Application of response surface methodology to optimize pipette tip micro-solid phase extraction of dyes from seawater by molecularly imprinted polymer and their determination by HPLC

In this paper, a novel pipette tip micro-solid phase extraction based on molecularly imprinted polymer as a selective sorbent was developed and applied for extraction, pre-concentration and high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of trace amounts of malachite green (MG), rhodamine B (RB), methyl orange (MO) and acid red 18 (AR) dyes in seawater samples. Different parameters affecting the extraction efficiency such as type and volume of eluent solvent, sample volume, number of cycles of extraction and desorption, amount of sorbent and pH of the sample solution were evaluated using one-variable-at-a-time and response surface methodology. In order to optimize dyes extraction, seven factors in three levels were used for Box–Behnken experimental design. Under optimum extraction condition, pH of sample solution was 3.1 for MG, 3.0 for RB, 7.1 for MO and 6.1 for AR; volume of eluent solvent (HCl, 0.5 mol L⁻¹) was 200 µL; volume of the sample solution was 10 mL (for MG) and 4 mL (for RB, MO and AR); the concentration of triton X-114 was 0.085 (MG), 0.10 (RB), 0.08 (MO) and 0.075 (AR) % v/v; the number of extraction cycles was 10 (MG), 6 (RB), 5 (MO) and 7 (AR); the number of elution cycles was 10, 6, 5 and 9, respectively, for MG, RB, MO and AR; NaCl concentration was 0.4 mol L⁻¹; and amount of MIP was 2.0 mg for all dyes. The linear range of calibration curves was 0.5–250.0 µg L⁻¹ for malachite green and methyl orange and 0.5–150.0 µg L⁻¹ for both rhodamine B and acid red 18. The detection limits calculated to be 0.083, 0.10, 0.12 and 0.17 µg L⁻¹ for MG, RB, MO and AR, respectively. The developed protocol was successfully used for determination of dyes in seawater of Chabahar Bay. The mean recoveries were ranged between 76.1 and 97.3% by mean relative standard deviations of 1.2–7.1%.