Optimization of preconcentration and isolation for the determination of 15 phenols by supercritical-fluid extraction and gas chromatography with metallomesogenic stationary phase

Based on the merits of well-established capillary gas chromatography (GC), metallomesogenic polymer was used as the stationary phase and flame ionization detector (FID) was used as the detector, the analysis of phenolic compounds explored the possibility of application in complex matrices. We proposed the method combined supercritical-fluid extraction (SFE) of phenolic compounds, which had been enriched on the solid supports of XAD-4 resins, and then with their determinations by capillary GC-FID. The SFE parameters suitable for 15 phenols simultaneously adsorbed onto XAD-4 resins in aqueous solution were assessed by a 4⁵ factorial design method. The best results were 5 min static time, 10 min dynamic time, 0.25 ml methanol spiked, 80 °C oven temperature and 410 atm CO₂ pressure. Also, other parametric conditions for specific phenols were revealed and analyzed. In the comparison with Soxhlet extraction with regard to the recoveries and reproducibility, the developed SFE was quite superior and helped to reduce the detection limit of aqueous samples to 10⁻²-fold. Eventually, the polluted soils near a pharmaceutical factory were primarily tested and given the probable distribution.