High extraction efficiency for polar aromatic compounds in natural water samples using multiwalled carbon nanotubes/Nafion solid-phase microextraction coating

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Nafion was developed and applied for the extraction of polar aromatic compounds (PACs) in natural water samples. The characteristics and the application of this fiber were investigated. Electron microscope photographs indicated that the MWCNTs/Nafion coating with average thickness of 12.5 μm was homogeneous and porous. The MWCNTs/Nafion coated fiber exhibited higher extraction efficiency towards polar aromatic compounds compared to an 85 μm commercial PA fiber. SPME experimental conditions, such as fiber coating, extraction time, stirring rate, desorption temperature and desorption time, were optimized in order to improve the extraction efficiency. The calibration curves were linear from 0.01 to 10 μg mL⁻¹ for five PACs studied except p-nitroaniline (from 0.005 to 10 μg mL⁻¹) and m-cresol (from 0.001 to 10 μg mL⁻¹), and detection limits were within the range of 0.03–0.57 ng mL⁻¹. Single fiber and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility were less than 7.5 (n = 7) and 10.0% (n = 5), respectively. The recovery of the PACs spiked in natural water samples at 1 μg mL⁻¹ ranged from 83.3 to 106.0%.     

Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in ecological textiles by solid-phase microextraction with a siloxane-modified polyurethane acrylic resin fiber

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating was prepared with siloxane-modified polyurethane acrylic resin by photo-cured technology. The ratio of two monomers was investigated to obtain good microphase separation structure and better extraction performance. The self-made fiber was then applied to organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) analysis and several factors, such as extraction/desorption time, extraction temperature, salinity, and pH, were studied. The optimized conditions were: 15 min extraction at 25 °C, 5% Na₂SO₄ content, pH 7.0 and 4 min desorption in GC inlet. The self-made fiber coating exhibited better extraction efficiency for OPPs, compared with three commercial fiber coatings. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of 11 OPPs were from 0.03 μg L⁻¹ to 0.5 μg L⁻¹. Good recoveries and repeatabilities were obtained when the method was used to determine OPPs in ecological textile.     

Determination of endocrine-disrupting compounds in water by carbon nanotubes solid-phase microextraction fiber coupled online with high performance liquid chromatography

The commercial solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers are not stable enough in organic solvent and tend to swell and strip off from the silica fiber in the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) mobile phase, and therefore the application of SPME coupled online with HPLC is limited. In this study, an SPME fiber coated with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), prepared by means of electrophoretic deposition, was coupled on line to HPLC for the determination of four endocrine-disrupting compounds, i.e. bisphenol A (BPA), estrone (E₁), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE₂) and octylphenol (OP), in aqueous samples. The results showed that the SWCNTs coating on the prepared fiber did not swell and strip off from the platinum fiber throughout the experiment, thus indicating a high resistance to the HPLC mobile phase, the mixture of water and acetonitrile. The SWCNTs fiber had similar (for OP) or higher (for BPA, EE₂ and E₁) extraction efficiencies than the commonly used polyacrylate fiber, and had a lifetime of more than 120 operation times. Under the optimized conditions, the linearity of the proposed method was 1.0-30.0 μg/L for BPA and OP and 3.0-90.0 μg/L for E₁ and EE₂. The limits of detection (LODs; S/N = 3) and limits of quantification (LOQs; S/N = 10) of the method were 0.32-0.52 μg/L and 1.06-1.72 μg/L, respectively. Repeatability for one fiber (n = 3) was in the range of 1.3-7.1% and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 3) was in the range of 1.6-8.4%. The proposed method was successfully applied for the analysis of spiked tap water and seawater samples with recoveries from 81.8 to 97.3%.     

Electropolymerized multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polypyrrole fiber for solid-phase microextraction and its applications in the determination of pyrethroids

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polypyrrole (MWCNTs/Ppy) was prepared with an electrochemical method and used for the extraction of pyrethroids in natural water samples. The results showed that the MWCNTs/Ppy coated fiber had high organic stability, and remarkable acid and alkali resistance. In addition, the MWCNTs/Ppy coated fiber was more effective and superior to commercial PDMS and PDMS/DVD fibers in extracting pyrethroids in natural water samples. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curves were found to be linear from 0.001 to 10 μg mL⁻¹ for five of the six pyrethroids studied, the exception being fenvalerate (which was from 0.005 to 10 μg mL⁻¹), and detection limits were within the range 0.12-0.43 ng mL⁻¹. The recoveries of the pyrethroids spiked in water samples at 10 ng mL⁻¹ ranged from 83 to 112%.     

Attachment of nickel hexacyanoferrates nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes: preparation, characterization and bioapplication

Anilinemethyltriethoxysilane (AMTEOS) was first used as precursor as well as selective stationary phase to prepare the sol-gel derived anilinemethyltriethoxysilane/polydimethylsiloxane (AMTEOS/PDMS) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers. The novel SPME fiber exhibits high extraction efficiency, good thermal stability and long lifetime compared with commercial SPME coatings. In addition, the phenyl groups in the porous layer can exhibit π-π interactions with aromatic compounds, such as monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Therefore, SPME using the AMTEOS/PDMS sol-gel fiber coupled with GC-FID was recommended as a sensitive and selective method towards the analysis of these compounds in environmental water samples. The optimal extraction conditions were investigated by adjusting extraction time, salt addition, extraction temperature, and desorption time. The method showed linearity between 2 and 4000 μg l⁻¹ for MAHs and 1 and 1000 μg l⁻¹ for PAHs. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.6-3.8 μg l⁻¹for MAHs and 0.2-1.5 μg l⁻¹ for PAHs. The novel AMTEOS/PDMS fiber was applied to extract small amount of aromatic compounds in wastewater and river water respectively. The recovery of the method was acceptable for quantitative analysis.     

Niobium(V) oxide coated on thin glass-ceramic rod as a solid phase microextraction fiber

The efficiency of niobium(V) oxide as a sorbent phase for solid phase microextraction (SPME) was investigated. The thin glass-ceramic rod was coated with niobium(V) oxide using chemical vapor deposition and Nb₂O₅ as a chemical precursor. Optimum conditions for the preparation and conditioning of the fibers are presented. The fibers were used for the extraction of a mixture of alcohols and a mixture of phenols from the headspace samples. The results obtained proved the suitability of niobium(V) oxide as a new SPME fiber. The calibration graphs for alcohols and phenols in a concentration range of 50-1000 μg l⁻¹ were linear (r > 0.995) and the detection limits were below 0.8 μg l⁻¹ level. The repeatability for one fiber (n = 6) under similar conditions was between 3 and 10.4%. The fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 6) was between 5 and 15%.     

Mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles for highly sensitive solid-phase microextraction of organochlorine pesticides

Mesoporous TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized with the hydrothermal method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Then a superior solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was fabricated by sequentially coating the stainless steel fiber with silicone sealant film and mesoporous TiO₂ powder. The developed fiber possessed a homogeneous surface and a long life-span up to 100 times at direct immersing (DI) extraction mode. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction efficiencies of the self-made 17 μm TiO₂ fiber for six organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were higher than those of the two commercial fibers (65 μm PDMS/DVB and 85 μm PA fibers) which were much thicker than the former. As for analytical performance, low detection limits (0.08–0.60 ng L⁻¹) and wide linearity (5–5000 ng L⁻¹) were achieved under the optimal conditions. The repeatabilities (n = 5) for single fiber were between 2.8 and 12.3%, while the reproducibilities (n = 3) of fiber-to-fiber were in the range of 3.7–15.7%. The proposed fiber was successfully applied to the sensitive analysis of OCPs in real water samples and four of the six analytes were detected from the rainwater and the lake water samples.     

Evaluation of the solid-phase microextraction fiber coated with single walled carbon nanotubes for the determination of benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene,xylenes in aqueous samples

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coated with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was prepared by electrophoretic deposition and treated at 500 °C in H₂ stream. In order to evaluate the characteristics of the obtained fiber, it was applied in the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) from water sample and quantification by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The results indicated that the thermal treatment with H₂ enhanced the extraction of the SWCNTs fiber for BTEX significantly. Thermal stability and durability of the fiber were also investigated, showing excellent stability up to 350 °C and life time over 120 times. In the comparison with the commercial CAR–PDMS fiber, the SWCNTs fiber showed similar and higher extraction efficiencies for BTEX. Under the optimized conditions, the linearity, LODs (S/N = 3) and LOQs (S/N = 10) of the method based on the SWCNTs fiber were 0.5–50.0, 0.005–0.026 and 0.017–0.088 μg/L, respectively. Repeatability for one fiber (n = 3) was in the range of 1.5–5.6% and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 3) was in the range of 4.2–8.3%. The proposed method was successfully applied in the analysis of BTEX compounds in seawater, tap water and wastewater from a paint plant.     

Silicone glue coated stainless steel wire for solid phase microextraction

A new solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber based on high-temperature silicone glue coated on a stainless steel wire is presented. The fiber coating can be prepared easily in a few minutes, it is mechanically stable and exhibits relatively high thermal stability (up to 260 °C). The extraction properties of the fiber to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) were examined using both direct and headspace SPME modes coupled to gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. The effects of the extraction and desorption parameters including extraction and desorption time, sampling and desorption temperature, and ionic strength on the extraction/desorption efficiency have been studied. For both headspace and direct SPME the calibration graphs were linear in the concentration range from 0.5 μg L⁻¹ to 10 mg L⁻¹ (R² > 0.996) and detection limits ranged from 0.07 to 0.24 μg L⁻¹. Single fiber repeatability and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility were less than 6.8 and 21.5%, respectively. Finally, headspace SPME was applied to determine BTEX in petrol station waste waters with spiked recoveries in the range of 89.7-105.2%.     

In vitro evaluation of new biocompatible coatings for solid-phase microextraction: Implications for drug analysis and in vivo sampling applications

A new line of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coatings suitable for use with liquid chromatography applications was recently developed to address the limitations of the currently available coatings. The proposed coatings were immobilized on the metal fiber core and consisted of a mixture of proprietary biocompatible binder and various types of coated silica (octadecyl, polar embedded and cyano) particles. The aim of this research was to perform in vitro assessment of these new SPME fibers in order to evaluate their suitability for drug analysis and in vivo SPME applications. The main parameters examined were extraction efficiency, solvent resistance, preconditioning, dependence of extraction kinetics on coating thickness, carryover, linear range and inter-fiber reproducibility. The performance of the proposed coatings was compared against commercial Carbowax-TPR (CW-TPR) coating, when applicable. The fibers were evaluated for the extraction of drugs of different classes (carbamazepine, propranolol, pseudoephedrine, ranitidine and diazepam) from plasma and urine. The analyses were performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results show that the fibers perform very well for the extraction of biological fluids with no sample pre-treatment required and can also be used for in vivo sampling applications of flowing blood. A coating thickness of 45 μm was found to be a good compromise between extraction capacity and extraction kinetics. Due to the high extraction efficiency of these coatings, pre-equilibrium SPME with very short extraction times (2 min) can be employed to increase sample throughput. Inter-fiber reproducibility was ≤11% R.S.D. (n = 10) for model drugs examined in plasma, which is a significant improvement over polypyrrole coatings reported in literature, and permits single fiber use for in vivo applications.     

Chemical immobilization of crosslinked polymeric ionic liquids on nitinol wires produces highly robust sorbent coatings for solid-phase microextraction

Super elastic nitinol (NiTi) wires were exploited as highly robust supports for three distinct crosslinked polymeric ionic liquid (PIL)-based coatings in solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The oxidation of NiTi wires in a boiling (30% w/w) H₂O₂ solution and subsequent derivatization in vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) allowed for vinyl moieties to be appended to the surface of the support. UV-initiated on-fiber copolymerization of the vinyl-substituted NiTi support with monocationic ionic liquid (IL) monomers and dicationic IL crosslinkers produced a crosslinked PIL-based network that was covalently attached to the NiTi wire. This alteration alleviated receding of the coating from the support, which was observed for an analogous crosslinked PIL applied on unmodified NiTi wires. A series of demanding extraction conditions, including extreme pH, pre-exposure to pure organic solvents, and high temperatures, were applied to investigate the versatility and robustness of the fibers. Acceptable precision of the model analytes was obtained for all fibers under these conditions. Method validation by examining the relative recovery of a homologous group of phthalate esters (PAEs) was performed in drip-brewed coffee (maintained at 60 °C) by direct immersion SPME. Acceptable recoveries were obtained for most PAEs in the part-per-billion level, even in this exceedingly harsh and complex matrix.     

Development of metal complex imprinted solid-phase microextraction fiber for 2,2'-dipyridine recognition in aqueous medium

In this paper, a novel metal complex imprinted polymer (CIP) coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared which could recognize the complex template [Cu(OAc)₂(2,2′-dipyridine)] in aqueous medium. The saturating adsorption capacity of CIP-coated fiber was 2.2 and 2.6 times greater than those of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coated fiber and nonimprinted polymer (NIP) coated fiber, respectively. Extraction conditions that influenced the recognition performance of CIP-coated fiber were investigated including pH, extraction solvent, metal ion species, etc. The ligand selectivity was also evaluated and discussed. The results demonstrated that CIP-coated fiber had better binding affinity for 2,2′-dipyridine compared to its structure analogues. The recognition ability of CIP coating was stable and effective in aqueous medium while MIP coating showed weak imprinting effect due to disturbance from protic solvent. 2,2′-dipyridine extracted by CIP-coated fiber using HPLC/UV detection resulted in a linear range of 10-200 μg/L with a detection limit of 2.0 μg/L. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of 2,2′-dipyridine in spiked tap water, laboratory wastewater and human urine samples with recoveries 80.3-103.3% and RSDs 5.5-8.9%.     

A new polyethylene glycol fiber prepared by coating porous zinc electrodeposited onto silver for solid-phase microextraction of styrene

A new polyethylene glycol fiber was developed for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of styrene by electrodepositing porous Zn film on Ag wire substrate followed by coating with polyethylene glycol sol-gel (Ag/Zn/PEG sol-gel fiber). The scanning electron micrographs of fibers surface revealed a highly porous structure. The extraction property of the developed fiber-to-styrene residue from polystyrene packaged food was investigated by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed with a gas chromatograph coupled with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The new Ag/Zn/PEG sol-gel fiber is simple to prepare, low cost, robust, has high thermal stability and long lifetime, up to 359 extractions. Repeatability of one fiber (n = 6) was in the range of 4.7-7.5% and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 4) for five concentration values were in the range 3.4-10%. This Ag/Zn/PEG sol-gel fiber was compared to two commercial SPME fibers, 75 μm carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) and 100 μm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Under their optimum conditions, Ag/Zn/PEG sol-gel fiber showed the highest sensitivity and the lowest detection limit at 0.28 ± 0.01 ng mL⁻¹.     

Application of solid-phase microextraction for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in textiles by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry

A method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the determination of 18 organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in textiles is described. Commercially available SPME fibers, 100 μm PDMS and 85 μm PA, were compared and 85 μm PA exhibited better performance to the OPPs. Various parameters affecting SPME, including extraction and desorption time, extraction temperature, salinity and pH, were studied. The optimized conditions were: 35 min extraction at 25 °C, 5% NaSO₄ content, pH 7.0, and 3.5 min desorption in GC injector port at 250 °C. The linear ranges of the SPME-GC/MS method were 0.1-500 μg L⁻¹ for most of the OPPs. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.01 μg L⁻¹ (for bromophos-ethyl) to 55 μg L⁻¹ (for azinphos-methyl) and the RSDs were between 0.66% and 9.22%. The optimized method was then used to analyze 18 OPPs in textile sample, and the determined recoveries were ranged from 76.7% to 126.8%. Moreover, the distribution coefficients of the OPPs between 85 μm PA fiber and simulative sweat solution (K_pa/s) were determined. The determined K_pa/s of the OPPs correlated well with their octanol-water partition coefficients (r = 0.764 and 0.678) and water solubility (r = −0.892 and −0.863).     

Preparation of C18 composite solid-phase microextraction fiber and its application to the determination of organochlorine pesticides in water samples

In this work, a C18 composite solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared with a new method and applied to the analysis of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water sample. A stainless steel wire (o.d. 127 μm) was used as the substrate, and a mixture of the C18 particle (3.5 μm) and the 184 silicone was used as the coating material. During the process of fiber preparation, a section of capillary column was used to fix the mixture onto the stainless steel wire and to ensure the constant of coating thickness. The prepared fiber showed excellent thermal stability and solvent resistance. By coupling with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), the fiber exhibited wide linearity (2–500 ng L⁻¹) and good sensitivity for the determination of six OCPs in water samples, the OCPs tested included hexachlorobezene, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, o,p-DDT, p,p-DDT and mirex. Not only the extraction performance of the newly prepared fiber was more than seven times higher than those of commercial fibers, the limits of detections (LODs) (0.059–0.151 ng L⁻¹) for OCPs achieved under optimized conditions were also lower than those of reported SPME methods. The fiber was successfully applied to the determination of OCPs in real water samples by using developed SPME–GC–MS method.     

Growth of cedar-like Au nanoparticles coating on an etched stainless steel wire and its application for selective solid-phase microextraction

A novel cedar-like Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) coating was fabricated on an etched stainless steel (SS) wire by direct chemical deposition and used as an efficient and unbreakable solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber. The etched SS wire offers a rough surface structure for subsequent growth of AuNPs in chloroauric acid solution. As a result, the uniform cedar-like AuNPs coating with larger surface area was tightly attached to the etched SS wire substrate. The AuNPs coated etched SS fiber (AuNPs/SS) was examined for SPME of ultraviolet (UV) filters, phthalate esters and aromatic hydrocarbons coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The fabricated fiber exclusively exhibited excellent extraction efficiency and selectivity for some aromatic hydrocarbons. Influential parameters of extraction and desorption time, temperature, stirring rate and ionic strength were investigated and optimized. The limits of detection ranged from 0.008 μg L⁻¹ to 0.037 μg L⁻¹. The single fiber repeatability varied from 3.90% to 4.50% and the fiber-to-fiber reproducibility ranged from 5.15% to 6.87%. The recovery of aromatic hydrocarbons in real water samples spiked at 2.0 μg L⁻¹ and 20 μg L⁻¹ ranged from 94.38% to 106.2% with the relative standard deviations below 6.44%. Furthermore the growth of the cedar-like AuNPs coating can be performed in a highly reproducible manner. This fabricated fiber exhibits good stability and withstands at least 200 extraction and desorption replicates.     

Tuning the selectivity of polymeric ionic liquid sorbent coatings for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using solid-phase microextraction

A new generation polymeric ionic liquid (PIL), poly(1-4-vinylbenzyl)-3-hexadecylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (poly(VBHDIm⁺ NTf₂⁻)), was synthesized and is shown to exhibit impressive selectivity towards the extraction of 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from aqueous samples when used as a sorbent coating in direct-immersion solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography (GC). The PIL was imparted with aromatic character to enhance π–π interactions between the analytes and the sorbent coating. For comparison purposes, a PIL with similar structure but lacking the π–π interaction capability, poly(1-vinyl-3-hexadecylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide) (poly(HDIm⁺ NTf₂⁻)), as well as a commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sorbent coating were evaluated and exhibited much lower extraction efficiencies. Extraction parameters, including stir rate and extraction time, were studied and optimized. The detection limits of poly(VBHDIm⁺ NTf₂⁻), poly(HDIm⁺ NTf₂⁻), and PDMS coatings varied between 0.003–0.07 μg L⁻¹, 0.02–0.6 μg L⁻¹, and 0.1–6 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The partition coefficients (log K_fs) of eight PAHs to the three studied fiber coatings were estimated using a static SPME approach. This study represents the first report of analyte partition coefficients to any PIL-based material.     

A new disposable ionic liquid based coating for headspace solid-phase microextraction of methyl tert-butyl ether in a gasoline sample followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection

A new ionic liquid (IL) based solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was investigated and used for headspace (HS) extraction of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in a gasoline sample. Using the new IL coated HS-SPME fiber with the combination of gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID); sub-to-low μg L⁻¹ concentrations of MTBE were detected. Four different ILs including 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetraflouroborate ([C₄C₁IM] [BF₄]), 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetraflouroborate ([C₈C₁IM] [BF₄]), 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexaflourophosphate ([C₈C₁IM] [PF₆]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulphate ([C₂C₁IM] [ETSO₄]) were synthesized and examined for extraction, preconcentration and determination of MTBE. It was observed that [C₈C₁IM] [BF₄] showed the highest extraction efficiency and possessed the best extractability for MTBE. The fiber coating takes up the compounds from the sample by absorption in the case of liquid coatings. The calibration graph was linear in a concentration range of 1-120 μg L⁻¹ (R² > 0.994) with the detection limit of 0.09 μg L⁻¹ level. The new IL-coated fiber was applied successfully for the determination of MTBE in a gasoline sample with good recoveries between 90 and 95%.     

Inorganic/organic mesoporous silica as a novel fiber coating of solid-phase microextraction

Mesoporous materials were employed as fast, sensitive and efficient fiber coatings of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for the first time. Three micrometer as-synthesized C₁₆-MCM-41 particles were immobilized onto stainless steel wire with 100 μm coating thickness. In combination with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), extraction efficiency and selectivity of C₁₆-MCM-41 were investigated using aromatic hydrocarbons. Effect of extraction and desorption time, extraction temperature, stirring rate and ionic strength on extraction efficiency were examined. Aanalytical merits of SPME with C₁₆-MCM-41 coating were evaluated. The chromatographic peak area is proportional to the concentration of anthracene in the range 0.5-150 μg l⁻¹. The limit of detection was 0.05 μg l⁻¹ (S/N=3) and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was 0.033%.     

Preparation of ionic liquid based solid-phase microextraction fiber and its application to forensic determination of methamphetamine and amphetamine in human urine

A new solid-phase microextraction (SPME) procedure using an ionic liquid (IL) has been developed. Reusable IL-based SPME fiber was prepared for the first time by fixing IL through cross-linkage of IL impregnated silicone elastomer on the surface of a fused silica fiber. 1-Ethoxyethyl-3-methylimidazloium bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonylimide ([EeMim][NTf₂]) ionic liquid was employed as a demonstration and the prepared fiber was applied to the forensic headspace determination of methamphetamine (MAP) and amphetamine (AP) in human urine samples. Important extraction parameters including the concentration of salt and base in sample matrix, extraction temperature and extraction time were investigated and optimized. Combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) working in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, the new method showed good linearity in the range of 20–1500 μg L⁻¹, good repeatability (RSD < 7.5% for MAP, and <11.5% for AP, n = 6), and low detection limits (0.1 μg L⁻¹ for MAP and 0.5 μg L⁻¹ for AP). Feasibility of the method was evaluated by analyzing human urine samples. Although IL-based SPME is still at the beginning of its development stage, the results obtained by this work showed that it is a promising simple, fast and sensitive sample preparation method.