Porous carbon derived from a metal–organic framework as an efficient adsorbent for the solid‐phase extraction of phthalate esters

A porous carbon designated as MOF‐5‐C was prepared by directly carbonizing a metal–organic framework (MOF‐5). The morphology and microstructure of MOF‐5‐C were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption, and powder X‐ray diffraction. The MOF‐5‐C retained the original porous structures of MOF‐5, and showed a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (1808 m² g^?1) and large pore volume (3.05 cm³ g^?1). To evaluate its adsorption performance, the MOF‐5‐C was used as an adsorbent for the solid‐phase extraction of four phthalate esters from bottled water, peach juice, and soft drink samples followed by high‐performance liquid chromatographic analysis. Several parameters that could affect the extraction efficiencies were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, a good linearity was achieved in the concentration range of 0.1–50.0 ng mL^?1 for bottled water sample and 0.2–50.0 ng mL^?1 for peach juice and soft drink samples. The limits of detection of the method (S/N = 3) were 0.02 ng mL^?1 for bottled water sample, and 0.04–0.05 ng mL^?1 for peach juice and soft drink samples. The results indicated that the MOF‐5‐C exhibited an excellent adsorption capability for trace levels of phthalate esters, and it could be a promising adsorbent for the preconcentration of other organic compounds.