One‐Step Synthesis of β‐Cyclodextrin Functionalized Graphene/Ag Nanocomposite and Its Application in Sensitive Determination of 4‐Nitrophenol

β‐Cyclodextrin functionalized graphene/Ag nanocomposite (β‐CD/GN/Ag) was prepared via a one‐step microwave treatment of a mixture of graphene oxide and AgNO₃. β‐CD/GN/Ag was employed as an enhanced element for the sensitive determination of 4‐nitrophenol. A wide linear response to 4‐nitrophenol in the concentration ranges of 1.0×10^?8–1.0×10^?7 mol/L, and 1.0×10^?7–1.5×10^?3 mol/L was achieved, with a low detection limit of 8.9×10^?10 mol/L (S/N=3). The mechanism and the heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics of the 4‐nitrophenol reduction were discussed according to the rotating disk electrode experiments. Furthermore, the sensing platform has been applied to the determination of 4‐nitrophenol in real samples.     

A Visible‐Light Driven Photoelectrochemical Aptasensor for Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Bisphenol A with High Sensitivity and Specificity

A visible‐light driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on aptamer immobilized TiO₂‐Fe₂O₃ nanotubes was proposed for the first time and highly sensitive and selective bisphenol A determination was realized. Taking advantage of the alloy oxide nanotube structure, high surface area, good biocompatibility, superior photoelectrocatalytic performance, a limit of detection toward BPA as low as 1.8×10^?11 M with linearity in the range from 1.8×10^?11 to 3.2×10^?9 M could be achieved. Specificity was greatly exhibited for this aptasensor under 100‐fold excess concentration of estriol, resorcinol, nonylphenol, 2,4‐D, acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos and omethoate. Simultaneously, satisfactory results were obtained in real water sample investigation from industrial plastics and drinking water. A novel visible‐light driven PEC method for highly sensitive and selective detection of BPA was thus established.     

Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Mercury(II) in Water Using a 4‐Tert‐Butyl‐1‐(Ethoxycarbonylmethoxy)Thiacalix[4]Arene Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

A glassy carbon electrode coated the film of 4‐tert‐butyl‐1‐(ethoxycarbonylmethoxy)thiacalix[4]arene is designed for the determination of trace amounts of Hg²⁺. Compared with bare glassy carbon electrode, the modified electrode can improve the measuring sensitivity of Hg²⁺. Under the optimum experimental condition, the modified electrode in 0.1 mol L^?1 H₂SO₄ + 0.01 mol L^?1 KCl solution shows a linear voltammetric response in the range of 8.0 × 10^?9 ～ 3.0 × 10^?6 mol L^?1 with detection limit 5.0 × 10^?9 mol L^?1 for Hg²⁺. The high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability of modified electrode also prove its practical application for a simple, rapid and economical determination of Hg²⁺ in water samples.     

Electrocatalytic Reduction and Determination of Iodate and Periodate at Silicomolybdate‐Incorporated‐Glutaraldehyde‐ Cross‐Linked Poly‐L‐lysine Film Electrodes

The present work describes reduction of iodate (IO₃^?), and periodate (IO₄^?) at silicomolybdate‐doped‐glutaraldehyde‐cross‐linked poly‐L ‐lysine (PLL‐GA‐SiMo) film coated glassy carbon electrode in 0.1 M H₂SO₄. In our previous study, we were able to prepare the PLL‐GA‐SiMo film modified electrode by means of electrostatically trapping SiMo₁₂O₄₀^4? mediator in the cationic film of PLL‐GA, and the voltammetric investigation in pure supporting indicated that the charge transport through the film was fast. Here, the electrocatalytic activity of PLL‐GA‐SiMo film electrode towards iodate and periodate was tested and subsequently used for analytical determination of these analytes by amperometry. The two electron reduced species of SiMo₁₂O₄₀^4? anion was responsible for the electrocatalytic reduction of IO₃^? at PLL‐GA‐SiMo film electrode while two and six electron reduced species were showed electrocatalytic activity towards IO₄^? reduction. Under optimized experimental conditions of amperometry, the linear concentration range and sensitivity are 2.5×10^?6 to 1.1×10^?2 M and 18.47 μA mM^?1 for iodate, and 5×10^?6 to 1.43×10^?4 M and 1014.7 μA mM^?1 for periodate, respectively.     

Isotope dilution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the analysis of 4‐octyl phenol, 4‐nonylphenol,and bisphenol A in vegetable oils

By the combination of solid‐phase extraction as well as isotope dilution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, a sensitive and reliable method for the determination of endocrine‐disrupting chemicals including bisphenol A, 4‐octylphenol, and 4‐nonylphenol in vegetable oils was established. The application of a silica/N‐(n‐propyl)ethylenediamine mixed solid‐phase extraction cartridge achieved relatively low matrix effects for bisphenol A, 4‐octylphenol, and 4‐nonylphenol in vegetable oils. Experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of derivatization, and the extraction parameters were optimized. The estimated limits of detection and quantification for bisphenol A, 4‐octylphenol, and 4‐nonylphenol were 0.83 and 2.5 μg/kg, respectively. In a spiked experiment in vegetable oils, the recovery of the added bisphenol A was 97.5–110.3%, recovery of the added 4‐octylphenol was 64.4–87.4%, and that of 4‐nonylphenol was 68.2–89.3%. This sensitive method was then applied to real vegetable oil samples from Zhejiang Province of China, and none of the target compounds were detected.     

Hybrid phospholipid bilayer coatings for separations of cationic proteins in capillary zone electrophoresis

Protein separations in CZE suffer from nonspecific adsorption of analytes to the capillary surface. Semipermanent phospholipid bilayers have been used to minimize adsorption, but must be regenerated regularly to ensure reproducibility. We investigated the formation, characterization, and use of hybrid phospholipid bilayers (HPBs) as more stable biosurfactant capillary coatings for CZE protein separations. HPBs are formed by covalently modifying a support with a hydrophobic monolayer onto which a self‐assembled lipid monolayer is deposited. Monolayers prepared in capillaries using 3‐cyanopropyldimethylchlorosilane (CPDCS) or n‐octyldimethylchlorosilane (ODCS) yielded hydrophobic surfaces with lowered surface free energies of 6.0 ± 0.3 or 0.2 ± 0.1 mJ m^?2, respectively, compared to 17 ± 1 mJ m^?2 for bare silica capillaries. HPBs were formed by subsequently fusing vesicles comprised of 1,2‐dilauroyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine or 1,2‐dioleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine to CPDCS‐ or ODCS‐modified capillaries. The resultant HPB coatings shielded the capillary surface and yielded reduced electroosmotic mobility (1.3–1.9 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1s^?1) compared to CPDCS‐ and ODCS‐modified or bare capillaries (3.6 ± 0.2 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1s^?1, 4.8 ± 0.4 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1s^?1, and 6.0 ± 0.2 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1s^?1, respectively), with increased stability compared to phospholipid bilayer coatings. HPB‐coated capillaries yielded reproducible protein migration times (RSD ≤ 3.6%, n ≥ 6) with separation efficiencies as high as 200 000 plates/m.     

The Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Thymine at α‐Cyclodextrin Incorporated Carbon Nanotube‐Coated Electrode

Electrocatalytic oxidation of thymine at α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) incorporated carbon nanotube‐coated electrode (CNT/CE) was thoroughly studied in alkaline media. CNT showed an electrocatalytic effect on the oxidation of thymine, formation of a supramolecular inclusion complex between α‐CD and thymine at CNT/CE further enhanced the sensitivity to thymine. The electrocatalytic behavior was further developed as a sensitive detection scheme for thymine by differential pulse voltammetry. A linear calibration over the concentration range from 2.5×10^?5 to 1.8×10^?3 mol/L in pH 10.8 NaHCO₃‐Na₂CO₃ buffer solution was obtained with a detection limit of 5×10^?6 mol/L.     

Dual‐column capillary microextraction (CME) combined with electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV‐ICP‐MS) for the speciation of arsenic in human hair extracts

In this work, dual‐column capillary microextraction (CME) system consisting of N‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AAPTS)‐silica coated capillary (C1) and 3‐mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTS)‐silica coated capillary (C2) was developed for sequential separation/preconcentration of arsenite [As(III)], arsenate [As(V)], monomethylarsonic acid [MMA(V)] and dimethylarsinic acid [DMA(V)] in the extracts of human hair followed by electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV‐ICP‐MS) detection with iridium as permanent modifier. Various experimental parameters affecting the dual‐column microextraction of different As species had been investigated in detail. It was found that at pH 9, As(V) and MMA could be quantitatively retained by C1 and only As(III) could be quantitatively retained by C2. With the aid of valve switching, As(V)/MMA(V) retained on C1 and As(III) retained on C2 could be sequentially desorbed by 10 µl of 0.01 mol l^?1 HNO₃ [for As(V)], 0.1 mol l^?1 HNO₃ [for MMA(V)] and 0.2 mol l^?1 HNO₃‐3% thiourea (m/v) [for As(III)], respectively, the eluents were immediately introduced into the Ir‐coated graphite tubes for further ETV‐ICP‐MS detection. With two‐step ETV pyrolysis program, Cl^? in the sample matrix could be in situ removed, and the total As in the human hair extracts or digested solution could be interference‐free, determined by ETV‐ICP‐MS. DMA(V) in the human hair extracts was obtained by subtraction of total As in the human hair extracts from other three As species. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits (3 σ) of the method were 3.9 pg ml^?1 for As(III), 2.7 pg ml^?1 for As(V), 2.6 pg ml^?1 for MMA(V) and 124 pg ml^?1 for total As with the relative standard deviations less than 7.0% (C = 0.1 ng ml^?1, n = 7), and the enrichment factor was 286, 262 and 260 for As(III), As(V) and MMA(V), respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for the speciation of arsenic in the extracts of human hair. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitive and Selective Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide with Iron‐Tetrasulfophthalocyanine‐Graphene‐Nafion Modified Screen‐Printed Electrode

We developed a novel iron‐tetrasulfophthalocyanine‐graphene‐Nafion (FeTSPc‐GR‐Nafion) modified screen‐printed electrode to determine hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) with high sensitivity and selectivity. The nanocomposite film (FeTSPc‐GR‐Nafion) exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards oxidation of H₂O₂ at a potential of +0.35 V in the absence of enzyme. A comparative study reveals that the FeTSPc‐GR complexes play a dual amplification role. Amperometric experiment indicates that the sensors possess good sensitivity and selectivity, with a linear range from 2.0×10^?7 M to 5.0×10^?3 M and a detection limit of 8.0×10^?8 M. This sensor has been successfully used to develop the glucose biosensor and has also been applied to determine H₂O₂ in sterile water.     

Determination of dopamine,epinephrine, and norepinephrine by open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography using graphene oxide molecularly imprinted polymers as the stationary phase

A novel capillary electrochromatography method was developed for the determination of dopamine (DA), epinephrine (EP), and norepinephrine (NE) by using a graphene oxide (GO) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) coated capillary. In this article, GO was introduced as supporting matrix to synthesize MIPs in the presence of DA as template molecule. Then GO MIPs were used as the stationary phase in electrochromatography for the determination of DA, EP, and NE. The separation of these three analytes was achieved under the optimal conditions with a satisfactory correlation coefficients (R²) > 0.9957 in the range of 5.0–200.0 μg/mL for EP and NE, and 20.0–200.0 μg/mL for DA, respectively. The RSDs for the determination of three analytes were <6.19%, and the detection limits were 1.25 μg/mL for EP and NE, and 10.0 μg/mL for DA, respectively. Finally, this method was used for the determination of DA, EP, and NE in human serum and DA hydrochloride injection.     

Hollow fiber liquid‐phase microextraction and determination of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatories by capillary electrophoresis and sulfonamides by HPLC in human urine

In this paper two applications of three‐phase HF‐LPME for the determination of pharmaceuticals in human urine are proposed: a capillary electrophoresis with a photodiode array detection method for the analysis of seven nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and a high‐performance liquid chromatographic with photo diode array and fluorescence detection method for the determination of four sulfonamides and their corresponding N⁴‐acetyl‐metabolites. Q3/2 Accurel® polypropylene hollow fibers were used for both procedures. Dihexyl ether was used as the supported liquid membrane for the determination of anti‐inflammatories and 1‐octanol for sulfonamides. An aqueous solution (pH 12) was used in both procedures as the acceptor phase and as the donor phase an aqueous solution (pH 2), and a 2 m Na₂SO₄ aqueous solution (pH 4) was used for the determination of the anti‐inflammatories and sulfonamides. The detection limits obtained were between 0.25 (naproxen) and 0.86 ng/mL (aceclofenac) for the determination of anti‐inflammatories and 7 × 10^?4 (sulfamethoxazole) and 0.048 ng/mL (N⁴‐acetyl‐sulfamethazine) for sulfonamides. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the analytes in human urine. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Catalysis‐Electrochemical Detection of Horseradish Peroxidase at Zeptomole Level in Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis with catalysis‐electrochemical detection has been developed and applied to determining horseradish peroxidase (HRP) at zeptomole levels. In this method, an on‐line enzyme catalysis reactor with a reaction capillary was designed. Isoenzymes of HRP were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis, and then they catalyzed the enzyme substrate 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethylbenzide (TMB(Red)) and H₂O₂ in the reaction capillary. The reaction product, TMB(Ox), could be determined using amperometric detection on a carbon fiber microdisk bundle electrode at the outlet of the reaction capillary. Because of enzyme amplification, a significant amount of TMB(Ox) could be produced for detection. Therefore, the limit of detection (LOD) of HRP is very low. The optimum conditions of the method are 1.5×10^?2 mol/L borate (pH 7.4) for the run buffer, 2×10^?3 mol/L for the concentration of H₂O₂, 2×10^?4 mol/L TMB(Red)+2.0×10^?2 mol/L citrate‐phosphate (pH 5.0) for the substrate solution, 40 cm for the liquid pressure height, 20 kV for the separation voltage, 100 mV for the detection potential. HRP could be measured with a detection limit of 4.8×10^?12 mol/L or 47.5 zmol (S/N=3). The linear range is from 2.40×10^?11 to 2.40×10^?8 mol/L. Using this method, commercial HRP was measured at zeptomole within ten minutes.     

Preparation and application of trimethylamine amination polychloromethyl styrene nanolatex coated capillary column for the determination of bromate by field‐amplified sample stacking open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography

A new trimethylamine amination polychloromethyl styrene nanolatex (TMAPL) and TMAPL coated capillary column (ccc‐TMAPL) were successfully prepared. The TMAPL coating was characterized with reversed steady EOF values of ca. ?16.8 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1. It was applied to establish open‐tubular (OT) CEC and field‐amplified sample stacking (FASS) OT‐CEC methods for the determination of bromate in tap water. Compared to OT‐CEC, the LOD with FASS‐OT‐CEC was improved from 80 to 8 ng/mL. The developed FASS‐OT‐CEC method was practically used for the analysis of bromate in tap water samples with recoveries ranging from 93.6 to 103.5%.     

Improved Voltammetric Response of L‐Tyrosine on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes‐Ionic Liquid Composite Coated Glassy Electrodes in the Presence of Cupric Ion

L ‐Tyrosine can exhibit a small anodic peak on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). At pH 5.5 its peak potential is 0.70 V (vs. SCE). When an ionic liquid (i.e., 1‐octyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [omim][PF₆]) is introduced on the MWCNT coat, the peak becomes bigger. Furthermore, in the presence of Cu²⁺ ion the anodic peak of L ‐tyrosine increases further due to the formation of Cu²⁺‐L ‐tyrosine complex, while the peak potential keeps unchanged. Therefore, a sensitive voltammetry based on the oxidation of Cu²⁺‐L ‐tyrosine complex on MWCNTs‐[omim][PF₆] composite coated electrode is developed for L ‐tyrosine. Under the optimized conditions, the anodic peak current is linear to L ‐tyrosine concentration in the range of 1×10^?8–5×10^?6 M, and the detection limit is 8×10^?9 M. The modified electrode shows good reproducibility and stability. In addition, the voltammetric behavior of other amino acids is explored. It is found that among them tryptophan (Trp) and histidine (His) can also produce sensitive anodic peak under same experimental conditions, and their detection limits are 4×10^?9 M and 4×10^?6 M, respectively.     

Hydrophobicity‐aided potentiometric detection of catecholamines,beta‐agonists,and beta‐blockers in a mixed‐solvent capillary electrophoresis system

A series of cationic drug‐like substances with distinct basicity, hydrogen‐bonding ability, and hydrophobicity, including three catecholamines, two beta‐agonists, and thirteen beta‐blockers, was successfully detected in a capillary electrophoresis system using an end‐capillary coupled potentiometric sensor consisting of a PVC‐based liquid membrane deposited directly on a 100 μm diameter copper rod. The electrophoretic separation was performed on a 72 cm×75 μm id uncoated fused‐silica capillary with an acidic background electrolyte containing phosphoric acid in a water–acetonitrile mixture, pH* 2.8. Samples were injected electrokinetically at 5.0 kV for 10 s and a running voltage of 19.5 kV was applied. Excluding the bufuralol/practolol pair, baseline separation of all substances was achieved in the developed CE system within 9 minutes. A linear relationship (R² 0.8752) between the sensitivity of the applied potentiometric detector and the parameter log P characterising the hydrophobicity of the analytes was demonstrated. The best observable limits of detection (LODs) were obtained for the highly hydrophobic substances, i. e. bufuralol (8.10×10^–8 M injected concentration, S/N = 3), propranolol, alprenolol, and clenbuterol (ca. 1.10×10^–7 M). In the case of hydrophilic catecholamines and carbuterol their LODs with potentiometric detection were lowered by a factor of almost one thousand, reaching a value of 6.6×10^–5 M.     

Electrochemical Behavior of Herbal Antitumor Drug Aloe‐Emodin at Carbon‐Coated Nickel Magnetic Nanoparticles Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

The electrochemical behavior of aloe‐emodin (AE), an important herbal antitumor drug, was investigated at a carbon‐coated nickel magnetic nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode (CNN/GCE). A couple of well‐defined redox peaks was obtained. Some electrochemical parameters of AE at a CNN/GCE, such as the charge number, exchange current density, standard heterogeneous rate constant, were measured. The square wave voltammetry (SWV) response of AE was linear with the concentration over two concentration intervals viz. 6.24×10^?9?1.13×10^?6 M and 1.13×10^?6?1.23×10^?5 M, with a detection limit of 2.08 nM. A fast, simple and sensitive detection and analysis of AE was developed.     

Visible‐light‐driven self‐cleaning SERS substrate of silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide decorated nitrogen‐doped titania nanotube array

Graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) sequentially decorated nitrogen‐doped titania nanotube array (N‐TiO₂ NTA) had been designed as visible‐light‐driven self‐cleaning surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for a recyclable SERS detection application. N‐TiO₂ NTA was fabricated by anodic oxidation and then doping nitrogen treatment in ammonia atmosphere, acting as a visible‐light‐driven photocatalyst and supporting substrate. Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA was prepared by decorating GO monolayer through an impregnation process and then depositing Ag NPs through a polyol process on the surface of N‐TiO₂ NTA, acting as the collection of organic molecule and Raman enhancement. The SERS activity of Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA was evaluated using methyl blue as an organic probe molecule, revealing the analytical enhancement factor of 4.54 × 10⁴. Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA was applied as active SERS substrate to determine a low‐affinity organic pollutant of bisphenol A, revealing the detection limit of as low as 5 × 10^?7 m . Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA could also achieve self‐cleaning function for a recycling utilization through visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic degradation of the adsorbed organic molecules. Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA has been successfully reused for five times without an obvious decay in accuracy and sensitivity for organic molecule detection. The unique properties of this SERS substrate enable it to have a promising application for the sensitive and recyclable SERS detection of low‐affinity organic molecules. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous determination of fifteen multiclass organic pollutants in human saliva and serum by liquid chromatography–tandem ultraviolet/fluorescence detection: A validated method

A quick and inexpensive validated method, based on sample treatment by liquid–liquid microextraction followed by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with ultraviolet tandem fluorescence detection is proposed for the determination of 15 multiclass pollutants both in serum and in saliva, as a simple and easy to draw matrix. The method was set up and validated according to European guidelines. The compounds of interest include some endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (i.e. bisphenol A, bisphenol B, bisphenol E, bisphenol F, bisphenol AF, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, bisphenol M, diethylhexyl phthalate, monoethylhexyl phthalate, triclosan and 4‐nonylphenol), as well as other pollutants belonging to the class of volatile organic compounds (2‐chlorophenol, 1,2 dichlorobenzene, 1,2,4,5‐tetrachlorobenzene). The limits of quantifications ranged from 2.28 × 10^?3 μg mL^?1 (bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) to 6.29 μg mL^?1 (diethylhexyl phthalate), while those of detection ranged from 0.068 × 10^?3 μg mL^?1 (bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) to 1.031 μg mL^?1 (diethylhexyl phthalate). To test method suitability, it was applied to real saliva and serum samples of healthy human volunteers and was found to meet the demands of the laboratories handling simple and relatively inexpensive equipment for screening oriented at rapid and reliable contamination assessment of a population.     

Nanomolar Determination of Methyldopa in the Presence of Large Amounts of Hydrochlorothiazide Using a Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Graphene Oxide Nanosheets and 3‐(4′‐Amino‐3′‐hydroxy‐biphenyl‐4‐yl)‐acrylic Acid

A novel electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of methyldopa at physiological pH was developed by the bulk modification of carbon paste electrode (CPE) with graphene oxide nanosheets and 3‐(4′‐amino‐3′‐hydroxy‐biphenyl‐4‐yl)‐acrylic acid (3,′AA). Applying square wave voltammetry (SWV), in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 7.0, the oxidation current increased linearly with two concentration intervals of methyldopa, one is 1.0×10^?8–1.0×10^?6 M and the other is 1.0×10^?6–4.5×10^?5 M. The detection limit (3σ) obtained by SWV was 9.0 nM. The modified electrode was successfully applied for simultaneous determination of methyldopa and hydrochlorothiazide. Finally, the proposed method was applied to the determination of methyldopa and hydrochlorothiazide in some real samples.     

Open‐tubular capillary electrochromatography for the simultaneous determination of cadmium and copper in plants

We discuss the separation and determination of cadmium and copper in plant samples such as Triticum durum (wheat) and Helianthus annuus (sunflower) using open tubular capillary electrochromatography with indirect detection. Before performing the analysis, the samples were digested by microwave‐assisted methods using HNO₃. Regarding the electrophoretic system, several experimental parameters were previously evaluated such as the capillary surface, mobile phase composition, buffer, pH, and voltage applied. The baseline resolution of the studied metals was obtained within 8 min by using a capillary immobilized with carboxylic multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and a background electrolyte composed of 6 mM imidazole, pH 4.0. The applied voltage and the temperature were set at 20 kV and 25°C, respectively. Precision, detection, and quantification limits, along with linearity were investigated. The limits of detection and quantification were 2.20 and 7.40 μg/kg, for Cu²? and 0.05 and 0.20 μg/kg in the case of Cd²?. A good linearity was achieved over a concentration working range of 7.5–100 and 0.2–25 μg/kg for Cu²? and Cd²? accordingly. Recovery data for validation studies were found in a range of 98.2–101.5% for both analytes.