Assessment of polycrystalline graphites as sorbents for solid-phase microextraction of nonionic surfactants

Two polycrystalline graphites (pencil lead and glassy carbon) were used as sorbents for solid-phase microextraction of a nonionic alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactant (Triton X-100). Analyses were performed by reversed-phase HPLC-fluorescence detection. The presence of the benzene ring in the congeners of Triton X-100 also allowed their direct detection at lambda(ex) = 230 nm and lambda(em) = 310 nm. Variables such as time of adsorption, time of desorption and concentration of surfactant in water were evaluated. The method limit of detection was found to be 0.5 microg/l for Triton X-100, with a linear dynamic range of 0.5-150 microg/l. Results were compared to those obtained using polymeric fibers such as PDMS/DVB and Carbowax/TPR. The chemical resistance and low cost of the polycrystalline graphites are advantageous over commercially available SPME fibers.     

Magnetic mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction of xanthohumol in beer coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography determination

In this study, silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe(3)O(4)/SiO(2) NPs) modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were synthesized. They were successfully applied for extraction of xanthohumol in beer based on magnetic mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction (MMHSPE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet determination. The main factors influencing the extraction efficiency including the surfactant amount, the beer pH, the extraction time, the desorption condition and the maximum extraction beer volume were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, a concentration factor of 60 was achieved by extracting 120 mL beer sample using MMHSPE and the detection limit of xanthohumol is 0.0006 mg/L. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of xanthohumol in various beer samples with the xanthohumol contents in the range of 0.031-0.567 mg/L. The satisfactory recoveries (90-103%) were obtained in analyzing spiked beer samples.     

Behaviour of carbamate pesticides in gas chromatography and their determination with solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction as preconcentration steps

This work reports a study of the chromatographic behaviour of seven carbamate pesticides (aldicarb, carbetamide, propoxur, carbofuran, carbaryl, methiocarb, and pirimicarb) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Variables such as injector temperature, solvent, injection mode, and the degree of ageing of the chromatographic column were studied. One of the aims of this work was to achieve a controlled decomposition of carbamates by a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) preconcentration step with a polyacrylate fibre in order to obtain reproducible chromatographic signals of the degradation products. Optimisation of the SPME process was accomplished by means of experimental design. Several methods using ultrapure water were developed with different preconcentration configurations: SPME-GC-MS, SPE followed by SPME-GC-MS, and SPE plus GC-MS. For all the pesticides studied, method detection limit (MDL) values below 0.1 microg L-1 were reached in at least one of the proposed configurations.     

Development and application of molecularly imprinted polymers as solid-phase sorbents for erythromycin extraction

Six molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) of erythromycin (ERY) were prepared by noncovalent bulk polymerization using methacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer. On the basis of binding analysis, the MIPs with 1:2 optimum ratio of template to MAA were selected for subsequent scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyses, which indicated that the MIPs had more convergent porous structures than the nonimprinted polymers. The equilibrium binding experiments showed that the binding sites of MIPs were heterogeneous, with two dissociation constants of 0.005 and 0.63 mg mL⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, the performance of the MIPs as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents was evaluated, and the selectivity analysis showed that the MIPs could recognize ERY with moderate cross-reactivity for other macrolides. The overall investigation of molecularly imprinted SPE for cleanup and enrichment of the ERY in pig muscle and tap water confirmed the feasibility of utilizing the MIPs obtained as specific SPE sorbents for ERY extraction in real samples. Figure Schematic diagram of the preparation and application of the erythromycin imprinted molecularly imprinted polymers Suquan Song and Aibo Wu contributed equally to this work.     

Simultaneous determination of trace amounts of anti-hypertensive drugs in urine using magnetic mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction combined with HPLC-UV

Hypertension is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries. The combination of amlodipine and carvedilol is very effective for reducing blood pressure and improving treatment compliance. Determination of drugs in biological fluids is vital in therapeutic efficacy. In the present study, a simple, rapid and efficient magnetic solid phase extraction procedure based on mixed hemimicelles is described and validated for the simultaneous determination of trace amounts of anti-hypertensive drugs in urine samples using sodium dodecyl sulfate-coated magnetite nanoparticles as extractant. Various factors, which could affect the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the limits of detection (S/N = 3) for amlodipine and carvedilol were 5 and 2 ng/mL, respectively. The relative standard deviation for six measurements of 50 ng/mL of amlodipine and carvedilol were 4.7 and 5.2%, respectively. The developed method was applied to the analysis of patients' urine samples, and satisfactory results were obtained in the range between 81.6 and 92.7%.     

Preparation of alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticle for extraction of trimethoprim from environmental water samples based on mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction

In this study, a new type of alumina-coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/Al₂O₃ NPs) modified by the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been successfully synthesized and applied for extraction of trimethoprim (TMP) from environmental water samples based on mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction (MHSPE). The coating of alumina on Fe₃O₄ NPs not only avoids the dissolving of Fe₃O₄ NPs in acidic solution, but also extends their application without sacrificing their unique magnetization characteristics. Due to the high surface area of these new sorbents and the excellent adsorption capacity after surface modification by SDS, satisfactory concentration factor and extraction recoveries can be produced with only 0.1 g Fe₃O₄/Al₂O₃ NPs. Main factors affecting the adsolubilization of TMP such as the amount of SDS, pH value, standing time, desorption solvent and maximal extraction volume were optimized. Under the selected conditions, TMP could be quantitatively extracted. The recoveries of TMP by analyzing the four spiked water samples were between 67 and 86%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 2 to 6%. Detection and quantification limits of the proposed method were 0.09 and 0.24 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Concentration factor of 1000 was achieved using this method to extract 500 mL of different environmental water samples. Compared with conventional SPE methods, the advantages of this new Fe₃O₄/Al₂O₃ NPs MHSPE method still include easy preparation and regeneration of sorbents, short times of sample pretreatment, high extraction yields, and high breakthrough volumes. It shows great analytical potential in preconcentration of organic compounds from large volume water samples.     

Ion-pair single-drop microextraction versus phase-transfer catalytic extraction for the gas chromatographic determination of phenols as tosylated derivatives

A sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry method, combined with solid-phase extraction and silica cartridge cleanup, was established for nine androgens (androstenedione, 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-diol, androsterone, epiandrosterone, testosterone, methyltestosterone, trenbolone, nandrolone, stanozolol) and nine progestogens (progesterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 21alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 6alpha-methyl-hydroxyprogesterone, 17alpha,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3-one, megestrol acetate, norethindrone, norgestrel, medroxyprogesterone acetate) in environmental waters. For the various water matrices considered, the overall method recoveries were from 78 to 100%, and no apparent signal suppression was found. The method detection limits for the eighteen analytes in the influent, effluent and surface water samples were 0.20-50, 0.04-20 and 0.01-12 ng/L, respectively. This method was used to analyze the residual androgens and progestogens in the wastewater and surface water samples from Japan, and ten analytes (0.03 (medroxyprogesterone acetate)-1441 ng/L (androsterone)) were detected in the wastewater samples, and four analytes (0.06 (progesterone)-0.46 ng/L (androstenedione)) were detected in the surface water samples.     

Determination of sulfonamide compounds in sewage and river by mixed hemimicelles solid-phase extraction prior to liquid chromatography-spectrophotometry

Mixed hemimicelles-based solid-phase extraction was investigated for the preconcentration of five sulfonamides from environmental water samples prior to HPLC-spectrophotometry determination in this paper. A comparative study on the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) coating gamma-alumina or octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTMABr) and OTMABr coating silica as sorbent materials were presented. The five analytes (sulfadiazine (SDA), sulfathiazole (STA), sulfapyridine (SPD), sulfamethazine (SMZ) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX)) were quantitatively adsorbed on OTMABr-gamma-alumina and OTMABr-silica mixed hemimicelles, but OTMABr-gamma-alumina was not adopted because it worked at a high pH (around 10), instead, OTMABr-silica was selected to overcoming the pH restriction. The analytes retained on the cartridge were quantitatively desorbed with suitable amounts of methanol. Factors influencing the extraction efficiency, such as the amount of surfactant, pH of sample and breakthrough volume were discussed. The proposed method had been applied to determining the five sulfonamides in several environmental water samples and concentration factors of 300 and 600 for SDA and other four analytes were achieved, respectively. Detection limits obtained ranged between 0.15 and 0.35microg/L for this five sulfonamides under the optimized conditions. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by recovery measurements on spiked samples, and good recovery results (89-113%) with precision of 3-6% were achieved.     

Carbon nanotubes as solid-phase extraction sorbents prior to atomic spectrometric determination of metal species: A review

New materials have significant impact on the development of new methods and instrumentation for chemical analysis. From the discovery of carbon nanotubes in 1991, single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes – due to their high adsorption and desorption capacities – have been employed as sorption substrates in solid-phase extraction for the preconcentration of metal species from diverse matrices. Looking for successive improvements in sensitivity and selectivity, in the past few years, carbon nanotubes have been utilized as sorbents for solid phase extraction in three different ways: like as-grown, oxidized and functionalized nanotubes. In the present paper, an overview of the recent trends in the use of carbon nanotubes for solid phase extraction of metal species in environmental, biological and food samples is presented. The determination procedures involved the adsorption of metals on the nanotube surface, their quantitative desorption and subsequent measurement by means of atomic spectrometric techniques such as flame atomic absorption spectrometry, electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry, among others. Synthesis, purification and types of carbon nanotubes, as well as the diverse chemical and physical strategies for their functionalization are described. Based on 140 references, the performance and general properties of the applications of solid phase extraction based on carbon nanotubes for metal species atomic spectrometric determination are discussed.     

Estimation of measurement uncertainty for the determination of nonylphenol in water using solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction procedures

We describe an estimation of measurement uncertainty calculated by the “bottom-up” approach for the determination of the oestrogenic compound nonylphenol in treated water samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedures and GC/MS detection. The results were compared and the different contributions to the uncertainty were evaluated. A study of the linear range was established and validation was performed for both methods using statistical analysis of several indicative parameters. In terms of validation data, precision (R.S.D. values <20%) and trueness (relative error <11%) were obtained for both methods under day-to-day conditions. The results of the estimation of measurement uncertainty obtained for both methods for concentrations higher than 1 μg/l have demonstrated that the time-consuming SPE method has a lower relative uncertainty (32%) than the SPME method (42.8%). The chromatographic uncertainty value was the main factor in the SPME method whereas the recovery factor (used to calculate the concentration) was the main contribution to uncertainty in the SPE method.     

Polypyrrole/graphene composite-coated fiber for the solid-phase microextraction of phenols

A polypyrrole (Ppy)/graphene (G) composite was developed and applied as a novel coating for use in solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography (GC). The Ppy/G-coated fiber was prepared by electrochemically polymerizing pyrrole and G on a stainless-steel wire. The extraction efficiency of Ppy/G-coated fiber for five phenols was the highest compared with the fibers coated with either Ppy or Ppy/graphene oxide (GO) using the same method preparation. Significantly, compared with various commercial fibers, the extraction efficiency of Ppy/G-coated fiber is better than or comparable to 85 μm CAR/PDMS fiber (best extraction efficiency of phenol, o-cresol, and m-cresol in commercial fibers) and 85 μm polyacrylate (PA) fiber (best extraction efficiency of 2,4-dichlorophenol and p-bromophenol in commercial fibers). The effects of extraction and desorption parameters such as extraction time, stirring rate, and desorption temperature and time on the extraction/desorption efficiency were investigated and optimized. The calibration curves were linear from 10 to 1000 μg/L for o-cresol, m-cresol, p-bromophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol, and from 50 to 1000 μg/L for phenol. The detection limits were within the range 0.34-3.4 μg/L. The single fiber and fiber-to-fiber reproducibilities were <8.3 (n=7) and 13.3% (n=4), respectively. The recovery of the phenols spiked in natural water samples at 200 μg/L ranged from 74.1 to 103.9% and the relative standard deviations were <3.7%.     

Development of solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction methods for the determination of chlorophenols in cork macerate and wine samples

Tri-, tetra- and pentachlorophenol (TCP, TeCP and PCP) can be considered the precursors in the formation of corresponding chloroanisoles, known to be powerful odorants in corks and wine. Determining the presence of these chlorophenolic compounds in cork soaking solutions (ethanol/water mixtures, 12% (v/v) ethanol used for cork quality control testing), or in wine can be achieved by acetylation/gas chromatography electron-capture detection. In order to reach the required sensitivity, a previous preconcentration step is necessary. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) have given good results for the preconcentration of TCP, TeCP and PCP in such matrices. The use of Oasis HLB cartridges gives acceptable recoveries for the three compounds when different volumes (50-250 mL) of cork macerate with concentrations ranging from 20 to 150 ng/L are processed. Preconcentration based on HS-SPME has also been optimised with a 100 microm polydimethylsiloxane fibre and in situ derivatization. The HS-SPME method allows chlorophenols in a cork soaking solution and in wine to be determined with a limit of detection of 1 ng/L for each compound (in cork macerate) and a repeatability of around 0.5%-5% (n=8) for a concentration level of 30 ng/L.     

Analysis of phthalates via HPLC-UV in environmental water samples after concentration by solid-phase extraction using ionic liquid mixed hemimicelles

Ionic liquid mixed hemimicelles-based solid-phase extraction for the preconcentration of five phthalates in environmental water sample was investigated in this paper. A comparative study on the use of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C(6)mim]Br) and 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C(12)mim]Br)-coated silica as sorbents was presented. Owing to having bigger adsorption amounts for analytes [C(12)mim], Br-coated silica was selected as SPE material and the five analytes di-ethyl-phthalate (DEP), di-n-propyl-phthalate (DnPP), di-n-butyl-phthalate (DnBP), di-cyclohexyl-phthalate (DcHP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) can be quantitatively extracted under optimal conditions. The analytes retained on the cartridge were desorbed completely with 3mL methanol (pH 2). Predominant factors influencing the extraction efficiency, such as RTILs concentration, pH value, ionic strength and breakthrough volume were discussed. The proposed method had been applied to determining the five phthalates in four environmental water samples and concentration factor of 600 was achieved easily. Detection limits obtained ranged between 0.12 and 0.17mug/L. The accuracy of this method was evaluated by recovery measurement on spiked samples, and good recovery results (85-107%) with relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of below 6% were achieved.     

Optimisation of headspace solid-phase microextraction for the analysis of volatile phenols in wine

Headspace solid-phase microextraction has been applied to the analysis of volatile phenols in wine. Silica fibre coated with Carbowax-divinylbenzene was found to be more efficient at extracting these compounds than other fibres such as those coated with polydimethylsiloxane, polyacrylate, carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane, and polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene. Different parameters such as extraction time, temperature of the sample during the extraction, ionic strength and sample volume were optimised using a two-level factorial design expanded further to a central composite design, in order to evaluate several possibly influential and/or interacting factors. The headspace (HS)-SPME procedure developed shows adequate detection and quantitation limits, and linear ranges for correctly analysing these compounds in wine. The recoveries obtained were close to 100%, with repeatability values lower than 16%. The method was applied to a variety of white and red wines.     

Multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction for eliminating matrix effect in the simultaneous determination of haloanisoles and volatile phenols in wines

This paper proposes a multiple headspace solid-phase microextraction (MHS-SPME) method coupled to gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection (GC/MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole, pentachloroanisole, 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, 4-ethylphenol, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-vinylphenol and 4-vinylguaiacol in wines. These compounds are involved in the presence of "cork taint" and Brett character in wines. The MHS-SPME method is a modification of SPME developed for quantitative analysis that avoids possible matrix effects based on an exhaustive analyte extraction from the sample. After demonstrating the existence of matrix effect in the analysis of the target compounds by HS-SPME with a divinylbenzene/Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fibre, the MHS-SPME method was developed and validated. The proposed method showed satisfactory linearity, precision and detection limits, all below the odour detection thresholds of the compounds in wine matrices. Good recoveries were observed for all compounds, always above 90%, and the repeatability obtained was considered acceptable, ranging between 2 and 11%. After checking the applicability of the method by comparing the results recorded with those obtained with the standard addition method, the method was applied successfully to the analysis of wine samples. To our knowledge, this is the first time that MHS-SPME combined with GC/MS/MS has been applied to simultaneously determine haloanisoles and volatile phenols in wine.     

Comparison of simultaneous distillation extraction and solid-phase microextraction for the determination of volatile flavor components

Traditional simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) techniques were compared for their effectiveness in the extraction of volatile flavor compounds from various mustard paste samples. Each method was used to evaluate the responses of some analytes from real samples and calibration standards in order to provide sensitivity comparisons between the two techniques. Experimental results showed traditional SDE lacked the sensitivity needed to evaluate certain flavor volatiles, such as 1,2-propanediol. Dramatic improvements in the extraction ability of the SPME fibers over the traditional SDE method were noted. Different SPME fibers were investigated to determine the selectivity of the various fibers to the different flavor compounds present in the mustard paste samples. Parameters that might affect the SPME, such as the duration of absorption and desorption, temperature of extraction, and the polarity and structure of the fiber were investigated. Of the various fibers investigated, the PDMS–DVB fiber proved to be the most desirable for these analytes.     

Optimization of solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction for the determination of alpha- and beta-endosulfan in water by gas chromatography-electron-capture detection

The electrophoretic behaviour of ionizable and neutral alkylxanthines commonly used in pharmaceutical preparations was studied. The performance of various separation modes including capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), cyclodextrin electrokinetic chromatography, and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with either sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or bile salts as surfactants, was assessed. CZE in an alkaline medium successfully separates ionizable xanthines and dyphylline. The addition of carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin to the background electrolyte allows only partial resolution of neutral xanthines. Based on MEKC results, bile salts exhibit more discrimination ability than SDS to separate similar xanthines. The best results are provided by taurodeoxycholic acid, which ensures baseline separation of xanthines.     

Magnetic solid-phase extraction using Schiff base ligand supported on magnetic nanoparticles as sorbent combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the extraction of phenols from water samples

ABSTRACT

In this work, the magnetic sorbent was developed by covalent binding of a Schiff base ligand, N,N’-bis(3-salicyliden aminopropyl)amine (salpr), on the surface of silica coated magnetic nanoparticles (Salpr@SCMNPs). The core-shell nanoparticle was applied for the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) of phenolic compounds from water samples prior to gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC?FID). Characterisation of the Salpr@SCMNPs was performed with different physicochemical methods such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Variables affecting the performance of both extraction steps such as pH of the water sample, the sorbent amount, the desorption conditions, the extraction time; and extraction solvent were studied. Under the optimised conditions, the analytical performances were determined with a linear range of 0.01–100 ng mL^?1 and a limit of detection at 0.003–0.02 ng mL^?1 for all of the analytes studied. The intra-day (n = 5) and inter-day (n = 3) relative standard deviations (RSD%) of three replicates were each demonstrated in the range of 6.9–8.9% and 7.3–10.1%, respectively. The proposed method was executed for the analysis of real water samples, whereby recoveries in the range of 92.9–99.0% and RSD% lower than 6.1% were attained.     

Fiber-in-tube solid-phase microextraction: a fibrous rigid-rod heterocyclic polymer as the extraction medium

A novel “fiber-in-tube” configuration has been applied to the extraction tube of solid phase microextraction (SPME), and the direct coupling of the extraction process to liquid chromatography (LC) has been accomplished for the analysis of n-butylphthalate in wastewater. By using this fiber-in-tube SPME/LC system the preconcentration factor for the phthalate was about 160 with 20 min extraction and no interference peak was observed in the chromatogram. The results also showed the potential applications of this fiber-in-tube SPME/LC for the analysis of sub-ppb level (i.e., lower than 1 ng/mL) of various organic analytes in aqueous sample matrix without a large solvent consumption during the preconcentration process.     

Fiber-in-tube solid-phase microextraction: a fibrous rigid-rod heterocyclic polymer as the extraction medium

A novel "fiber-in-tube" configuration has been applied to the extraction tube of solid phase microextraction (SPME), and the direct coupling of the extraction process to liquid chromatography (LC) has been accomplished for the analysis of n-butylphthalate in wastewater. By using this fiber-in-tube SPME/LC system the preconcentration factor for the phthalate was about 160 with 20 min extraction and no interference peak was observed in the chromatogram. The results also showed the potential applications of this fiber-in-tube SPME/LC for the analysis of sub-ppb level (i.e., lower than 1 ng/mL) of various organic analytes in aqueous sample matrix without a large solvent consumption during the preconcentration process.