importance due to the impetus it has provided for research into the occurrence and fate of polar contaminants, and of their even more polar transformation products. Mass spectrometric detection and identification is most widely used in combination with sample preconcentration, chromatographic separation and atmospheric pressure ionization (API). The focus of the first part of this review is directed particularly toward instruments and method development with respect to their applications for detecting emerging contaminants, microorganisms and humic substances (HS). The current status and future perspectives of 1) mass analyzers, 2) ionization techniques to interface liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometry (MS), 3) methods for preconcentration and separation with respect to their application for water analysis are discussed and examples of applications are given. Quadrupole and ion trap mass analyzers with electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) are already applied in routine analysis. Time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers are of particular interest for accurate mass measurements for identification of unknowns. For non-polar compounds, different ionization approaches have been described, such as atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI), electrochemistry with ESI, or electron capture ionization with APCI. In sample preconcentration and separation, solid phase extraction (SPE) with different non-selective sorbent materials and HPLC on reversed-phase materials (RP-HPLC) play the dominant role. In addition, various on-line and miniaturized approaches for sample extraction and sample introduction into the MS have been used. Ion chromatography (IC), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE) are alternative separation techniques. Furthermore, the issues of compound identification, matrix effects on quantitation, development of mass spectral libraries and the topic of connecting analysis and toxicity bioassays are addressed.     

Automated on-line-solid-phase extraction—high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection of phenolic compounds in sherry wine

A new analytical method has been developed for sample preconcentration and analysis of phenolic compounds in sherry wine using on-line solid-phase extraction(SPE)-HPLC-diode array detection. The samples of wine were injected and adsorbed onto polystyrene divinylbenzene cartridges; a robotic semiflexible system was used to automate the SPE stage. Chromatographic separation was carried out in a Symmetry C₁₈ steel cartridge, with a two-step elution gradient. Peaks were identified by comparing their UV spectra with the library of spectra compiled by the authors.     

The evaluation of different sorbents for the preconcentration of phenoxyacetic acid herbicides and their metabolites from soils

A procedure using alkaline extraction, solid-phase extraction (SPE) and HPLC is developed to analyze the polar herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) together with their main metabolites in soils. An ion-pairing HPLC method is used for the determination as it permits the baseline separation of these highly polar herbicides and their main metabolites. The use of a highly cross-linked polystyrene-divinylbenzene sorbent (PS-DVB) gives the best results for the analysis of these compounds. This sorbent allows the direct preconcentration of the analytes at the high pH values obtained after quantitative alkaline extraction of the herbicides from soil samples. Different parameters are evaluated for the SPE preconcentration step. The high polarity of the main analytes of interest (2,4-D and MCPA) makes it necessary to work at low flow rates (< or =0.5 mL min(-1)) in order for these compounds to be retained by the PS-DVB sorbent. A two stage desorption from the SPE sorbent is required to obtain the analytes in solvents that are appropriate for HPLC determination. A first desorption with a 50:50 methanol:water mixture elutes the most polar analytes (2,4-D, MCPA and 2CP). The second elution step with methanol permits the analysis of the other phenol derivatives. The humic and fulvic substances present in the soil are not efficiently retained by PS-DVB sorbents at alkaline pH's and so do not interfere in the analysis. This method has been successfully applied in the analysis of soil samples from a golf course treated with a commercial product containing esters of 2,4-D and MCPA as the active components.     

On-line coupling of sorption preconcentration to liquid-chromatographic methods of analysis

Methods of analysis combining the on-line sorption preconcentration of analytes with their subsequent separation and determination by high-performance liquid chromatography are considered. Approaches to the selection of sorbents, the sizes of preconcentration columns, and the sorption and desorption conditions are discussed along with the corresponding instrumentation. Many examples of the determination of organic compounds of different polarity and organic and inorganic ions are presented.     

Mimicking receptor for methylmercury preconcentration based on ion-imprinting

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were used to develop selective separation and preconcentration for methylmercury ion from complex matrixes. In this study, an ion-imprinting polymer was prepared to make artificial organomercury lyase preorganizing three methacryloyl-(l)-cysteine methylester (MAC) monomers and one methylmercury ion in a three-coordinate form by template polymerization, with the goal preparing a solid-phase which has the high selectivity for methylmercury ions.Methylmercury-imprinted beads were produced by a dispersion polymerization technique with use methylmercury-methacryloyl-(l)-cysteine (MM-MAC) complex monomer and ethylene glycoldimethacrylate (EDMA). After removal of methylmercury ions, methylmercury-imprinted beads were used for solid-phase extraction and determination of mercury compounds. Methylmercury adsorption and selectivity studies of methylmercury versus other metal ions which Hg(II), Zn(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) were reported and distribution and selectivity coefficients of these ions with respect to methylmercury were calculated here.ICP-OES and HPLC-DAD determinations of methylmercury and mercury ions in the certified reference, LUTS-1 from the National Research Council of Canada and synthetic sea water showed that the interfering matrix had been almost removed during preconcentration. The methylmercury-imprinted solid-phase as mimic receptor was good enough for methylmercury determination in complex matrixes.     

Different strategies for the preconcentration and separation of parabens by capillary electrophoresis

Several strategies, namely, large volume sample stacking (LVSS), field‐amplified sample injection (FASI), sweeping, and in‐line SPE‐CE, were investigated for the simultaneous separation and preconcentration of a group of parabens. A BGE consisting of 20 mM sodium dihydrogenphosphate (pH 2.28) and 150 mM SDS with 15% ACN was used for the separation and preconcentration of the compounds by sweeping, and a BGE consisting of 30 mM sodium borate (pH 9.5) was used for the separation and preconcentration of the compounds by LVSS, FASI, and in‐line SPE‐CE. Several factors affecting the preconcentration process were investigated in order to obtain the maximum enhancement of sensitivity. The LODs obtained for parabens were in the range of 18–27, 3–4, 2, and 0.01–0.02 ng/mL, and the sensitivity evaluated in terms of LODs was improved up to 29‐, 77‐, 120‐, and 18 400‐fold for sweeping, LVSS, FASI, and in‐line SPE‐CE, respectively. These preconcentration techniques showed potential as good strategies for focusing parabens. The four methods were validated with standard samples to show the potential of these techniques for future applications in real samples, such as biological and environmental samples.     

Preconcentration of trace uranium from seawater with solid phase extraction followed by differential pulse polarographic determination in chloroform eluate

In the present study, an effective method is presented for the separation and preconcentration of uranium (VI) by solid phase extraction (SPE). For this purpose, U(VI) oxinate is formed by the reaction of U(VI) with 8-hydroxyquinoline and adsorbed onto the octylsilane (C-8) SPE cartridge. The analyte is completely eluted with chloroform and determined by differential pulse polarography. The SPE conditions were optimized by evaluating the effective factors such as pH, oxine concentration, type and concentration of buffer and masking agent. By the proposed method a preconcentration factor more than 100 was achieved. The average recovery of uranium (VI) oxinate (0.1 mg l(-1)) was 99.8%. The relative standard deviation was 1.6% for seven replicate determinations of uranyl ion in the solution with a concentration 20 mug l(-1). Some concomitant ions such as Ca(+2), Mg(+2) and Fe(+3) which interfere in extraction or determination process of uranium were masked with EDTA in aqueous phase during the extraction process. The proposed method was successfully used for the determination of uranium in Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf water samples.     

SPE – Microwave‐assisted extraction coupled system for the extraction of pesticides from water samples

SPE is a commonly applied technique for preconcentration of pesticides from water samples. Microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE) technique is the extraction applied for preconcentration of different compounds from solid samples. SPE coupled with MAE is capable of preconcentrating these compounds from water samples too. This investigation was aimed at improving the efficiency of atrazine, alachlor, and α‐cypermethrin pesticide extraction from the spiked water samples applying SPE followed by MAE. In this way, MAE served for elution of pesticides from C₁₈‐extraction disks with solvent heated by microwave energy. Various elution conditions were tested for their effects on the extraction efficiency of the SPE–MAE combined technique. Several parameters, such as elution solvent volume (mL), elution temperature (°C), and duration of elution (min), affect the extraction efficiency of the SPE–MAE coupled system and need to be optimized for the selected pesticides. In order to develop a mathematical model, 15 experiments were performed in the central composite design. The equation was then used to predict recoveries of the pesticides under specific experimental conditions. Optimization of microwave extraction was accomplished using the genetic algorithm approach. Best results were achieved using 20 mL of ethanol at 60°C. Optimal hold time was 5 min and 24 s. The SPE–MAE combination was also compared with the conventional SPE extraction technique with elution of a nonpolar or a moderately polar compound with nonpolar solvents.     

浊点萃取技术及其在有机化合物分离分析中的应用

浊点萃取是基于表面活性剂水溶液中相分离现象的萃取浓缩技术，已成功实现了与HPLC、CE和FI等分析仪器的联用，用于各种金属离子、生物分子和不同极性有机化合物浓缩分离处理，是一种替代有机溶剂萃取的良好形式。本文简要介绍了浊点萃取技术的原理和流程，详细总结了在有机化合物分离分析中的应用以及与不同分析仪器联用时遇到的问题和处理方法。     

Miniaturized preconcentration methods based on liquid–liquid extraction and their application in inorganic ultratrace analysis and speciation: A review

Liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) is widely used as a pre-treatment technique for separation and preconcentration of both organic and inorganic analytes from aqueous samples. Nevertheless, it has several drawbacks, such as emulsion formation or the use of large volumes of solvents, which makes LLE expensive and labour intensive. Therefore, miniaturization of conventional liquid–liquid extraction is needed. The search for alternatives to the conventional LLE using negligible volumes of extractant and the minimum number of steps has driven the development of three new miniaturized methodologies, i.e. single-drop microextraction (SDME), hollow fibre liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of these novel preconcentration approaches and their potential use in analytical labs involved in inorganic (ultra)trace analysis and speciation. Relevant applications to the determination of metal ions, metalloids, organometals and non-metals are included.     

Micelle-mediated extraction

The extraction technique based on phase separation in aqueous micellar solutions is reviewed. The technique has now been utilized for separation and preconcentration of metal chelates, organic compounds, and proteins. Additionally, the phase behavior of the micellar solutions and recent advances in the phase separation technique are also described. In the extraction of metal chelates, distribution equilibria are considered. In contrast to conventional solvent extraction, the distribution of metal chelates into a condensed surfactant phase (surfactant-rich phase) was dependent on metal ions. Proteins were extractable into the surfactant-rich phase according to their hydrophobicity. The recent use of affinity ligands and water-soluble polymers for controlling extractability of proteins are also introduced.     

Study of applicability of various solid-phase extraction materials for sample handling in screening analysis of organic micropollutants in water.

At present, solid-phase extraction (SPE) has become an often preferred preconcentration technique in the screening for a wide range of organic micropollutants in water. A wide choice of materials available on the market makes SPE a suitable tool to cope with an increasing variability of organic compounds entering the hydrosphere. However, the interactions of various sorbent materials with compounds having different physico-chemical properties leads inevitably to large differences in preconcentration efficiency. The aim of this paper was to investigate the efficiency of preconcentration of selected organic compounds from aqueous solutions on various SPE materials. Simultaneously, the potential of newly emerging SPE procedures was compared to results of traditional liquid-liquid extraction methods. The group of 19 tested analytes was selected so as to represent different classes of organic compounds which may occur in waters. The results obtained showed that most of the tested materials were suitable for sufficient preconcentration of a substantial part of the tested analytes. However, specific differences in recovery of one or more analytes were found for almost each sorbent even in the case when the materials had similar composition. This behaviour clearly indicates the need for a thorough testing of capabilities of any SPE material intended for the use in a wide range screening method for the identification of unknown organic micropollutants in water.     

Functionalization of cross linked chitosan with 2-aminopyridine-3-carboxylic acid for solid phase extraction of cadmium and zinc ions and their determination by atomic absorption spectrometry

We have developed a new method for solid phase extraction (SPE) and preconcentration of trace amounts of cadmium and zinc using cross linked chitosan that was functionalized with 2-aminopyridine-3-carboxy acid. Analytical parameters, sample pH, effect of flow rate, sample volume, and concentration of eluent on column SPE were investigated. The effect of matrix ions on the recovery of cadmium and zinc has been investigated and were found not to interfere with preconcentration. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the preconcentration factors for Cd(II) and Zn(II) were found to be 90. The two elements were quantified via atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limits for cadmium and zinc are 21 and 65?ng?L^?1, respectively. The method was evaluated by analyzing a certified reference material (NIST 1643e; water) and has been successfully applied to the analysis of cadmium and zinc in environmental water samples.

Water-soluble quinolin-8-ol polymer for liquid-phase separation of elements

The separation of various elements by a water-soluble quinolin-8-ol polymer in conjunction with membrane filtration is demonstrated. The method is based on the retention of inorganic ions by a quinolin-8-ol derivative of poly(ethyleneimine) in a membrane filtration cell and subsequent separation of low-molecular-weight species from the polymer complex formed. It is shown that poly(ethyleneimine) and the polymeric quinolin-8-ol derivative can retain metal ions in aqueous solution. The polymer, however, exhibits a much higher retention capability in acidic solution with respect to more highly charged metal ions, such as Zr, Nb, W, Bi, and can therefore be used for separating them from ions that do not form stable quinolinolates. At higher pH, the water-soluble quinolin-8-ol polymer can be applied to the separation and preconcentration of many metal ions. Owing to the hydrophilic nature of the polymer complex in solution, the preseparated elements remain in the aqueous phase, which is convenient for their subsequent determination by AAS, ICP-AES, etc.