Ionic liquids: solvents and sorbents in sample preparation

The applications of ionic liquids (ILs) and IL‐derived sorbents are rapidly expanding. By careful selection of the cation and anion components, the physicochemical properties of ILs can be altered to meet the requirements of specific applications. Reports of IL solvents possessing high selectivity for specific analytes are numerous and continue to motivate the development of new IL‐based sample preparation methods that are faster, more selective, and environmentally benign compared to conventional organic solvents. The advantages of ILs have also been exploited in solid/polymer formats in which ordinarily nonspecific sorbents are functionalized with IL moieties in order to impart selectivity for an analyte or analyte class. Furthermore, new ILs that incorporate a paramagnetic component into the IL structure, known as magnetic ionic liquids (MILs), have emerged as useful solvents for bioanalytical applications. In this rapidly changing field, this Review focuses on the applications of ILs and IL‐based sorbents in sample preparation with a special emphasis on liquid phase extraction techniques using ILs and MILs, IL‐based solid‐phase extraction, ILs in mass spectrometry, and biological applications.     

Determination of triazine herbicides in juice samples by microwave‐assisted ionic liquid/ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography

A novel microextraction method, termed microwave‐assisted ionic liquid/ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, has been developed for the rapid enrichment and analysis of triazine herbicides in fruit juice samples by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Instead of using hazardous organic solvents, two kinds of ionic liquids, a hydrophobic ionic liquid (1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) and a hydrophilic ionic liquid (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate), were used as the extraction solvent and dispersion agent, respectively, in this method. The extraction procedure was induced by the formation of cloudy solution, which was composed of fine drops of 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate dispersed entirely into sample solution with the help of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. In addition, an ion‐pairing agent (NH₄PF₆) was introduced to improve recoveries of the ionic liquid phase. Several experimental parameters that might affect the extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the linearity for determining the analytes was in the range of 5.00–250.00 μg/L, with the correlation coefficients of 0.9982–0.9997. The practical application of this effective and green method is demonstrated by the successful analysis of triazine herbicides in four juice samples, with satisfactory recoveries (76.7–105.7%) and relative standard deviations (lower than 6.6%). In general, this method is fast, effective, and robust to determine triazine herbicides in juice samples.     

Magnetic graphene oxide modified by imidazole‐based ionic liquids for the magnetic‐based solid‐phase extraction of polysaccharides from brown alga

Magnetic graphene oxide was modified by four imidazole‐based ionic liquids to synthesize materials for the extraction of polysaccharides by magnetic solid‐phase extraction. Fucoidan and laminarin were chosen as the representative polysaccharides owing to their excellent pharmaceutical value and availability. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize the synthesized materials. Single‐factor experiments showed that the extraction efficiency of polysaccharides was affected by the amount of ionic liquids for modification, solid–liquid ratio of brown alga and ethanol, the stirring time of brown alga and ionic liquid‐modified magnetic graphene oxide materials, and amount of 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole chloride modified magnetic graphene oxide materials added to the brown alga sample solution. The results indicated that 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole chloride modified magnetic graphene oxide possessed better extraction ability than graphene oxide, magnetic graphene oxide, and other three ionic‐liquid‐modified magnetic graphene oxide materials. The highest extraction recoveries of fucoidan and laminarin extracted by 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole chloride modified magnetic graphene oxide were 93.3 and 87.2%, respectively. In addition, solid materials could be separated and reused easily owing to their magnetic properties.     

Recent progress of task‐specific ionic liquids in chiral resolution and extraction of biological samples and metal ions

Ionic liquids have been functionalized for modern applications. The functional ionic liquids are also called task‐specific ionic liquids. Various task‐specific ionic liquids with certain groups have been constructed and exploited widely in the field of separation. To take advantage of their properties in separation science, task‐specific ionic liquids are generally used in techniques such as liquid–liquid extraction, solid‐phase extraction, gas chromatography, high‐performance liquid chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis. This review mainly covers original research papers published in the last five years, and we will focus on task‐specific ionic liquids as the chiral selectors in chiral resolution and as extractant or sensor for biological samples and metal ion purification.     

Microwave‐assisted preparation of poly(ionic liquids)‐modified magnetic nanoparticles for pesticide extraction

Novel poly(ionic liquids) were synthesized and immobilized on prepared magnetic nanoparticles, which were used to extract pesticides from fruit and vegetable samples by dispersive solid‐phase extraction prior to high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. Compared with monomeric ionic liquids, poly(ionic liquids) have a larger effective contact area and higher viscosity, so they can achieve higher extraction efficiency and be used repeatedly without a decrease in analyte recovery. The immobilized poly(ionic liquids) were rapidly separated from the sample matrix, providing a simple approach for sample pretreatment. The nature and volume of the desorption solvent and amount of poly(ionic liquid)‐modified magnetic material were optimized for the extraction process. Under optimum conditions, calibration curves were linear (R² > 0.9988) for pesticide concentrations in the range of 0.100–10.000 μg/L. The relative standard deviations for repeated determinations of the four analytes were 2.29–3.31%. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.29–0.88 and 0.97–2.93 μg/L, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the developed poly(ionic liquid)‐modified material is an effective absorbent to extract pesticides from fruit and vegetable samples.     

Application of ionic‐liquid‐magnetized stirring bar liquid‐phase microextraction coupled with HPLC for the determination of naphthoquinones in Zicao

In this study, a green, rapid, and simple method, ionic‐liquid‐magnetized stirring bar liquid‐phase microextraction was developed for the determination of naphthoquinones, including shikonin and β,β′‐dimethylacrylshikonin, in Zicao. This method permits active magnetic stirring, extraction, and pre‐enrichment in a single device simultaneously, so the extract is conveniently collected. The analytes were extracted from the sample to ionic liquid‐magnetized stirring bar, then the analyte‐adsorbed magnetized stirring bar can be readily isolated from the sample solution by a magnet. The key experimental parameters were investigated and optimized, including the type and volume of ionic liquid, extraction time, salt concentration, stirring speed, and pH. The recoveries were in the range of 89.47–102.38%, and good reproducibilities were obtained with relative standard deviation below 5.36%. Compared with the conventional extraction methods, the proposed method is quicker and more effective.     

Design of guanidinium ionic liquid based microwave‐assisted extraction for the efficient extraction of Praeruptorin A from Radix peucedani

A series of novel tetramethylguanidinium ionic liquids and hexaalkylguanidinium ionic liquids have been synthesized based on 1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidine. The structures of the ionic liquids were confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. A green guanidinium ionic liquid based microwave‐assisted extraction method has been developed with these guanidinium ionic liquids for the effective extraction of Praeruptorin A from Radix peucedani. After extraction, reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection was employed for the analysis of Praeruptorin A. Several significant operating parameters were systematically optimized by single‐factor and L₉ (3⁴) orthogonal array experiments. The amount of Praeruptorin A extracted by [1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidine]CH₂CH(OH)COOH is the highest, reaching 11.05 ± 0.13 mg/g. Guanidinium ionic liquid based microwave‐assisted extraction presents unique advantages in Praeruptorin A extraction compared with guanidinium ionic liquid based maceration extraction, guanidinium ionic liquid based heat reflux extraction and guanidinium ionic liquid based ultrasound‐assisted extraction. The precision, stability, and repeatability of the process were investigated. The mechanisms of guanidinium ionic liquid based microwave‐assisted extraction were researched by scanning electron microscopy and IR spectroscopy. All the results show that guanidinium ionic liquid based microwave‐assisted extraction has a huge potential in the extraction of bioactive compounds from complex samples.     

Expanding the applicability of magnetic ionic liquids for multiclass determination in biological matrices based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and HPLC with diode array detector analysis

Monitoring biological samples at trace levels of chemicals from anthropogenic actions such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and hormones has become a very important subject. This work describes a method for the determination of eight compounds of different chemical classes in human urine samples. Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on magnetic ionic liquids was used as the sample preparation procedure. The main parameters of the method, such as sample dilution, type, and volume of disperser solvent, amount of magnetic ionic liquids, extraction time, and pH were optimized by univariate and multivariate procedures. Validation was performed using a urine sample of a male volunteer in order to obtain a calibration curve and the main analytical parameters of merit such as limits of detection and quantification. Values varied from 3.0 to 7.5 µg/L and from 10 to 25 µg/L, respectively. Satisfactory precisions of 21% for intraday (n = 3) and 16% for interday (n = 9) were achieved. Accuracy was evaluated by relative recovery assays using different urine samples and ranged from 75 to 130%. Robustness was assured by the Lenth method. The validated procedure was applied to five urine samples from different volunteers and the hormone estrone was found in one sample.     

Development of a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method using a lighter‐than‐water ionic liquid for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

A dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method using a lighter‐than‐water phosphonium‐based ionic liquid for the extraction of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water samples has been developed. The extracted compounds were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence/diode array detectors. The effects of several experimental parameters on the extraction efficiency, such as type and volume of ionic liquid and disperser solvent, type and concentration of salt in the aqueous phase and extraction time, were investigated and optimized. Three phosphonium‐based ionic liquids were assayed, obtaining larger extraction efficiencies when trihexyl‐(tetradecyl)phosphonium bromide was used. The optimized methodology requires a few microliters of a lighter‐than‐water phosphonium‐based ionic liquid, which allows an easy separation of the extraction solvent phase. The obtained limits of detection were between 0.02 and 0.56 μg/L, enrichment factors between 109 and 228, recoveries between 60 and 108%, trueness between 0.4 and 9.9% and reproducibility values between 3 and 12% were obtained. These figures of merit combined with the simplicity, rapidity and low cost of the analytical methodology indicate that this is a viable and convenient alternative to the methods reported in the literature. The developed method was used to analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in river water samples.     

In situ solvent formation microextraction combined with magnetic dispersive micro‐solid‐phase extraction for the determination of benzoylurea insecticides in water samples

A simple, fast, effective, and environmentally friendly method, in situ solvent formation microextraction combined with magnetic dispersive micro‐solid‐phase extraction for the determination of four benzoylurea insecticides is presented herein for the first time. In the proposed method, 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]imide was formed by the reaction between 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride and lithium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]imide and was used to extract benzoylurea insecticides. Then magnetic nanoparticles were added as carrier to retrieve and separate the ionic liquid from the sample solution. After the supernatant was removed, the ionic liquid was desorbed using acetonitrile and subsequently injected directly into a high‐performance liquid chromatograph equipped with a variable wavelength detector for analysis. The main factors affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated by a one factor at a time approach. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method showed good repeatability (RSD = 2.2–4.5%) and linearity (2–300 μg/L), with correlation coefficients greater than 0.9994 and low limits of detection (0.67–1.46 μg/L). Finally, the method was successfully applied to the analysis of four benzoylurea insecticides in environmental water samples with good recoveries (73.2–85.8%).     

Comparison of three different dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction modes performed on their most usual configurations for the extraction of phenolic,neutral aromatic,and amino compounds from waters

In this work we seek clues to select the appropriate dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction mode for extracting three categories of compounds. For this purpose, three common dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction modes were compared under optimized conditions. Traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, in situ ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, and conventional ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction using chloroform, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as the extraction solvent, respectively, were considered in this work. Phenolic, neutral aromatic, and amino compounds (each category included six members) were studied as analytes. The analytes in the extracts were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. For the analytes with polar functionalities, the in situ ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction mode mostly led to better results. In contrast, for neutral hydrocarbons without polar functionalities, traditional dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction using chloroform produced better results. In this case, where dispersion forces were the dominant interactions in the extraction, the refractive index of solvent and analyte predicted the extraction performance better than the octanol/water partition coefficient. It was also revealed that none of the methods were successful in extracting hydrophilic analytes (compounds with the log octanol/water partition coefficient <2). The results of this study could be helpful in selecting a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction mode for the extraction of various groups of compounds.     

Ionic‐liquid‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with magnetic solid‐phase extraction for the determination of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 in animal feeds by high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A novel two‐step extraction technique combining ionic‐liquid‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with magnetic solid‐phase extraction was developed for the preconcentration and separation of aflatoxins in animal feedstuffs before high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. In this work, ionic liquid 1‐octyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate was used as the extractant in dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction, and hydrophobic pelargonic acid modified Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles as an efficient adsorbent were applied to retrieve the aflatoxins‐containing ionic liquid. Notably, the target of magnetic nanoparticles was the ionic liquid rather than the aflatoxins. Because of the rapid mass transfer associated with the dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and magnetic solid phase steps, fast extraction could be achieved. The main parameters affecting the extraction recoveries of aflatoxins were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, vortexing at 2500 rpm for 1 min in the dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and magnetic solid‐phase extraction and then desorption by sonication for 2 min with acetonitrile as eluent. The recoveries were 90.3–103.7% with relative standard deviations of 3.2–6.4%. Good linearity was observed with correlation coefficients ranged from 0.9986 to 0.9995. The detection limits were 0.632, 0.087, 0.422 and 0.146 ng/mL for aflatoxins B₁, B2, G1, and G2, respectively. The results were also compared with the pretreatment method carried out by conventional immunoaffinity columns.     

Speciation analysis of mercury in sediments using ionic‐liquid‐based vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry

An improved novel method based on ionic liquid vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction has been developed for the extraction of methylmercury, ethylmercury and inorganic mercury in sediment samples prior to analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography with cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. In this work, mercury species were firstly complexed with dithizone, and the complexes were extracted into 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate. Key factors that affect the extraction efficiency of mercury species, such as type and amount of ionic liquid and chelatants, extraction time, sample pH, salt effect and matrix effect were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, linearity was found in the concentration range from 0.1–70 ng/g. Limits of detection ranged from 0.037–0.061 ng/g. Reproducibility and recoveries were assessed by extracting a series of six independent sediment samples that were spiked with different concentration levels. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied in analysis of real sediment samples. In this work, ionic liquids vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction was for the first time used for the extraction of mercury species in sediment samples. The proposed method was proved to be much simpler and more rapid, as well as more environmentally friendly and efficient compared with the previous methods.     

Basalt fibers grafted with a poly(ionic liquids) coating for in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction

To improve the durability and extraction efficiency of an ionic liquid coating, 1‐dodecyl‐3‐vinylimidazolium bromide was polymerized and grafted onto basalt fibers for in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction. To develop an extraction tube, basalt fibers grafted with the poly(ionic liquids) coating were filled into a polyether ether ketone tube with a 0.75 mm inner diameter. The extraction tube was connected to high‐performance liquid chromatography system equipped with a sampling pump to build an online enrichment and analysis system. Using four common phthalates as model analytes, the extraction tube was investigated by the online analysis system. Good enrichment performance was exhibited by high enrichment factors ranging from 851 to 1858. Under the optimum conditions, an online analysis method was established, and good linearity (0.03–12 and 0.15–12 μg/L) and low limits of detection (0.01–0.05 μg/L) were achieved. This analysis method was applied to real samples including water in a disposable plastic box and the bottled water, some targets were detected but not quantified, and the relative recoveries spiked at 2, 5 and 10 μg/L were in the range of 86.4–119.5%.     

Rapid analysis of ultraviolet filters using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled to headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

An ionic‐liquid‐based in situ dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method coupled to headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed for the rapid analysis of ultraviolet filters. The chemical structures of five ionic liquids were specifically designed to incorporate various functional groups for the favorable extraction of the target analytes. Extraction parameters including ionic liquid mass, molar ratio of ionic liquid to metathesis reagent, vortex time, ionic strength, pH, and total sample volume were studied and optimized. The effect of the headspace temperature and volume during the headspace sampling step was also evaluated to increase the sensitivity of the method. The optimized procedure is fast as it only required ∼7–10 min per extraction and allowed for multiple extractions to be performed simultaneously. In addition, the method exhibited high precision, good linearity, and low limits of detection for six ultraviolet filters in aqueous samples. The developed method was applied to both pool and lake water samples attaining acceptable relative recovery values.     

Dissociation pathways of protic ionic liquid clusters: Alkylammonium nitrates

Protic ionic liquids are promising candidates for many applications, including as spacecraft propellants. For both fundamental interest and understanding clustering and dissociation during electrospray‐based propulsion, it is useful to explore the dissociation pathways of protic ionic liquid clusters, as well as the factors affecting the relative contributions of each pathway to the observed MS/MS spectra. With that said, most of the published reports on ionic liquid cluster dissociation have focused on aprotic ionic liquids. The purpose of the current work is to explore the dissociation pathways (eg, loss of amine, nitric acid, or ion pair) of alkylammonium nitrates using energy‐resolved collision‐induced dissociation. Here, it was found that, in general, protic ionic liquids have multiple dissociation pathways—namely, protic ionic liquids can lose their neutralized cation (here, an alkylamine) or neutralized anion (here, nitric acid)—in addition to the ion pair dissociation familiar to aprotic salt and aprotic ionic liquid clusters. In general, increasing the basicity of the cation (here, through increasing the degree of alkylation) decreases the propensity to follow these alternative pathways. Interestingly, increasing the cluster size has a similar effect: as cluster size increases, nitric acid loss decreases. These results will help better model and design protic ionic liquids for electrospray‐based spacecraft propulsion and help provide a better understanding for the general behavior of protic ionic liquids versus aprotic ionic liquids within mass spectrometers.     

Multiple monolithic fiber solid‐phase microextraction based on a polymeric ionic liquid with high‐performance liquid chromatography for the determination of steroid sex hormones in water and urine

The development of a simple and sensitive analytical approach that combines multiple monolithic fiber solid‐phase microextraction with liquid desorption followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection is proposed for the determination of trace levels of seven steroid sex hormones (estriol, 17β‐estradiol, testosterone, ethinylestradiol, estrone, progesterone and mestranol) in water and urine matrices. To extract the target analytes effectively, multiple monolithic fiber solid‐phase microextraction based on a polymeric ionic liquid was used to concentrate hormones. Several key extraction parameters including desorption solvent, extraction and desorption time, pH value and ionic strength in sample matrix were investigated in detail. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the limits of detection were found to be in the range of 0.027–0.12 μg/L. The linear range was 0.10–200 μg/L for 17β‐estradiol, 0.25–200 μg/L estriol, ethinylestradiol and estrone, and 0.50–200 μg/L for the other hormones. Satisfactory linearities were achieved for analytes with the correlation coefficients above 0.99. Acceptable method reproducibility was achieved by evaluating the repeatability and intermediate precision with relative standard deviations of both less than 8%. The enrichment factors ranged from 54‐ to 74‐fold. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of steroid sex hormones in environmental water samples and human urines with spiking recoveries ranged from 75.6 to 116%.     

Ionic‐liquid‐based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for high‐throughput multiple food contaminant screening

This paper describes an innovation of dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction enabling multiple‐component analysis of eight high‐priority food contaminants in two chemically distinctive families: Sudan dyes and phthalate plasticizers. To provide convenient sample handling for solid and solid‐containing matrices, a modified dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure used an extractant precoated frit to perform simultaneous filtration, solvent mixing, and phase dispersion in one simple step. A binary ionic liquid extractant system was carefully tuned to deliver high quality analysis based only on affordable LC with diode array detector instrumentation. The method is comprehensively validated for robust quantification with good precision (6.9–9.8% RSD) in a linear 2–1000 μg/L range. Having accomplished enrichment factors up to 451, the treatment enables sensitive detection at 0.09–1.01 μg/L levels. Analysis of six high‐risk solid condiments and sauces further verified its practical applicability within a 70–120% recovery range. Compared to other approaches, the current dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction treatment offers major advantages in terms of minimal solvent (1.5 mL) and sample (0.1 g) consumption, ultra‐high analytical throughput (6 min), and the ability to handle complex solid matrices. The idea of performing simultaneous analysis for multiple contaminants presented here fosters a more effective mode of operation in food control routines.     

Cotton thread modified with ionic liquid copolymerized polymer for online in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction and HPLC analysis of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs

Cotton fiber is a biodegradable material that possesses properties such as high specific area, adjustable shape, and hygroscopicity. In this work, organic polymer was directly in situ grown on the surface of cotton thread and packed into a poly(ether ether ketone) tube for online in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction. The novel strategy solves the problems like high backpressure and tedious optimization process of normal monolithic polymer‐based in‐tube solid‐phase microextraction capillary. The quaternary ammonium typed ionic liquid of 1‐allyl‐methylimidazolium chloride, 4‐vinylbiphenyl, and ethylene dimethacrylate were co‐polymerized and in situ grown on the surface of cotton thread as extraction phase. The solid‐phase microextraction tube showed excellent performance for the extraction of three nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs including ketoprofen, naproxen, and flurbiprofen due to the strong ion exchange and hydrophobic interactions. After online coupling with a high‐performance liquid chromatography system by six‐port valve, the method was applied for the quantitative analysis of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in human plasma samples showing good enrichment performance (enrichment factor between 263 and 279), high sensitivity, good linearity, and good reproducibility.