Solid‐phase extraction assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet to determine sildenafil and its analogues in dietary supplements

A novel analytical method for the simultaneous determination of the concentration of sildenafil and its five analogues in dietary supplements using solid‐phase extraction assisted reversed‐phase dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet combined with ion‐pairing liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector was developed. Parameters that affect extraction efficiency were systematically investigated, including the type of solid‐phase extraction cartridge, pH of the extraction environment, and the type and volume of extraction and dispersive solvent. The method linearity was in the range of 5.0–100 ng/mL for sildenafil, homosildenafil, udenafil, benzylsildenafil, and thiosildenafil and 10–100 ng/mL for acetildenafil. The coefficients of determination were ≥0.996 for all regression curves. The sensitivity values expressed as limit of detection were between 2.5 and 7.5 ng/mL. Furthermore, intraday and interday precisions expressed as relative standard deviations were less than 5.7 and 9.9%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of sildenafil and its five analogues in complex dietary supplements.     

Determination of 3,5,6‐trichloro‐2‐pyridinol,phoxim and chlorpyrifos‐methyl in water samples using a new pretreatment method coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography

A novel low‐density solvent‐based vortex‐assisted surfactant‐enhanced‐emulsification liquid–liquid microextraction with the solidification of floating organic droplet method coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography was developed for the determination of 3,5,6‐trichloro‐2‐pyridinol, phoxim and chlorpyrifos‐methyl in water samples. In this method, the addition of a surfactant could enhance the speed of the mass transfer from the sample solution into the extraction solvent. The extraction solvent could be dispersed into the aqueous by the vortex process. The main parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated and the optimum conditions were established as follows: 80 μL 1‐undecanol as extraction solvent, 0.2 mmol/L of Triton X‐114 selected as the surfactant, the vortex time was fixed at 60 s with the vortex agitator set at 3000 rpm, the concentration of acetic acid in sample solution was 0.4% v/v and 1.0 g addition of NaCl. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors were from 172 to 186 for the three analytes. The linear ranges were from 0.5 to 500 μg/L with a coefficient of determination (r²) of between 0.9991 and 0.9995. Limits of detections were varied between 0.05 and 0.12 μg/L. The relative standard deviations (n = 6) ranged from 0.26 to 2.62%.     

Dispersion‐solidification liquid–liquid microextraction for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons determination: Comparison with liquid phase microextraction based on the solidification of a floating drop

Two microextraction techniques – liquid phase microextraction based on solidification of a floating organic drop (LPME‐SFO) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with a solidification of a floating organic drop (DLLME‐SFO) – are explored for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o‐xylene sampling and preconcentration. The investigation covers the effects of extraction solvent type, extraction and disperser solvents' volume, and the extraction time. For both techniques 1‐undecanol containing n‐heptane as internal standard was used as an extracting solvent. For DLLME‐SFO acetone was used as a disperser solvent. The calibration curves for both techniques and for all the analytes were linear up to 10 μg/mL, correlation coefficients were in the range 0.997–0.998, enrichment factors were from 87 for benzene to 290 for o‐xylene, detection limits were from 0.31 and 0.35 μg/L for benzene to 0.15 and 0.10 μg/L for o‐xylene for LPME‐SFO and DLLME‐SFO, respectively. Repeatabilities of the results were acceptable with RSDs up to 12%. Being comparable with LPME‐SFO in the analytical characteristics, DLLME‐SFO is superior to LPME‐SFO in the extraction time. A possibility to apply the proposed techniques for volatile aromatic hydrocarbons determination in tap water and snow was demonstrated.     

Sensitive determination of three aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites in human plasma by matrix solid‐phase dispersion with vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and HPLC with diode array detection

A simple and sensitive method for determination of three aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites in human plasma was developed using matrix solid‐phase dispersion combined with vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The plasma sample was directly purified by matrix solid‐phase dispersion and the eluate obtained was concentrated and further clarified by vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction. Some important parameters affecting the extraction efficiency, such as type and amount of dispersing sorbent, type and volume of elution solvent, type and volume of extraction solvent, salt concentration as well as sample solution pH, were investigated in detail. Under optimal conditions, the proposed method has good repeatability and reproducibility with intraday and interday relative standard deviations lower than 5.44 and 5.75%, respectively. The recoveries of the aconitum alkaloids ranged from 73.81 to 101.82%, and the detection limits were achieved within the range of 1.6–2.1 ng/mL. The proposed method offered the advantages of good applicability, sensitivity, simplicity, and feasibility, which makes it suitable for the determination of trace amounts of aconitum alkaloids in human plasma samples.     

Vortex‐assisted extraction combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment by high performance liquid chromatography

A simple, rapid, and efficient method, vortex‐assisted extraction followed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been developed for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment samples prior to analysis by high performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection. Acetonitrile was used as collecting solvent for the extraction of PAHs from sediment by vortex‐assisted extraction. In DLLME, PAHs were rapidly transferred from acetonitrile to dichloromethane. Under the optimum conditions, the method yields a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 10 to 2100 ng g^?1 for fluorene, anthracene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene, and 20 to 2100 ng g^?1 for other target analytes. Coefficients of determinations ranged from 0.9986 to 0.9994. The limits of detection, based on signal‐to‐noise ratio of three, ranged from 2.3 to 6.8 ng g^?1. Reproducibility and recoveries was assessed by extracting a series of six independent sediment samples, which were spiked with different concentration levels. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied in analyses of real nature sediment samples. The proposed method extended and improved the application of DLLME to solid samples, which greatly shorten the extraction time and simplified the extraction process.     

Ultrapreconcentration and determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water by solid‐phase extraction combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography

Solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was developed as an ultra‐preconcentration method for the determination of four organophosphorus pesticides (isocarbophos, parathion‐methyl, triazophos and fenitrothion) in water samples. The analytes considered in this study were rapidly extracted and concentrated from large volumes of aqueous solutions (100 mL) by solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and then analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Experimental variables including type and volume of elution solvent, volume and flow rate of sample solution, salt concentration, type and volume of extraction solvent and sample solution pH were investigated for the solid‐phase extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with these analytes, and the best results were obtained using methanol as eluent and ethylene chloride as extraction solvent. Under the optimal conditions, an exhaustive extraction for four analytes (recoveries >86.9%) and high enrichment factors were attained. The limits of detection were between 0.021 and 0.15 μg/L. The relative standard deviations for 0.5 μg/L of the pesticides in water were in the range of 1.9–6.8% (n = 5). The proposed strategy offered the advantages of simple operation, high enrichment factor and sensitivity and was successfully applied to the determination of four organophosphorus pesticides in water samples.     

Miniaturized matrix solid‐phase dispersion combined with ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of three pyrethroids in soil

A simple and miniaturized pretreatment procedure combining matrix solid‐phase dispersion (MSPD) with ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (UA‐DLLME) technique was proposed in first time for simultaneous determination of three pyrethroids (fenpropathrin, cyhalothrin and fenvalerate) in soils. The solid samples were directly extracted using MSPD procedure, and the eluent of MSPD was used as the dispersive solvent of the followed DLLME procedure for further purification and enrichment of the analytes before GC‐ECD analysis. Good linear relationships were obtained for all the analytes in a range of 5.0–500.0 ng/g with LOQs (S/N=10) ranged from 1.51 to 3.77 ng/g. Average recoveries at three spiked levels were in a range of 83.6–98.5% with RSD≤7.3%. The present method combined the advantages of MSPD and DLLME, and was successfully applied for the determination of three pyrethroids in soil samples.     

Determination of four acidic nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in wastewater samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet and high‐performance liquid chromatography

A simple, environmentally friendly, and sensitive dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet for the extraction of four acidic nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (ketoprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen, and diclofenac) from wastewater samples subsequent by high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis was developed. The influence of extraction parameters such as pH, the effect of solution ionic strength, type of extraction solvent, disperser solvent, and extraction solvent volume were studied. High enrichment factors (283–302) were obtained through the developed method. The method provides good linearity (r > 0.999) in a concentration range of 1–100 μg/L, good intra‐ and inter‐day precision (relative standard deviation < 7%) and low limits of quantification. The relative recoveries of the selected compounds were situated over 80% both in synthetic and real water samples. The developed method has been successfully applied for the analysis of the selected compounds in wastewater samples.     

Trace determination of five triazole fungicide residues in traditional Chinese medicine samples by dispersive solid‐phase extraction combined with ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and UHPLC–MS/MS

A novel and reliable method for determination of five triazole fungicide residues (triadimenol, tebuconazole, diniconazole, flutriafol, and hexaconazol) in traditional Chinese medicine samples was developed using dispersive solid‐phase extraction combined with ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction before ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The clean up of the extract was conducted using dispersive solid‐phase extraction by directly adding sorbents into the extraction solution, followed by shaking and centrifugation. After that, a mixture of 400 μL trichloromethane (extraction solvent) and 0.5 mL of the above supernatant was injected rapidly into water for the dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure. The factors affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the calibration curves showed good linearity in the range of 2.0–400 (tebuconazole, diniconazole, and hexaconazole) and 4.0–800 ng/g (triadimenol and flutriafol) with the regression coefficients higher than 0.9958. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for the present method were 0.5–1.1 and 1.8–4.0 ng/g, respectively. The recoveries of the target analytes ranged from 80.2 to 103.2%. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the analysis of five triazole fungicides in traditional Chinese medicine samples, and satisfactory results were obtained.     

Application of in-situ formed polymer-based dispersive solid phase extraction in combination with solidification of floating organic droplet-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the extraction of neonicotinoid pesticides from milk samples

An in-situ formed polymer–based dispersive solid phase extraction in combination with solidification of floating organic droplet-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was developed for the extraction of neonicotinoid pesticides from milk samples. The extracted analytes were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector. In this approach, after precipitating the proteins of milk using a zinc sulfate solution, the supernatant phase (containing sodium chloride) was transferred into another glass test tube, and a homogenous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone and a suitable water-miscible organic solvent was rapidly injected into it. By this step, the polymer particles were re-produced and the analytes were extracted onto the sorbent surface. In the following step, the analytes were eluted with an appropriate organic solvent to use in the following solidification of floating organic droplet-based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction step that was done to acquire the low limits of detection. Under the optimized conditions, satisfactory results consisting of low limits of detection (0.13–0.21 ng/ml) and quantification (0.43–0.70 ng/ml), high extraction recoveries (73%–85%), and enrichment factors (365–425), and good repeatability (relative standard deviations equal or less than 5.1% and 5.9% for intra- and inter-day precisions, respectively) were obtained.     

Matrix solid‐phase dispersion with chitosan‐zinc oxide nanoparticles combined with flotation‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of 13 n‐alkanes in soil samples

In this study, chitosan‐zinc oxide nanoparticles were used as a sorbent of miniaturized matrix solid‐phase dispersion combined with flotation‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the simultaneous determination of 13 n‐alkanes such as C₈H₁₈ and C₂₀H₄₂ in soil samples. The solid samples were directly blended with the chitosan nanoparticles in the solid‐phase dispersion method. The eluent of solid‐phase dispersion was applied as the dispersive solvent for the following flotation‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for further purification and enrichment of the target compounds prior to gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity with correlation coefficients in the range 0.9991 < r² < 0.9995 and low detection limits between 0.08 to 2.5 ng/g were achieved. The presented procedure combined the advantages of chitosan‐zinc oxide nanoparticles, solid‐phase dispersion and flotation‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, and could be applied for the determination of n‐alkanes in complicated soil samples with acceptable recoveries.     

Sensitive determination of methadone in human serum and urine by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on the solidification of a floating organic droplet followed by HPLC–UV

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplet was developed for the extraction of methadone and determination by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. In this method, no microsyringe or fiber is required to support the organic microdrop due to the usage of an organic solvent with a low density and appropriate melting point. Furthermore, the extractant droplet can be collected easily by solidifying it at low temperature. 1‐Undecanol and methanol were chosen as extraction and disperser solvents, respectively. Parameters that influence extraction efficiency, i.e. volumes of extracting and dispersing solvents, pH, and salt effect, were optimized by using response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions, enrichment factor for methadone was 134 and 160 in serum and urine samples, respectively. The limit of detection was 3.34 ng/mmL in serum and 1.67 ng/mL in urine samples. Compared with the traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, the proposed method obtained lower limit of detection. Moreover, the solidification of floating organic solvent facilitated the phase transfer. And most importantly, it avoided using high‐density and toxic solvents of traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of methadone in serum and urine samples of an addicted individual under methadone therapy.     

Determination of four sulfonylurea herbicides in tea by matrix solid‐phase dispersion cleanup followed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction

Matrix solid‐phase dispersion combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed as a new sample pretreatment method for the determination of four sulfonylurea herbicides (chlorsulfuron, bensulfuron‐methyl, chlorimuron‐ethyl, and pyrazosulfuron) in tea by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The extraction and cleanup by matrix solid‐phase dispersion was carried out by using CN‐silica as dispersant and carbon nanotubes as cleanup sorbent eluted with acidified dichloromethane. The eluent of matrix solid‐phase dispersion was evaporated and redissolved in 0.5 mL methanol, and used as the dispersive solvent of the following dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure for further purification and enrichment of the target analytes before high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. Under the optimum conditions, the method yielded a linear calibration curve in the concentration range from 5.0 to 10 000 ng/g for target analytes with a correlation coefficients (r²) ranging from 0.9959 to 0.9998. The limits of detection for the analytes were in the range of 1.31–2.81 ng/g. Recoveries of the four sulfonylurea herbicides at two fortification levels were between 72.8 and 110.6% with relative standard deviations lower than 6.95%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of four sulfonylurea herbicides in several tea samples.     

Rapid pretreatment and determination of bisphenol A in water samples based on vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A method for the rapid pretreatment and determination of bisphenol A in water samples based on vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was proposed in this paper. A simple apparatus consisting of a test tube and a cut‐glass dropper was designed and applied to collect the floating extraction drop in liquid–liquid microextraction when low‐density organic solvent was used as the extraction solvent. Solidification and melting steps that were tedious but necessary once the low‐density organic solvent used as extraction solvent could be avoided by using this apparatus. Bisphenol A was selected as model pollutant and vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction was employed to investigate the usefulness of the apparatus. High‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was selected as the analytical tool for the detection of bisphenol A. The linear dynamic range was from 0.10 to 100 μg/L for bisphenol A, with good squared regression coefficient (r² = 0.9990). The relative standard deviation (n = 7) was 4.7% and the limit of detection was 0.02 μg/L. The proposed method had been applied to the determination of bisphenol A in natural water samples and was shown to be economical, fast, and convenient.     

Determination of zearalenone in maize products by vortex‐assisted ionic‐liquid‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography

A novel method has been developed for the analysis of zearalenone in maize products by vortex‐assisted ionic‐liquid‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with HPLC and fluorescence detection. Maize samples were extracted with methanol/water (80:20, v/v) and the extraction solution was then used as the dispersive solvent in the microextraction procedure. The analyte was rapidly transmitted to a small volume of ionic liquid and was determined by HPLC. Various parameters affecting the recovery of the mycotoxin were investigated, such as the type and volume of the extraction solvent, the type and volume of the dispersive solvent, the pH of the aqueous phase, the salt addition, and the time of vortex and centrifugation. Under the optimal experimental conditions, a good linearity of the analyte was obtained in the range of 1.0–1000.0 μg/L with the correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) and quantification (S/N = 10) were 0.3 and 1.0 μg/kg, and the mean recoveries ranged from 83.5 to 94.9%, with a relative standard deviation less than 5.0%. The proposed method was demonstrated to be simple, cheap, quick, and highly selective and was successfully applied to the determination of zearalenone in maize products.     

Salting‐out assisted liquid–liquid extraction coupled to dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of chlorophenols in wine by high‐performance liquid chromatography

A novel procedure of sample preparation combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection is introduced for the analysis of highly chlorinated phenols (trichlorophenols, tetrachlorophenols, and pentachlorophenol) in wine. The main features of the proposed method are (i) low‐toxicity diethyl carbonate as extraction solvent to selectively extract the analytes without matrix effect, (ii) the combination of salting‐out assisted liquid–liquid extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction to achieve an enrichment factor of 334–361, and (iii) the extract is analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography to avoid derivatization. Under the optimum conditions, correlation coefficients (r) were >0.997 for calibration curves in the range 1–80 ng/mL, detection limits and quantification limits ranged from 0.19 to 0.67 and 0.63 to 2.23 ng/mL, respectively, and relative standard deviation was <8%. The method was applied for the determination of chlorophenols in real wines, with recovery rates in the range 82–104%.     

Ultrasonic nebulization extraction assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography for the simultaneous determination of six parabens in cosmetic products

A simple, rapid, and efficient method of ultrasonic nebulization extraction assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was developed for the simultaneous determination of six parabens in cosmetic products. The analysis was carried out by gas chromatography. Water was used as the dispersive solvent instead of traditional organic disperser. The experimental factors affecting the extraction yield, such as the extraction solvent and volume, extraction time, dispersive solvent and volume, ionic strength, and centrifuging condition were studied and optimized in detail. The limit of detections for the target analytes were in the range of 2.0–9.5 μg/g. Good linear ranges were obtained with the coefficients ranging from 0.9934 to 0.9969. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of six parabens in 16 cosmetic products. The recoveries of the target analytes in real samples ranged from 81.9 to 108.7%, and the relative standard deviations were <5.3%.     

Trace analysis of some organophosphorus pesticides in rice samples using ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography

An ultrasound‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of a floating organic drop method followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography was developed for the extraction, preconcentration, and determination of trace amounts of organophosphorus pesticides in rice samples. Variables affecting the performance of both steps were thoroughly investigated. Some effective parameters on extraction were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, recoveries for rice sample are in the range of 58.0–66.0%. The calibration graphs are linear in the range of 4–800 μg/kg and, limits of detection and limits of quantification are in the range of 1.5–3 and 4.2–8.5 μg/kg, respectively. The relative standard deviation for 50.0 μg/kg of organophosphorus pesticides in rice sample are in the range of 4.4–5.1% (n = 5). The obtained results show that proposed method is a fast and simple method for the determination of pesticides in cereals.     

Preconcentration of organochlorine pesticides in aqueous samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop after SPE with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

SPE joined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME‐SFO) as a novel technique combined with GC with electron‐capture detection has been developed as a preconcentration technique for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water samples. Aqueous samples were loaded onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes as sorbent. After the elution of the desired compounds from the sorbent by using acetone, the DLLME‐SFO technique was performed on the obtained solution. Variables affecting the performance of both steps such as sample solution flow rate, breakthrough volume, type and volume of the elution, type and volume of extraction solvent and salt addition were studied and optimized. The new method provided an ultra enrichment factor (8280–28221) for nine OCPs. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.5–1000 ng/L, and the LODs ranged from 0.1–0.39 ng/L. The RSD, for 0.01 μg/L of OCPs, was in the range of 1.39–13.50% (n = 7). The recoveries of method in water samples were 70–113%.     

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop combined with high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of phenolic oestrogens from human urine and water samples

A novel, simple and rapid method, termed dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop coupled to high performance liquid chromatography, was developed for analysis of three phenolic oestrogens including diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol and hexestrol in human urine and water samples. The parameters of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop procedure including sample pH, type and volume of disperser solvent, and type and volume of extraction solvent were optimised. High performance liquid chromatography was applied for the phenolic oestrogens’ analysis. Under the optimum extraction and detection conditions, excellent analytical performances were attained. Good linear relationships (r ≥ 0.998) between peak area and concentration for diethylstilbestrol and dienestrol were optimised from 0.1 to 20 µg/mL, for hexestrol from 2 to 50 µg/mL. Method detection limits of 28.6–666.7 ng/mL were achieved. Satisfactory relative recoveries ranging from 72% to 122% were determined for urine, lake and tap water samples, with relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) of 1.5–9.8%. The developed dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic drop-high performance liquid chromatography method has a great potential in routine residual analysis of trace phenolic oestrogens in biological and water samples.