Ionic liquid based three-phase liquid-liquid-liquid solvent bar microextraction for the determination of phenols in seawater samples

For the first time, an ionic liquid based three-phase liquid-liquid-liquid solvent bar microextraction (IL-LLL-SBME) was developed for the analysis of phenols in seawater samples. The ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF(6)]), was used as the intermediary solvent for LLL-SBME, enhancing the extraction efficiency for polar analytes. In the procedure, the analytes were extracted from the aqueous sample into the ionic liquid intermediary and finally, back-extracted into an aqueous acceptor solution in the lumen of the hollow fiber. The porous polypropylene membrane acted as a filter to prevent potential interfering materials from being extracted, and no additional cleanup was required. After extraction, the acceptor solution could be directly injected into a high-performance liquid chromatographic system for analysis. Six phenols, 2-nitrophenol, 4-chlorophenol, 2,3-dichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol were selected here as model compounds for developing and evaluating the method. The most influential extraction parameters were evaluated, including the ionic liquid, the composition of donor solution and acceptor solution, the extraction time and the extraction temperature, the effect of ionic strength, and the agitation speed. Under the most favorable extraction parameters, the method showed good linearity (from 0.05-50 to 0.5-50 μg/L, depending on the analytes) and repeatability of extractions (RSD below 8.3%, n=5). The proposed method was compared to conventional three-phase LLL-SBME and ionic liquid supported hollow fiber protected three-phase liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction, and showed higher extraction efficiency. The proposed method was demonstrated to be a simple, fast, and efficient method for the analysis of phenols from environmental water samples.     

Dynamic three-phase hollow fiber microextraction based on two immiscible organic solvents with automated movement of the acceptor phase

Dynamic three-phase hollow fiber liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction (HF-LLLME) based on two immiscible organic solvents, with automated movement of organic acceptor phase to facilitate mass transfer was introduced for the first time. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were used as model compounds and extracted from water and soil samples. The extraction involved filling an 8 cm length of hollow fiber with 25 μL of organic acceptor solvent using a microsyringe, followed by impregnation of the pores in the fiber wall with n-dodecane. The fiber was then immersed in 20 mL of aqueous sample solution. During extraction, the organic acceptor phase was repeatedly moved in the lumen of the hollow fiber by movement of the syringe plunger controlled by programmable syringe pump. Following this microextraction, 2 μL of organic acceptor phase was injected into gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. This new technique provided up to 554-fold preconcentration of the analytes under the optimized conditions. Good repeatabilities (with RSDs ≤8.4%) were obtained. Detection limits were in the range of 0.2-0.5 μg/L. The utilization of the proposed method for extraction of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from different real samples (such as water and soil samples) also gave good precision and recovery.     

Three-phase system in solvent bar microextraction: An approach for the sample preparation of ionizable organic compounds prior to liquid chromatography

In this article, a simple new solvent microextraction technique is described for the extraction of ionizable organic compounds. This involves performing simultaneous forward- and back-extraction across an organic film immobilized in the pores of a porous polypropylene hollow fiber. Four chlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicides were chosen as model compounds. The target compounds are extracted from the stirred acidic aqueous sample (adjusted to 0.5 M HCl; donor phase) through a thin film of an organic solvent residing in the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber; they are then finally extracted into another alkaline aqueous phase (1 M NaOH; acceptor phase). Both ends of the fiber are pressure-sealed. The acceptor phase was analyzed by liquid chromatography (LC). This method gave good enrichment (by a factor of 438-553) of the analytes in 40 min extraction time with reasonably good reproducibility. The analytical potential of the method was demonstrated by applying the method to spiked river water sample.     

Liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction of nitrophenols with a hollow fiber membrane prior to capillary liquid chromatography

A simple liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction device utilizing a 2 cm x 0.6 mm I.D. hollow fiber membrane was used to preconcentrate nitrophenols from water sample prior to capillary liquid chromatography (cLC) analysis. The extraction procedure was induced by the pH difference inside and outside the hollow fiber. The donor phase outside the hollow fiber was adjusted to pH approximately 1 with HCl; the acceptor phase was NaOH solution used at various concentrations. Organic solvent was immobilized into the pores of the hollow fiber. With stirring, the neutral nitrophenols outside the fiber were extracted into the organic solvent, then back extracted into 2 microl of basic acceptor solution inside the fiber. The acceptor phase was then withdrawn into a microsyringe and injected into the cLC system directly. This technique used a low-cost disposable extraction "device" and is very convenient to operate. Up to 380-fold enrichment of analytes could be achieved. This procedure could also serve as a sample clean-up step because large molecules and basic compounds were not extracted into the acceptor phase. The RSD (n=6) was less than 6.2%, while the linear calibration range was from 1 to 200 microg/ml with r>0.998. The procedure was applied to the analysis of seawater.     

Combination of liquid-phase microextraction and on-column stacking for trace analysis of amino alcohols by capillary electrophoresis

We described a new method for the enrichment of basic drugs present in water samples via liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) combined with on-column stacking in capillary electrophoresis. Two steps were employed to enhance the detection sensitivity of four amino alcohols. The analytes were first extracted from aqueous sample (donor solution) that were adjusted to basic through a thin layer of 1-octanol entrapped within the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber, and then into a 5-microl acidic acceptor solution inside the hollow fiber. The extract was then further enriched through on-column stacking in capillary electrophoresis. With this two-step enrichment procedure, the method provided 72-110-fold preconcentration of the target amino alcohols. The limits of detection were 0.08-0.5 microg/ml. Relative standard deviation (n=6) ranged between 4.3 and 6.9% for the studied drugs utilizing 2-amino-1-phenylethanol as internal standard. The extraction of amino alcohols in spiked urine samples was evaluated using the developed procedure.     

Liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction with automated movement of the acceptor and the donor phase for the extraction of phenoxyacetic acids prior to liquid chromatography detection

A simple liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction with automated movement of the acceptor and the donor phase (LLLME/AMADP) technique is described for the quantitative determination of five phenoxyacetic acids in water using a disposable and ready to use hollow fiber. The target compounds were extracted from the acidified sample solution (donor phase) into the organic solvent residing in the pores of the hollow fiber and then back extracted into the alkaline solution (acceptor phase) inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The fiber was held by a conventional 10-microl syringe. The acceptor phase was sandwiched between the plunger and a small volume of the organic solvent (microcap). The acceptor solution was repeatedly moved in and out of the hollow fiber assisted by a programmable syringe pump. This repeated movement provides a fresh acceptor phase to come in-contact with the organic phase and thus enhancing extraction kinetics leading to high enrichment of the analytes. The microcap separates the aqueous acceptor phase and the donor phase in addition of being partially responsible for mass transfer of the analytes from donor solution (moving in and out of the hollow fiber from the open end of the fiber) to the acceptor solution. Separation and quantitative analyses were then performed using liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection at 280 nm. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency viz. type of organic solvent used for immobilization in the pores of the hollow fiber, extraction time, stirring speed, effect of sodium chloride, and concentration of donor and acceptor phases were studied. Repeatability (RSD, 3.2-7.4%), correlation coefficient (0.996-0.999), detection limit (0.2-2.8 ng ml(-1)) and enrichment factors (129-240) were also investigated. Relative recovery (87-101%) and absolute recoveries (4.6-13%) have also been calculated. The developed method was applied for the analysis of river water.     

Liquid-phase microextraction of hydrophilic drugs by carrier-mediated transport

Basic studies on carrier-mediated transport as a mechanism to extract polar drugs by hollow fibre-based liquid-phase microextraction are presented for the first time. Hydrophilic alkaline drugs with log P (octanol/water partition coefficient) values less than 1 were selected as model substances. Sodium octanoate served as carrier and was added to the sample solution at pH 7 to form hydrophobic ion-pair complexes with the analytes. The ion-pair complexes were extracted into octanol as liquid membrane immobilised in the pores of the hollow fibre. Further extraction into an aqueous acceptor phase inside the lumen of the hollow fibre was facilitated by counter transport of protons from the acceptor solution to the sample solution. Protons from the acceptor solution released the analytes at the liquid membrane-acceptor interface and neutralized the carrier. The acceptor phase was analysed by capillary electrophoresis. The studies show that high extraction recoveries of ionic hydrophilic drugs can be obtained at a sample-acceptor volume ratio of 10. Linear calibration graphs and clean electropherograms indicate that carrier-mediated transport is a promising technique in microextraction of polar drugs from biological matrices.     

Determination of nineteen 4-alkylphenol endocrine disrupters in Geneva municipal sewage wastewater

A preconcentration technique, which involves liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction, was developed to determine phenoxy herbicides in bovine milk. A layer of organic phase was impregnated into the pores of a 3.5 cm long porous hollow fiber, while the internal volume of the fiber was filled with NaOH solution (the acceptor solution) that was connected directly to the needle of a microsyringe. The fiber was then immersed into 8 ml of acidified milk sample. When the sample solution was stirred, acidic analytes were extracted into the organic phase and back extracted simultaneously into the alkaline acceptor medium as the analytes were protonated at low pH and deprotonated at high pH. After extracting for a prescribed time, 5 microl acceptor solution was taken back into the syringe and injected directly into a HPLC system for quantification. The analytes were extracted quantitatively from the sample solution into the acceptor solution with a large enrichment factor of 900. Due to its low cost, the hollow-fiber extraction device was disposed of after a single extraction that eliminated the possibility of carry over effects. In addition, because a small volume of organic solvent was required and little waste is generated, the procedure is environmentally friendly, and is compatible with the "green chemistry" concept.     

Environmental and bioanalytical applications of hollow fiber membrane liquid-phase microextraction: a review

In hollow fiber membrane liquid-phase microextraction (LPME), target analytes are extracted from aqueous samples and into a supported liquid membrane (SLM) sustained in the pores in the wall of a small porous hollow fiber, and further into an acceptor phase present inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The acceptor phase can be organic, providing a two-phase extraction system compatible with capillary gas chromatography, or the acceptor phase can be aqueous resulting in a three-phase system compatible with high-performance liquid chromatography or capillary electrophoresis. Due to high enrichment, efficient sample clean-up, and the low consumption of organic solvent, substantial interest has been devoted to LPME in recent years. This paper reviews important applications of LPME with special focus on bioanalytical and environmental chemistry, and also covers a new possible direction for LPME namely electromembrane extraction, where analytes are extracted through the SLM and into the acceptor phase by the application of electrical potentials.     

Determination of estrogens in wastewater using three-phase hollow fiber-mediated liquid-phase microextraction followed by HPLC

Three-phase hollow fiber-mediated liquid-phase microextraction followed by HPLC was used for the determination of three synthetic estrogens, namely diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol, and hexestrol, in wastewater. Extraction conditions including organic solvent, volume ratio between donor solution and acceptor phase, extraction time, stirring rate, donor phase and acceptor phase were optimized. The target compounds were extracted from a 10 mL aqueous sample at pH 1.5 (donor solution) through a 45 mm in length hollow polypropylene fiber that was immersed in 1-octanol in advance, and then the hollow fiber was filled with 10 microL 0.5 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution (acceptor phase). After a 40 min extraction, the acceptor phase was directly injected into an HPLC system for detection. Under the optimized extraction conditions, a large enrichment factor (more than 300-fold) was achieved for the three estrogens. The determination limit at an S/N of 3 ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 microg/L for the estrogens. The recovery ratio was more than 86% in the determination of these estrogens in wastewater.     

Liquid–Gas–Liquid Microextraction as a Simple Technique for the Extraction of 2,4-Di-tert-butyl Phenol from Aqueous Samples

A solvent-free microextraction technique based on liquid–gas–liquid microextraction was investigated for the extraction and preconcentration of 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol from aqueous samples. In this study 16 μL NaOH 1 M as acceptor phase was introduced in the lumen of a polypropylene hollow fiber, with one of its ends heat-sealed. A small piece (about 2 cm) of metallic wire was used to seal the other end of hollow fiber after introducing acceptor phase and before immersing of hollow fiber into the analyte solution. This configuration eliminated the need for a holder. The extraction procedure is simple and there is no necessity to adjust pH, salt content, temperature, etc. After extraction the acceptor phase was transferred to a 1-mL vial, 50 μL 0.5 M phosphoric acid was added and the sample was injected into the HPLC–DAD system. Detection was performed at 280 nm. Limit of detection is 30 ng mL⁻¹ and the relative standard derivation (n = 6) is 5.0%. An enrichment factor (EF) of about 30 is achievable.     

Automated dynamic liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection for the determination of phenoxy acid herbicides in environmental waters

Automated dynamic liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction (D-LLLME) controlled by a programmable syringe pump and combined with HPLC-UV was investigated for the extraction and determination of 5 phenoxy acid herbicides in aqueous samples. In the extraction procedure, the acceptor phase was repeatedly withdrawn into and discharged from the hollow fiber by the syringe pump. The repetitive movement of acceptor phase into and out of the hollow fiber channel facilitated the transfer of analytes into donor phase, from the organic phase held in the pore of the fiber. Parameters such as the organic solvent, concentrations of the donor and acceptor phases, plunger movement pattern, speed of agitation and ionic strength of donor phase were evaluated. Good linearity of analytes was achieved in the range of 0.5-500 ng/ml with coefficients of determination, r2 > 0.9994. Good repeatabilities of extraction performance were obtained with relative standard deviations lower than 7.5%. The method provided up-to 490-fold enrichment within 13 min. In addition, the limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.1 to 0.4 ng/mL (S/N = 3). D-LLLME was successfully applied for the analysis of phenoxy acid herbicides from real environmental water samples.     

Extraction of hydroxyaromatic compounds in river water by liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction with automated movement of the acceptor and the donor phase

Liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction with automated movement of the acceptor and the donor phase technique is described for the extraction of six hydroxyaromatic compounds in river water using a disposable and ready to use hollow fiber. Separation and quantitative analyses were performed using LC with UV detection at 254 nm. Analytes were extracted from the acidified sample solution (donor phase) into the organic solvent impregnated in the pores of the hollow fiber and then back extracted into the alkaline solution (acceptor phase) inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The fiber was held by a conventional 10 microL LC syringe. The acceptor phase was sandwitched between the plunger and a small volume of the organic solvent (microcap). The acceptor solution was repeatedly moved in and out of the hollow fiber using a syringe pump. This movement provides a fresh acceptor phase to come in contact with the organic phase and thus enhancing extraction kinetics thereby leading to the improvement in enrichment of the analytes. The microcap separates the acceptor phase and the donor phase in addition to being partially responsible for mass transfer of the analytes from the donor solution to the acceptor solution. Under stirring, a fresh donor phase will enter through the open end of the fiber that will also contribute to the mass transfer. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency viz type of organic solvent, extraction time, stirring speed, effect of sodium chloride, and concentration of donor and acceptor phases were studied. RSD (3.9-5.6%), correlation coefficient (0.995-0.997), detection limit (2.0-51.2 ng/mL), enrichment factor (339-630), relative recovery (93.2-97.9%), and absolute recovery (33.9-63.0%) have also been investigated. The developed method was applied for the analysis of river water.     

Hollow‐fiber‐supported liquid membrane microextraction of amlodipine and atorvastatin

A simple, environmentally friendly, and efficient method, based on hollow‐fiber‐supported liquid membrane microextraction, followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography has been developed for the extraction and determination of amlodipine (AML) and atorvastatin (ATO) in water and urine samples. The AML in two‐phase hollow‐fiber liquid microextraction is extracted from 24.0 mL of the aqueous sample into an organic phase with microliter volume located inside the pores and lumen of a polypropylene hollow fiber as acceptor phase, but the ATO in three‐phase hollow‐fiber liquid microextraction is extracted from aqueous donor phase to organic phase and then back‐extracted to the aqueous acceptor phase, which can be directly injected into the high‐performance liquid chromatograph for analysis. The preconcentration factors in a range of 34–135 were obtained under the optimum conditions. The calibration curves were linear (R² ≥ 0.990) in the concentration range of 2.0–200 μg/L for AML and 5.0–200 μg/L for ATO. The limits of detection for AML and ATO were 0.5 and 2.0 μg/L, respectively. Tap water and human urine samples were successfully analyzed for the existence of AML and ATO using the proposed methods.     

Liquid‐phase microextraction based on two immiscible organic solvents followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry as an efficient method for the preconcentration and determination of cocaine,ketamine, and lidocaine in human urine samples

A new type of liquid‐phase microextraction based on two immiscible organic solvents was optimized and validated for the quantification of lidocaine, ketamine, and cocaine in human urine samples. A hollow‐fiber based microextraction technique followed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection was used to reduce matrix interferences and improve limits of detection. The analytes were extracted from aqueous sample with pH 11.0, into a thin layer of organic solvent (n‐dodecane) sustained in the pores of a hollow fiber, and then into a second organic acceptor (acetonitrile) located inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. With the application of optimized values, good linearity was obtained in the range of 1–500 μg/L for lidocaine and ketamine and 2–500 μg/L for cocaine with the determination coefficient values (r²) >0.9943. The preconcentration factors and limits of detection (S/N > 3) were 250–350 and 0.01–0.05 μg/L, respectively. Intra and interassay precision values were <7.3 and 9.3%, respectively. The method was successfully applied for the determination and quantification of target analytes in human urine samples.     

Application of Double-Phase Liquid Phase Microextraction in the Determination of Partition Coefficients and Analysis of Pesticides in Water Samples

A simple and solvent-minimized sample preparation technique based on two-phase hollow fiber-protected liquid-phase microextraction has been developed and used for the determination of partition coefficient and analysis of selected pesticides in environmental water samples. The analysis was performed by gas chromatography–electron capture detector. Three pesticides namely hexaconazole, quinalphos, and methidathion were considered as target analytes. Extraction conditions such as solvent identity, salt concentration, stirring speed, extraction time, length of the hollow fiber, and volume of donor phase were optimized. The analytes were extracted from a donor phase (water sample) through 3 μL of an organic solvent immobilized in the pores of a porous polypropylene hollow fiber and then into the acceptor phase present inside the hollow fiber. Excellent extractions of the analytes were achieved under the optimized conditions, with relative standard deviations of 4.6–7.9%, correlation coefficients (r ²) of 0.9954–0.9986 and limits of detection of 3–7 ng L^?1. The proposed method provided good average enrichment factors of up to 250-fold. The partition coefficients of the analytes determined were found to be directly correlated with the enrichment factor. The present methodology also confirms the robustness of microextraction for monitoring trace levels of pesticides in environmental water samples.     

Liquid-phase microextraction with porous hollow fibers, a miniaturized and highly flexible format for liquid-liquid extraction

Since 1999, substantial research has been devoted to the development of liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) based on porous hollow fibers. With this technology, target analytes are extracted from aqueous samples, through a thin supported liquid membrane (SLM) sustained in the pores in the wall of a porous hollow fiber, and further into a microL volume of acceptor solution placed inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. After extraction, the acceptor solution is directly subjected to a final chemical analysis by liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), or mass spectrometry (MS). In this review, LPME will be discussed with focus on extraction principles, historical development, fundamental theory, and performance. Also, major applications have been compiled, and recent forefront developments will be discussed.     

Determination of phenols in water using liquid phase microextraction with back extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography.

Liquid phase microextraction with back extraction (LPME/BE) combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was studied for the determination of a variety of phenols in water samples. The target compounds were extracted from 2-ml aqueous sample adjusted to pH 1 (donor solution) through a microliter-size organic solvent phase (400-microl n-hexane), confined inside a small PTFE ring, and finally into a 1-microl basic aqueous acceptor microdrop suspended inthe aforementioned solvent phase from the tip of a microsyringe needle. After extracting for a prescribed time, the microdrop was taken back into the syringe and directly injected into an HPLC for detection. Factors relevant to the extraction procedure were studied. At the optimized extraction conditions, a large enrichment factor (more than 100-fold) can be achieved for most of the phenols within 35 min. The detection limit range was 0.5-2.5 microg/l for different analytes in aqueous samples. The results demonstrate the suitability of the LPME/BE approach to the analysis of polar compounds in aqueous samples.     

三相中空纤维式液相微萃取用于快速富集血浆中的尼古丁

建立了一种以三相中空纤维式液相微萃取(TP-HF-LPME)进行样品前处理,采用高效液相色谱快速、准确测定血浆中尼古丁含量的方法。研究表明该方法集萃取、富集、净化为一步,极大地简化了传统血浆成分测定的前处理过程,是一种快速、有效、绿色的前处理方法。方法的线性范围为0.1～50 mg/L,相关系数(r2)为0.9996,检测限为0.05 mg/L (信噪比为3),相对标准偏差小于5%。     

Liquid–liquid–solid microextraction based on membrane-protected molecularly imprinted polymer fiber for trace analysis of triazines in complex aqueous samples

A novel liquid–liquid–solid microextraction (LLSME) technique based on porous membrane-protected molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-coated silica fiber has been developed. In this technique, a MIP-coated silica fiber was protected with a length of porous polypropylene hollow fiber membrane which was filled with water-immiscible organic phase. Subsequently the whole device was immersed into aqueous sample for extraction. The LLSME technique was a three-phase microextraction approach. The target analytes were firstly extracted from the aqueous sample through a few microliters of organic phase residing in the pores and lumen of the membrane, and were then finally extracted onto the MIP fiber. A terbutylazine MIP-coated silica fiber was adopted as an example to demonstrate the feasibility of the novel LLSME method. The extraction parameters such as the organic solvent, extraction and desorption time were investigated. Comparison of the LLSME technique was made with molecularly imprinted polymer based solid-phase microextraction (MIP-SPME) and hollow fiber membrane-based liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME), respectively. The LLSME, integrating the advantages of high selectivity of MIP-SPME and enrichment and sample cleanup capability of the HF-LPME into a single device, is a promising sample preparation method for complex samples. Moreover, the new technique overcomes the problem of disturbance from water when the MIP-SPME fiber was exposed directly to aqueous samples. Applications to analysis of triazine herbicides in sludge water, watermelon, milk and urine samples were evaluated to access the real sample application of the LLSME method by coupling with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Low limits of detection (0.006–0.02 μg L⁻¹), satisfactory recoveries and good repeatability for real sample (RSD 1.2–9.6%, n = 5) were obtained. The method was demonstrated to be a fast, selective and sensitive pretreatment method for trace analysis of triazines in complex aqueous samples.