Fluid phase equilibria in the binary system trifluoromethane + 1-phenyloctane

Vapour–liquid, liquid–liquid and liquid–liquid–vapour equilibria in the binary system consisting of trifluoromethane (refrigerant R23) and 1-phenyloctane were determined in the temperature range T = 250–400 K and at pressures up to 15 MPa. The experiments were carried using a Cailletet apparatus according to the synthetic method. The investigated system exhibits type III phase behaviour according to the classification of van Konynenburg and Scott. Modelling of the equilibrium data was done with the Peng–Robinson (PR) and Soave–Redlich–Kwong (SRK) equations of state coupled with classical van der Waals mixing rules. In order to predict the global phase behaviour of the system, one single set of binary parameters was used. The topology of the phase behaviour was correctly reproduced.     

One- and two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography–diode-array detector fingerprints of complex substances: A comparison of classification performance of similar,complex Rhizoma Curcumae samples with the aid of chemometrics

Many complex natural or synthetic products are analysed either by the GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) or HPLC–DAD (high performance liquid chromatography–diode-array detector) technique, each of which produces a one-dimensional fingerprint for a given sample. This may be used for classification of different batches of a product. GC–MS and HPLC–DAD analyses of complex, similar substances represented by the three common types of the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), Rhizoma Curcumae were analysed in the form of one- and two-dimensional matrices firstly with the use of PCA (Principal component analysis), which showed a reasonable separation of the samples for each technique. However, the separation patterns were rather different for each analytical method, and PCA of the combined data matrix showed improved discrimination of the three types of object; close associations between the GC–MS and HPLC–DAD variables were observed. LDA (linear discriminant analysis), BP-ANN (back propagation-artificial neural networks) and LS-SVM (least squares-support vector machine) chemometrics methods were then applied to classify the training and prediction sets. For one-dimensional matrices, all training models indicated that several samples would be misclassified; the same was observed for each prediction set. However, by comparison, in the analysis of the combined matrix, all models gave 100% classification with the training set, and the LS-SVM calibration also produced a 100% result for prediction, with the BP-ANN calibration closely behind. This has important implications for comparing complex substances such as the TCMs because clearly the one-dimensional data matrices alone produce inferior results for training and prediction as compared to the combined data matrix models. Thus, product samples may be misclassified with the use of the one-dimensional data because of insufficient information.     

Miniaturized matrix solid phase dispersion procedure and solid phase microextraction for the analysis of organochlorinated pesticides and polybrominated diphenylethers in biota samples by gas chromatography electron capture detection

This work has developed a miniaturized method based on matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) using C18 as dispersant and acetonitrile–water as eluting solvent for the analysis of legislated organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) in biota samples by GC with electron capture (GC-ECD). The method has compared Florisil^®-acidic Silica and C18 as dispersant for samples as well as different solvents. Recovery studies showed that the combination of C18–Florisil^® was better when using low amount of samples (0.1 g) and with low volumes of acetonitrile–water (2.6 mL). The use of SPME for extracting the analytes from the solvent mixture before the injection resulted in detection limits between 0.3 and 7.0 μg kg⁻¹ (expressed as wet mass). The miniaturized procedure was easier, faster, less time consuming than the conventional procedure and reduces the amounts of sample, dispersant and solvent volume by approximately 10 times. The proposed procedure was applied to analyse several biota samples from different parts of the Comunidad Valenciana.     

Orthogonal array optimization of ultrasound-assisted emulsification–microextraction for the determination of chlorinated phenoxyacetic acids in river water

Orthogonal array design (OAD) was utilized for the first time to optimize the experimental conditions of ultrasound-assisted emulsification–microextraction (USAEME) for determining chlorinated phenoxyacetic acids (CPAs) in river water samples. The use of ultrasound facilitates the mass transfer of CPAs from an aqueous phase into a water-immiscible organic extraction solvent (dichloromethane, DCM) without adding dispersive solvent to form numerous microdroplets. The water-immiscible extractant was collected by centrifugation, dried under low pressure, reconstituted in methanol–water mixture (1:1), and injected into a HPLC system for the determination of CPAs. The linear range was 2–1000 ng mL⁻¹ (2, 5, 10, 50, 200, 500 and 1000 ng mL⁻¹) for each analyte and the relative standard deviations of CPAs among the seven different concentrations were in the range of 1.5–17.0% (n = 3). The detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) of CPAs ranged from 0.67 to 1.50 ng mL⁻¹. The ranges of intra-day precision (n = 3) for CPAs at the levels of 5 and 200 ng mL⁻¹ were 3.6–11.9% and 5.3–9.5%, respectively. The range of inter-day precision (n = 3) at 5 and 200 ng mL⁻¹ were 1.4–7.7% and 8.5–12.2%, respectively. The applicability of USAEME for environmental analysis was demonstrated by determining CPAs in river water. The recoveries of CPAs from five-spiked river water samples at 10 and 200 ng mL⁻¹ were 96.3–112.5% and 94.8–109.4%, respectively. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 2,4-D in drinking water and the tolerance of residues in food for p-CPA are 70 and 200 μg L⁻¹, respectively, according to the US EPA regulations. These contaminant levels fall in the linear range investigated in this study. In addition, this USAEME method provided detection limits lower than their contaminant levels, which made USAEME an effective sample preparation method for determining organic environmental contaminants, such as CPAs, in river water samples with little consumption of organic solvent.     

Fe(II) hydrolysis in aqueous solution: A DFT study

Species arising from Fe(II) hydrolysis in aqueous solution have been investigated using density-functional methods (DFT). The different tautomers and multiplicities of each species have been calculated. The solvation energy has been estimated using the UAHF–PCM method. The hydrolysis free energies have been estimated and compared with the available experimental data. The different hydrolysis species have distinct geometries and electronic structures. The estimated ionization potential of the hydrolyzed species is linearly dependent to the number of hydroxyls present in the complex. The estimated Fe(II)/Fe(III) oxidation potential is in good agreement with previously published results about 0.29 V larger than the experimental value. The results highlight the importance of the chemical speciation in describing electron transfer processes at a molecular level. The PBE/TZVP/UAHF–PCM method has been found to describe correctly the hydrolysis free energies of Fe(II) with an average error about 5 kcal mol⁻¹ from the experimental values.     

Mechanism of complex formation between [AuCl4] and l-methionine

The kinetics of the reaction between the tetrachloroaurate(III) ion and l-methionine (l-Met) (0.1 M HClO₄, pH 1.0–2.5) have been studied spectrophotometrically using a stopped-flow technique at different temperatures. Initially, the fast substitution reaction was ascribed to the formation of the short-lived square-planar Au(III)–(l-Met) that was followed by the replacement of a Cl⁻ ligand and a subsequent, slower reduction to Au(I)–(l-Met). This is an intermolecular process, involving attack on the [AuCl₄]⁻ complex by an outer-sphere l-methionine. The activation parameters (ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠) for substitution and reduction were determined. IR spectroscopy indicates that l-methionine acts as a bidentate ligand, most likely coordinating via the S and N atoms, while ¹H and ¹³C NMR data indicate methionine sulfoxide as the final product. Finally, the components of the reaction were treated thermally in order to investigate the solid phase synthesis of the resulting complex.     

Application of polydimethylsiloxane rod extraction to the determination of sixteen halogenated flame retardants in water samples

An extraction and preconcentration procedure for the determination in water samples of several halogenated flame retardants (FRs), nine brominated diphenyls ethers (BDEs) and seven non-BDE FRs, was developed and validated. The optimised procedure is based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rods as sorptive extraction material, followed by liquid desorption and gas chromatography coupled to negative chemical ionisation–mass spectrometry (GC–NCI–MS) determination, rendering an efficient and inexpensive method. The final optimised protocol consists of overnight extraction of 100 mL of sample solutions containing 40% MeOH and 4% NaCl, followed by a 15-min sonication-assisted desorption with 300 μL of ethyl acetate, solvent evaporation and GC–NCI–MS analysis. Under these conditions, extraction efficiencies in the 9 to 70% range were obtained, leading to enrichment factors between 108 and 840, detection limits in the range from 0.4 to 10 ng L⁻¹and RSD values in the 2–23% range. After method validation, different real water samples, including river, ria, sea, landfill leachate, influent and effluent wastewater from an urban sewage treatment plant (STP) and effluent wastewater from a textile industry, were analysed. BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100 and BDE-197 were detected in wastewater and landfill leachate samples at concentration levels up to 2887 ng L⁻¹. Among the non-BDE FRs, bis (2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromo-phthalate (DEHTBP) was detected in surface water samples (sea, river and ria) between 1.3 and 2.2 ng L⁻¹ and 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) in the landfill leachate (64 ng L⁻¹).     

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for motor oil classification: From discriminant analysis to support vector machines

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a non-destructive measurement technique for many chemical compounds that has proved its efficiency for laboratory and industrial applications (including petroleum industry). Motor oil classification is an important task for quality control and identification of oil adulteration. Type of motor oil base stock is a key factor in product price formation. In this paper we have tried to evaluate the efficiency of different methods for motor oils classification by base stock (synthetic, semi-synthetic and mineral) and kinematic viscosity at low and high temperature. We have compared the abilities of seven (7) different classification methods: regularized discriminant analysis (RDA), soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), partial least squares classification (PLS), K-nearest neighbour (KNN), artificial neural network - multilayer perceptron (ANN-MLP), support vector machine (SVM), and probabilistic neural network (PNN) - for classification of motor oils. Three (3) sets of near-infrared spectra (1125, 1010, and 1050 items) were used for classification of motor oils into three or four classes. In all cases NIR spectroscopy was found to be effective for motor oil classification when combined with an effective multivariate data analysis (MDA) technique. SVM and PNN chemometric techniques were found to be the most effective ones for classification of motor oil based on its NIR spectrum.     

High-throughput approach for analysis of multicomponent gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric signals

Hyphenated techniques such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) or high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) produce a large amount of data in a form of two-way data matrix. It has been a great challenge to furthest extract the useful information from the data. In this work, a chemometric approach based on a modification of adaptive immune algorithm (AIA) was proposed for a high-throughput analysis of the multicomponent overlapping GC–MS signals. With the proposed method, the chromatographic profile of each component in an overlapping signal can be extracted independently and sequentially along the retention time. In order to show the efficiency of the method, a stimulated GC–MS data of six components with background and an experimental GC–MS data of 40 pesticides were investigated. It was found that the multicomponent overlapping GC–MS signals could be fast and accurately resolved. Furthermore, the quantitative property of the extracted information was also investigated. The correlation coefficients (r) between the peak area and the added volumes of the sample are in the range 0.9658–0.9953.     

High-temperature solvent stability of sol–gel germania triblock polymer coatings in capillary microextraction on-line coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography

Germania-based sol–gel organic–inorganic hybrid coatings were prepared for on-line coupling of capillary microextraction with high-performance liquid chromatography. For this, a germania-based sol–gel precursor, tetra-n-butoxygermane and a hydroxy-terminated triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) were used. These sol–gel germania triblock polymer coatings were chemically anchored to the inner walls of a fused silica capillary (0.25 mm I.D.) in course of its evolution from the sol solution. Scanning electron microscopy images of the sol–gel germania triblock polymer coating were obtained to estimate the coating thickness. For the first time, the analyte distribution constants between a sol–gel germania organic–inorganic hybrid coating and the samples (K_cs) were determined. For a variety of analytes from different chemical classes, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ketones, alcohols, phenols and amines, the K_cs values ranged from 8.1 × 10¹ to 5.6 × 10⁴. Also, for the first time, the stability of the sol–gel germania-based coating in high-temperature reversed-phase solvent environment was evaluated. The sol–gel germania triblock polymer coatings were capable of surviving exposure to high-temperature solvent conditions (200 °C) with little change in extraction capabilities. This demonstrates that sol–gel germania triblock polymer hybrid materials might be suitable for further applications in high-temperature HPLC. The reproducibility of the method for preparation of the sol–gel germania triblock polymer coatings was also evaluated, and the capillary-to-capillary RSD values ranged from 5.3 to 6.5%. The use of higher flow rates in extraction was found to significantly reduce the time required (from 30–40 to 10–15 min) to reach equilibrium between the sol–gel germania triblock polymer coating and the analytes in the sample solution.     

Determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water samples by solid-phase extraction using multi-walled carbon nanotubes as adsorbent coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as adsorbent coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method was developed for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental water samples. Several condition parameters, such as extraction adsorbents, elution solvents and volumes, and sample loading flow rate and volume were optimized to obtain high SPE recoveries and extraction efficiency. 150 mg MWCNTs as sorbent presented high extraction efficiency of 16 PAHs due to the large specific surface area and high adsorption capacity of MWCNTs compared with the commercial C18 column (250 mg/2 mL). The calibration curves of 16 PAHs extracted were linear in the range of 20–5000 ng L⁻¹, with the correlation coefficients (r²) between 0.9848 and 0.9991. The method attained good precisions (relative standard deviation, RSD) from 1.2% to 12.1% for standard PAHs aqueous solutions; method recoveries ranged in 76.0–125.5%, 74.5–127.0%, and 70.0–122.0% for real spiked samples from river water, tap water and seawater, respectively. Limits of detection (LODs, S/N = 3) of the method were determined from 2.0 to 8.5 ng L⁻¹. The optimized method was successfully applied to the determination of 16 PAHs in real environmental water samples.     

Improvement of thermal inertia of styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene (SEBS) polymers by addition of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs)

In this work, microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) with a melting temperature of 52 °C have been used to improve thermal inertia phenomena on an elastomeric matrix of styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene (SEBS) material. The amount of PCMs has varied in the 1–10 wt.% and these materials have been processed by conventional injection molding without PCM degradation. Mechanical characterization of SEBS–PCM compounds has been carried out and the obtained results show good maintenance of both resistant and ductile properties for PCM amounts comprised in the 1–5 wt.% range. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis has revealed good wetting properties of PCM microcapsules with the SEBS matrix which is a key factor to obtain good mechanical performance. The effect of PCM addition on thermal inertia has been evaluated by active infrared thermography (IRT), showing a remarkable effect on thermal regulation of SEBS in the temperature range close to the melting point of the PCM (52 °C). This thermoregulation effect is more accurate as the PCM content increases. Also, cooling curves have been constructed in order to quantify the thermal inertia effect in a cooling process.     

New 3d–4f supramolecular systems constructed by [Fe(bipy)(CN)4] and partially blocked lanthanide cations

The reaction of acetonitrile (1–5) and mixed acetonitrile/water 1:1 (6–9) solutions containing the cyanide-bearing [Fe(bipy)(CN)₄]⁻ building block (bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) and the partially blocked [Ln(bpym)]³⁺ cation (Ln = lanthanide trivalent cation and bpym = 2,2′-bipyrimidine) has afforded two new families of 3d–4f supramolecular assemblies of formula [Ln(bpym)(NO₃)₂(H₂O)₃][Fe(bipy)(CN)₄] · H₂O · CH₃CN [Ln = Sm (1), Gd (2), Tb (3), Dy (4) and Ho (5)] and [Ln(bpym)(NO₃)₂(H₂O)₄][Fe(bipy)(CN)₄] [Ln = Pr (6), Nd (7), Sm (8), Gd (9)]. They crystallize in the P2₁/c (1–5) and P2/c (6–9) space groups and their structures are made up of [Fe(bipy)(CN)₄]⁻ anions (1–9) and [Ln(bpym)(NO₃)₂(H₂O)_n]⁺ cations [n = 3 (1–5) and 4 (6–9)] with uncoordinated water and acetonitrile molecules (1–5) which are interlinked through an extensive network of hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking into three-dimensional motifs. Both families have in common the occurrence of the low-spin iron(III) unit [Fe(bipy)(CN)₄]⁻ where two bipy–nitrogen and four cyanide–carbon atoms build a somewhat distorted octahedral surrounding around the iron atom [Fe–N = 1.980(3)–1.988(3) Å (1–5) and 1.988(2)–1.992(2) Å (6–9); Fe–C = 1.904(5)–1.952(4) Å (1–5) and 1.911(2)–1.948(3) Å (6–9)]. The main structural difference between both families concerns the environment of the lanthanide atom which is nine- (1–5)/10-coordinated (6–9) with a chelating bpym, two bidentate nitrate and three (1–5)/four (6–9) water molecules building distorted monocapped (1–5)/bicapped (6–9) square antiprisms. This different lanthanide environment is at the origin of the different hydrogen bonding pattern of the two families of compounds.     

Estuarine water classification using EEM spectroscopy and PARAFAC-SIMCA

The primary method for the prevention of the introduction of nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species in the U.S. is ballast water exchange (BWE). Our recent work focused on the use of the excitation emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy of the colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) to “fingerprint” water as a function of its port of origin, and therefore provide a forensic tool for the enforcement of BWE regulations. In that work, we utilized N-way partial least squares with discriminant analysis (NPLS-DA), which models the data with an emphasis on differences among classes (ports of origin). In this work, EEMs of samples from three different U.S. ports were analyzed by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) coupled with soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) to provide an effective classification method with a low false positive rate. This coupling, which is shown for the first time in this work, can be a useful alternative to NPLS-DA in that PARAFAC-SIMCA decomposes the EEM signal into chemical components and utilizes the scores for these components in the classification scheme. This gives the user the option of removing the contributions of interfering or unidentifiable fluorescent components prior to classification.     

Ion-pair sorptive extraction of perfluorinated compounds from water with low-cost polymeric materials: Polyethersulfone vs polydimethylsiloxane

A method for the determination of seven perfluorinated carboxylic acids and perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) in aqueous samples using low-cost polymeric sorptive extraction as sample preparation technique, followed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) determination has been developed and validated. Simplicity of the analytical procedure, low volume of solvent and sample required, low global price and a good selectivity providing cleaner extracts are the main advantages of this extraction technique. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyethersulfone (PES) materials were evaluated and compared to achieve the best extraction efficiencies. Hence, different variables have been optimized, viz.: sample pH, concentration of an ion-pairing agent (tetrabutylammonium), ionic strength, sample volume, extraction time, desorption solvent volume, desorption time and the need for auxiliary desorption techniques (sonication). Overall, PES leaded to a better sensitivity than PDMS, particularly for the most polar compounds, reaching detection limits (LODs) in the 0.2–20 ng L⁻¹ range. The precision of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), was lower than 16%. Finally, the PES material was employed for the analysis of sea, sewage and fresh water samples. Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) were detected in all the analyzed influent samples reaching levels of up to 401 ng L⁻¹. In surface water, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) exhibited the highest concentrations, up to 137 ng L⁻¹.     

A spectral transfer procedure for application of a single class-model to spectra recorded by different near-infrared spectrometers for authentication of olives in brine

Analytical methods for confirmation of food authenticity claims should be rapid, economic, non-destructive and should not require highly skilled personnel for their deployment. All such conditions are satisfied by spectroscopic techniques. In order to be extensively implemented in routine controls, an ideal method should also give a response independent of the particular equipment used. In the present study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used for verifying authenticity of commercial olives in brine of cultivar Taggiasca. Samples were analysed in two laboratories with different NIR spectrometers and a mathematical spectral transfer correction – the boxcar signal transfer (BST) – was developed, allowing to minimise the systematic differences existing between signals recorded with the two instruments. Class models for the verification of olive authenticity were built by the unequal dispersed classes (UNEQ) method, after data compression by disjoint principal component analysis (PCA). Models were validated on an external test set.     

Vapor–liquid equilibrium measurement and modeling for the difluoromethane + pentafluoroethane + propane ternary mixture

Vapor–liquid equilibrium data for the difluoromethane (R32) + pentafluoroethane (R125) + propane (R290) ternary mixture were measured at 5 isotherms between 263.15 K and 323.15 K. The measurement was carried out using a circulation-type apparatus recently developed, which was validated with binary mixtures. With binary interaction parameters obtained for the three corresponding binary mixtures, VLE modeling and prediction were performed for the ternary mixture using the Peng–Robinson equation of state with the classical mixing rules and MHV1 mixing rules. Hou's group contribution model for VLE of new refrigerant mixtures was further tested with the experimental data for the ternary system. The predicted pressure and vapor phase composition were compared with experimental ones.     

Stereoselective synthesis of cobalt(III) anionic complexes with chiral pyruvylaminoacid oximes and metal–ligand interactions in aqueous solution

A series of cobalt(III) anionic complexes with hydroxyimino analogs of dipeptides – oximes of pyruvylglycine, pyruvyl-l-alanine, pyruvyl-l-methionine and pyruvyl-l-phenylalanine (H₂pamaco, amac = amino acid) of composition Cat₃[Co(H₋₁pamaco)₂] · nH₂O (Cat – a monovalent metal cation) has been synthesized and investigated by UV–Vis, CD and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. It was established that for the two latter ligands, non-racemic mixtures of two diastereomeric complexes were formed as a result of synthesis. In comparison with the complex containing pyruvyl-l-alanine, in which the relative content of R (C₂) and S (C₂) isomers is approximately equal, the presence of bulky substituents in the molecules of Met- and Phe-containing ligands results in a significant discrimination in formation of the S (C₂) isomer. This conclusion was drawn upon analysis of the CD and NMR spectral data as well as from molecular modeling. The relative content of the diastereomers was evaluated on the basis of NMR data. The protonation constants of the ligands have been determined in aqueous solution by glass electrode potentiometry, whereas their interactions with Co(II) were studied both under argon and oxygen atmosphere.     

A vascular smooth muscle/cell membrane chromatography–offline-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for recognition,separation and identification of active components from traditional Chinese medicines

We describe an analytical method of vascular smooth muscle cell membrane chromatography (VSM/CMC) combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for recognition, separation and identification of active components from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). VSM cells by means of primary culture with rat thoracic aortas were used for preparation of the stationary phase in the CMC model. Retention components by the VSM–CMC model were collected and then analyzed by GC/MS under the optimized conditions in offline conditions. After investigating the suitability and reliability of the VSM/CMC–offline-GC/MS method using nifedipine and nitrendipine as standard compounds, this method was applied in screening active components from the extracts of TCMs such as Radix Angelicae Dahuricae (RAD), Rhizomza Seu Radix Notopterygii (RSRN), Radix Glehniae (RG) and Fructus Cnidii (FC). Retention components from the extracts in the VSM–CMC model were imperatorin and osthole identified by the GC/MS method. In vitro pharmacological trials indicated that imperatorin and osthole could concentration dependently relax the rat thoracic artery pre-contracted by KCl (P < 0.05). The maximum relaxation effects (R_max) were 63 ± 5% and 40 ± 6% for imperatorin and osthole, respectively. The VSM/CMC–offline-GC/MS method is an effective screening system that can rapidly detect and enrich target components from a complex sample and then accurately identify them.     

A new interface for coupling solid phase microextraction with liquid chromatography

A modified Rheodyne 7520 microsample injector was used as a new solid phase microextraction (SPME)–liquid chromatography (LC) interface. The modification was focused on the construction of a new sample rotor, which was built by gluing two sample rotors together. The new sample rotor was further reinforced with 3 pieces of stainless steel tubing. The enlarged central flow passage in the new sample rotor was used as a desorption chamber. SPME fiber desorption occurred in static mode. But all desorption solvent in the desorption chamber was injected into LC system with the interface. The analytical performance of the interface was evaluated by SPME–LC analysis of PAHs in water. At least 90% polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were desorbed from a polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/C18 bonded fuse silica fiber in 30 s. And injection was completed in 20 s. About 10–20% total carryovers were found on the fiber and in the interface. The carryover in the interface was eliminated by flushing the desorption chamber with acetonitrile at 1 mL min⁻¹ for 2 min. The repeatability of the method was from 2% to 8%. The limit of detection (LOD) was in the mid pg mL⁻¹ range. The linear ranges were from 0.1 to 100 ng mL⁻¹. The new SPME–LC interface was reliable for coupling SPME with LC for both qualitative and quantitative analysis.