Rapid magnetic solid-phase extraction based on magnetite/silica/poly(methacrylic acid–co–ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) composite microspheres for the determination of sulfonamide in milk samples

A novel magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) sorbent, magnetite/silica/poly (methacrylic acid–co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/P(MAA-co-EGDMA)), was developed. This MSPE material was prepared by distillation–precipitation polymerization of MAA and EGDMA in the presence of Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ microspheres with the surface containing abundant reactive double bonds. The resultant sorbent material was characterized by elemental analysis, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. In this work, eleven sulfonamides (SAs) were selected as model analytes to validate the extraction performance of this new MSPE sorbent. Noticeably, the extraction can be carried out quickly, the extraction time for the SAs onto Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/P(MAA-co-EGDMA) sorbent can be clearly shortened to 0.5 min. The desorption solution of SAs was analyzed by LC–MS/MS, and the results showed that the recoveries of these compounds were in the range of 87.6–115.6%, with relative standard deviations ranging between 0.9% and 10.8%; the limit of detection were in the range of 0.5–49.5 ng/L.     

An electrochemically enhanced solid-phase microextraction approach based on a multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Nafion composite coating

In this paper, we proposed an approach using a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Nafion composite coating as a working electrode for the electrochemically enhanced solid-phase microextraction (EE-SPME) of charged compounds. Suitable negative and positive potentials were applied to enhance the extraction of cationic (protonated amines) and anionic compounds (deprotonated carboxylic acids) in aqueous solutions, respectively. Compared to the direct SPME mode (DI-SPME) (without applying potential), the EE-SPME presented more effective and selective extraction of charged analytes primarily via electrophoresis and complementary charge interaction. The experimental parameters relating to extraction efficiency of the EE-SPME such as applied potentials, extraction time, ionic strength, sample pH were studied and optimized. The linear dynamic range of developed EE-SPME-GC for the selected amines spanned three orders of magnitude (0.005–1 μg mL⁻¹) with R² larger than 0.9933, and the limits of detection were in the range of 0.048–0.070 ng mL⁻¹. All of these characteristics demonstrate that the proposed MWCNTs/Nafion EE-SPME is an efficient, flexible and versatile sampling and extraction tool which is ideally suited for use with chromatographic methods.     

On-line renewable solid-phase extraction hyphenated to liquid chromatography for the determination of UV filters using bead injection and multisyringe-lab-on-valve approach

For the first time, an automatic sample pre-treatment/detection method is proposed for the multiclass determination of UV filters (namely, benzophenone-3, ethylhexylmetoxycinnamate, butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane and homosalate) in environmental samples. The new methodology comprises in-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) of the target analytes by exploiting the bead injection (BI) concept in a mesofluidic lab-on-valve (LOV) format, with subsequent determination by liquid chromatography (LC). The proposed microanalytical system, using a multisyringe burette as propulsion unit, automatically performed the overall SPE steps, including the renewal of the sorbent in each analytical cycle to prevent sample cross-contamination and the post-extraction adjustment of the eluate composition to prevent chromatographic band broadening effects. In order to expedite the LC separation, a C₁₈ monolithic column was applied and an accelerated isocratic elution was carried out by using a cationic surfactant as mobile phase additive. The LOV-BI-LC method was proven reliable for handling and analysis of complex matrices, e.g., spiked swimming pool water and seawater, with limits of detection ranging between 0.45 and 3.2 μg L⁻¹ for 9 mL sample volume. Linear calibration was attained up to 160 μg L⁻¹ for homosalate and up to 35 μg L⁻¹ for the other target analytes, with good reproducibility (RSD < 13%, for 5 different SPE columns). The hyphenated scheme is able to process a given sample simultaneously and within the same time frame than the chromatographic separation/determination of the formerly pre-treated sample, providing concentration values every 9 min. Hence, the sample throughput was enhanced up to 33 times when compared with previously reported off-line SPE methods. A drastic reduction in reagent consumption and effluent production was also attained, contributing to the development of an environment-friendly analyzer.     

Single-walled carbon nanotubes as solid-phase microextraction adsorbent for the determination of low-level concentrations of butyltin compounds in seawater

Carbon nanotubes are a kind of new carbon-based nanomaterials, which have drawn great attention in many application fields. The potential of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) adsorbent for the preconcentration of environmental pollutants has been investigated in recent years. In the present study, the feasibility of SWCNTs as SPME adsorbent for the determination of monobutyltin, dibutyltin and tributyltin in seawater samples was studied. To achieve this aim, the potential factors affecting the SPME efficiency, including extraction time, extraction temperature, desorption time, desorption temperature, and salinity were optimized. The developed method showed good performance according to the ICH (International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Analytical Methods) criteria. The acquired calibration curves were linear (r ≥ 0.992) over the concentration range from ≤12 to 2000 ng L⁻¹. For all of the analytes, the limit of detection at signal-to-noise ratio of 3 was below 5 ng L⁻¹. Furthermore, in comparison with the commercial carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber, the developed SWCNT fiber showed better thermal stability (over 350 °C) and longer life span (over 150 times). The application of the proposed method in environmental analyses was shown by analyzing seawater samples from the harbors on the Persian Gulf for butyltin residues. Some of the butyltins were detected in the analyzed samples. Results of the present study demonstrate the feasibility of the SWCNTs as SPME adsorbent for the determination of butyltins in seawater samples.     

Synthesis and application of multi-walled carbon nanotubes-molecularly imprinted sol-gel composite material for on-line solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography determination of trace Sudan IV

A novel composite material of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)-Sudan IV molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) was prepared by surface molecular imprinting technique in combination with sol-gel technology. The MWNTs-MIPs were evaluated by scanning electron micrograph (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and adsorption experiments. The results showed that the MWNTs-MIPs exhibited good selective recognition to Sudan IV. The maximum saturated binding capacity (Q_max) is 63.2 μmol g⁻¹. Applied as sorbent, the MWNTs-MIPs were used for the determination of trace Sudan IV in chilli powder by on-line solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography (SPE-HPLC). The results showed that an enrichment factor of 741 was achieved with a loading flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹ for sampling 50 mL. The MWNTs-MIPs provided a fast and convenience determination platform for Sudan IV in real samples.     

Feature extraction and selection from volatile compounds for analytical classification of Chinese red wines from different varieties

This work was undertaken to evaluate whether it is possible to determine the variety of a Chinese wine on the basis of its volatile compounds, and to investigate if discrimination models could be developed with the experimental wines that could be used for the commercial ones. A headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatographic (HS-SPME-GC) procedure was used to determine the volatile compounds and a blind analysis based on Ac/Ais (peak area of volatile compound/peak area of internal standard) was carried out for statistical purposes. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA) and stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) were used to process data and to develop discriminant models. Only 11 peaks enabled to differentiate and classify the experimental wines. SLDA allowed 100% recognition ability for three grape varieties, 100% prediction ability for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Gernischt wines, but only 92.31% for Merlot wines. A more valid and robust way was to use the PCA scores to do the discriminant analysis. When we performed SLDA this way, 100% recognition ability and 100% prediction ability were obtained. At last, 11 peaks which selected by SLDA from raw analysis set had been identified. When we demonstrated the models using commercial wines, the models showed 100% recognition ability for the wines collected directly from winery and without ageing, but only 65% for the others. Therefore, the varietal factor was currently discredited as a differentiating parameter for commercial wines in China. Nevertheless, this method could be applied as a screening tool and as a complement to other methods for grape base liquors which do not need ageing and blending procedures.     

Simultaneous direct analysis of benzimidazole fungicides and relevant metabolites in agricultural products based on multifunction dispersive solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

A fast and flexible multi-residue procedure for effective extraction of benzimidazole fungicides and the related transformation products in various raw agricultural commodities is developed for direct and simultaneous analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The new sample preparation method, introduced to allow direct extraction of the labile fungicides as the intact forms in complex matrices, is achieved using a conservative homogenizing extraction and multifunction adsorption cleanup (CHEMAC), which basically involves salting-out partitioning/extraction with acetate-buffered acetonitrile at low-temperature and sequential rapid solid-phase dispersive cleanup with a ternary sorbent mixture. The CHEMAC procedure was optimized and further modified by incorporating several pretreatment variables influencing sample stability and process efficiency, such as pH, temperature, salt and sorbent utilized. By using CHEMAC, a noteworthy improvement in extraction recoveries was obtained for the problematic fungicides, while no significant differential matrix effects were detected on the LC–MS/MS analysis in all 9 matrices. The in-source fragmentation of benomyl occurred but caused no cross-talk interference in multi-component analysis. Thus the CHEMAC-based LC–MS/MS strategy can serve as an attractive approach to satisfactory overall process efficiencies (70–92%) with acceptable repeatability (relative standard deviations below 16%) for all the analyte–matrix combinations. Mean accuracies were obtained within the range of 70–110% at fortified levels of 1–500 ng/g, with intra-day and inter-day variations less than 15 and 20%, respectively. The successful practical application of the proposed method to real samples has also been demonstrated.     

基于自制聚苯胺顶空固相微萃取涂层快速监测水体和牛奶中的痕量多溴联苯醚

采用电化学沉淀法,成功地制备了多孔、高效聚苯胺固相微萃取涂层,并建立了顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱(HS-SPME-GC)快速测定水体和牛奶中的痕量多溴联苯醚的方法。详细研究了萃取模式、萃取温度、萃取时间、顶空体积及离子强度对萃取效率的影响。在优化实验条件下,本法测定的6种多溴联苯醚的线性范围为1~4000 ng/L(除BDE-154和BDE-153分别为1~3000 ng/L、1~2500 ng/L外),相关系数大于0.99,检出限(S/N=3)在0.08~0.20 ng/L之间,相对偏差小于8.5%(n=7)。自制聚苯胺涂层对多溴联苯醚的萃取效率优于商品化100μm-PDMS纤维。将本法用于河水和牛奶中痕量多溴联苯醚的测定,实际样品回收率分别在90%和80%以上。     

Comparison of on-line SPE-HPLC and SPME-GC for the analysis of microcontaminants in water

Summary Solid-phase preconcentration coupled on-line with liquid chromatography, and solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography have been applied to the determination of trace-level concentrations of benzene and sulfur compounds (tetrahydrothiophene (THT),t-butyl mercaptan (TBM), andn-butyl mercaptan (nBM)) in aqueous media. The first technique uses a microcolumn packed with a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer. Retention values for THT, TBM, and benzene on this sorbent, expressed as the capacity factors, are 1100, 1600, and 4000, respectively. It is, therefore, possible to preconcentrate them efficiently and this method enables minimum concentrations of 0.05, 0.7, and 0.8 μg L⁻¹, respectively, to be reached. In microextraction, a fine silica fiber coated with a thin layer of polydimethylsiloxane is used. The partition coefficients of the analytes between the polymeric coating and water have been determined to be 40, 115, and 110 for THT, TBM, and benzene, respectively. When sampling is performed from the liquid phase, partition equilibrium is reached within 5 to 20 minutes, or more quickly when the solution is agitated. Using a flame ionization detector, detection limits for THT, TBM, and benzene were 3, 5, and 0.2 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Extraction of volatile or semi-volatile analytes can also be performed from the headspace with very similar detection limits. In addition, the extraction time is shorter since equilibrium is reached within 1 to 1.5 minute, which can again be reduced by agitation of the sample. The advantages and drawbacks of both techniques are gathered and discussed in this paper, which also underlines their complementarity.