Application of mesoporous carbon as a solid‐phase microextraction fiber coating for the extraction of volatile aromatic compounds

A mesoporous carbon was fabricated using MCM‐41 as a template and sucrose as a carbon source. The carbon material was coated on stainless‐steel wires by using the sol–gel technique. The prepared solid‐phase microextraction fiber was used for the extraction of five volatile aromatic compounds (chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, o‐xylene, bromobenzene, and 4‐chlorotoluene) from tea beverage samples (red tea and green tea) prior to gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. The main experimental parameters affecting the extraction of the volatile aromatic compounds by the fiber, including the extraction time, sample volume, extraction temperature, salt addition, and desorption conditions, were investigated. The linearity was observed in the range from 0.1 to 10.0 μg/L with the correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.9923 to 0.9982 and the limits of detection were less than 10.0 ng/L. The recoveries of the volatile aromatic compounds by the method from tea beverage samples at spiking levels of 1.0 and 10.0 μg/L ranged from 73.1 to 99.1%.     

Solid phase microextraction of volatile organic compounds using carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane fibers

Summary A new 80 μm Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fiber for solid phase microextraction (SPME) was tested for the enrichment of volatile organic compounds from water and air. Detection limits between 13 ng L⁻¹ (CH₂Cl₂) and 0.1 ng L⁻¹ (CHCl₂Br and CHClBr₂) for the combination: Carboxen-PDMS fiber and GC-ECD and between 35 ng L⁻¹ and 45 ng L⁻¹ (BTEX compounds) for the combination: Carboxen-PDMS and GC-FID using the headspace procedure were determined. Comparisons with the 100 μm PDMS fiber and further coatings show the advantages of the Carboxen-PDMS fiber with respect to extraction efficiency. Disadvantages of the new fiber compared with the 100 μm PDMS fiber are poorer repeatability and prolongation of equilibrium time. Distribution coefficients of the BTEX compounds between aqueous solution and SPME fiber coating were calculated and compared with the results of other researchers and with octanol-water partition coefficients.     

Cyclodextrin‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide as a fiber coating material for the solid‐phase microextraction of some volatile aromatic compounds

A novel solid phase microextraction fiber was prepared for the first time by using a sol–gel technique with hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide as the fiber coating material. The results verified that the β‐cyclodextrin was successfully grafted onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide and the coating possessed a uniform folded and wrinkled structure. The performance of the solid phase microextraction fiber was evaluated by using it to extract nine volatile aromatic compounds from water samples before determination with gas chromatography and flame ionization detection. Some important experimental parameters that could affect the extraction efficiency such as the extraction time, extraction temperature, desorption temperature, desorption time, the volume of water sample solution, stirring rate, as well as ionic strength were optimized. The new method was validated to be effective for the trace analysis of some volatile aromatic compounds, with the limits of detection ranging from 2.0 to 8.0 ng/L. Single fiber repeatability and fiber‐to‐fiber reproducibility were in the range of 2.5–9.4 and 5.4–12.9%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of three different water samples, and the recoveries of the method were in the range from 77.9 to 113.6% at spiking levels of 10, 100, and 1000 ng/L, respectively.     

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions by headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with cryotrap gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

Headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with cryotrap gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was applied to the analysis of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions. The highly volatile organic compounds were separated successfully with high sensitivity by the employment of a cryotrap device, with the construction of a cold column head by freezing a segment of metal capillary with liquid nitrogen. A total of 76 volatile organic compounds were identified in 50 pleural effusion samples (20 malignant effusions and 30 benign effusions). Among them, 34 more volatile organic compounds were detected with the retention time less than 8 min, by comparing with the normal headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method. Furthermore, 24 volatile organic compounds with high occurrence frequency in pleural effusion samples, 18 of which with the retention time less than 8 min, were selected for the comparative analysis. The results of average peak area comparison and box‐plot analysis showed that except for cyclohexanone, 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol, and tetramethylbenzene, which have been reported as potential cancer biomarkers, cyclohexanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n‐heptane, ethylbenzene, and xylene also had differential expression between malignant and benign effusions. Therefore, the proposed approach was valuable for the comprehensive characterization of volatile organic compounds in pleural effusions.     

Palladium‐coated stainless‐steel wire as a solid‐phase microextraction fiber

A novel palladium solid‐phase microextraction coating was fabricated on a stainless‐steel wire by a simple in situ oxidation–reduction process. The palladium coating exhibited a rough microscaled surface and its thickness was about 2 μm. Preparation conditions (reaction time and concentration of palladium chloride and hydrochloric acid) were optimized in detail to achieve sufficient extraction efficiency. Extraction properties of the fiber were investigated by direct immersion solid‐phase microextraction of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalate esters in aqueous samples. The extracted analytes were transferred into a gas chromatography system by thermal desorption. The effect of extraction and desorption conditions on extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity was obtained and correlation coefficients between 0.9908 and 0.9990 were obtained. Limits of detection were 0.05–0.10 μg/L for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 0.3 μg/L for phthalate esters. Their recoveries for real aqueous samples were in the range from 97.1 to 121% and from 89.1 to 108%, respectively. The intra‐ and interday tests were also investigated with three different addition levels, and satisfactory results were also obtained.     

Metal–organic framework UiO‐67‐coated fiber for the solid‐phase microextraction of nitrobenzene compounds from water

A sol–gel coating technique was applied for the preparation of a solid‐phase microextraction fiber by coating the metal–organic framework UiO‐67 onto a stainless‐steel wire. The prepared fiber was explored for the headspace solid‐phase microextraction of five nitrobenzene compounds from water samples before gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. The effects of the extraction temperature, extraction time, sample solution volume, salt addition, and desorption conditions on the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the linearity was observed in the range of 0.015–12.0 μg/L for the compounds in water samples, with the correlation coefficients (r) of 0.9945–0.9987. The limits of detection of the method were 5.0–10.0 ng/L, and the recoveries of the analytes from spiked water samples for the method were in the range of 74.0–102.0%. The precision for the measurements, expressed as the relative standard deviation, was less than 11.9%.     

Synthesis of a metal–organic framework confined in periodic mesoporous silica with enhanced hydrostability as a novel fiber coating for solid‐phase microextraction

A metal–organic framework/periodic mesoporous silica (MOF‐5@SBA‐15) hybrid material has been prepared by using SBA‐15 as a matrix. The prepared MOF‐5@SBA‐15 hybrid material was then deposited on a stainless‐steel wire to obtain the fiber for the solid‐phase microextraction of phenolic compounds. Modifications in the metal–organic framework structure have proven to improve the extraction performance of MOF/SBA‐15 hybrid materials, compared to pure MOF‐5 and SBA‐15. Optimum conditions include an extraction temperature of 75°C, a desorption temperature of 260°C, and a salt concentration of 20% w/v. The dynamic linear range and limit of detection range from 0.1–500 and from 0.01–3.12 ng/mL, respectively. The repeatability for one fiber (n = 3), expressed as relative standard deviation, is between 4.3 and 9.6%. The method offers the advantage of being simple to use, rapid, and low cost, the thermal stability of the fiber, and high relative recovery (compared to conventional methods) represent additional attractive features.     

Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles as a novel coating for solid‐phase microextraction

CdS nanoparticles coated on a stainless‐steel wire for solid‐phase microextraction was prepared. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the CdS nanoparticles clustered together to form a porous structure and X‐ray diffraction confirmed that the CdS nanoparticles were the wurtzite phase. Coupled to gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, the extraction abilities of the fiber for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were examined by the headspace method. The parameters of adsorption time, adsorption temperature, salt concentration, desorption time, and desorption temperature were investigated and optimized. For the method, wide linearity and low limits of detection from 5 to 15 ng/L were obtained. The relative standard deviations for single‐fiber repeatability and fiber‐to‐fiber reproducibility were less than 10.2 and 12.6%, respectively. The enrichment factors were from 1155.6 to 3905.4, showing the fiber has good extraction capacity for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Moreover, the fiber can be used more than 50 times, exhibiting good stability. The established method was also used to analyze the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in two real samples, and the recoveries from 82.7 to 114.2% further proved the reliability of the method.     

Rapid in situ growth of oriented titanium‐nickel oxide composite nanotubes arrays coated on a nitinol wire as a solid‐phase microextraction fiber coupled to HPLC–UV

An oriented titanium‐nickel oxide composite nanotubes coating was in situ grown on a nitinol wire by direct electrochemical anodization in ethylene glycol with ammonium fluoride and water for the first time. The morphology and composition of the resulting coating showed that the anodized nitinol wire provided a titania‐rich coating. The titanium‐nickel oxide composite nanotubes coated fiber was used for solid‐phase microextraction of different aromatic compounds coupled to high‐performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The titanium‐nickel oxide composite nanotubes coating exhibited high extraction capability, good selectivity, and rapid mass transfer for weakly polar UV filters. Thereafter the important parameters affecting extraction efficiency were investigated for solid‐phase microextraction of UV filters. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.1–300 μg/L for target UV filters with limits of detection of 0.019–0.082 μg/L. The intraday and interday precision of the proposed method with the single fiber were 5.3–7.2 and 5.9–7.9%, respectively, and the fiber‐to‐fiber reproducibility ranged from 6.3 to 8.9% for four fibers fabricated in different batches. Finally, its applicability was evaluated by the extraction and determination of target UV filters in environmental water samples.     

Synthesis of carbon nanotube/layered double hydroxide nanocomposite as a novel fiber coating for the headspace solid‐phase microextraction of phenols from water samples

In this research, a carbon nanotube/layered double hydroxide nanocomposite was synthesized by an in situ growth route by electrostatic force. The prepared carbon nanotube/layered double hydroxide nanocomposite was successfully prepared and deposited on a stainless‐steel wire for the fabrication of the solid‐phase microextraction fiber. The fiber was evaluated for the extraction of phenolic compounds from water samples. Analytical merits of the method, under optimum conditions (extraction temperature: 75°C, extraction time: 30 min, desorption time: 2 min, desorption temperature 260°C, salt concentration: 10% w/v) are 0.01–300 ng/mL for the linear dynamic range and 0.005–0.08 for the limit of detection. In optimum conditions, the repeatability for one fiber (n = 3), expressed as relative standard deviation, was between 6.5 and 9.9% for the phenolic compounds.     

顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱-质谱联用分析纺织品中挥发性有机物

建立了顶空固相微萃取（HSSPME）-气相色谱（GC）-质谱（MS）联用测定纺织品中甲苯、4-乙烯基环己烯、苯乙烯、萘和1-苯基环己烯5种挥发性有机物（VOCs）的分析方法。选择聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）作为萃取涂层,优化了SPME的萃取条件,包括平衡时间、萃取时间、萃取温度、顶空体积、离子强度、搅拌速度、解吸温度和时间以及GC—MS仪器条件。对于甲苯、4-乙烯基环己烯、苯乙烯、萘和1-苯基环己烯方法线性范围分别为0．087～870、3．32～3320、2．28～2280、0．015～150和0．050～50．0ng／g;检出限分别为0．005、0．042、0．670、0．008和0．011ng／g。实际样品加标回收率在80．1％～122％之间,RSD在0．8％～8．6％之间。方法符合纺织品中痕量VOCs的快速分析要求。     

Sampling volatile organic compounds using a modified solid phase microextraction device

Headspace solid phase microextraction (headspace SPME) has been demonstrated to be an excellent solvent-free sampling method. One of the major factors contributing to the success of headspace SPME is the concentrating effect of the fiber coating toward organic compounds. The affinity of the fiber coating toward very volatile analytes, such as chloromethane, may, however, not be large enough for detection at the parts per trillion concentration level. Static headspace analysis, on the other hand, is very effective for these very volatile compounds. As analyte volatility decreases, the sensitivity of static headspace analysis drops. The complementary nature of these two sampling methods can be exploited by combining the SPME device with a gastight syringe. The sensitivity of the new sampling device is better than that of SPME for very volatile compounds or that of static headspace analysis for less volatile compounds. This new method can sample a wide range of compounds from chloromethane (b.p. −24°C) to bromoform (b.p. 149°C) with estimated limits of detection at the low parts per trillion level.     

Development of a solid‐phase microextraction fiber by the chemical binding of graphene oxide on a silver‐coated stainless‐steel wire with an ionic liquid as the crosslinking agent

Graphene oxide was bonded onto a silver‐coated stainless‐steel wire using an ionic liquid as the crosslinking agent by a layer‐by‐layer strategy. The novel solid‐phase microextraction fiber was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and Raman microscopy. A multilayer graphene oxide layer was closely coated onto the supporting substrate. The thickness of the coating was about 4 μm. Coupled with gas chromatography, the fiber was evaluated using five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (fluorene, anthracene, fluoranthene, 1,2‐benzophenanthrene, and benzo(a)pyrene) as model analytes in direct‐immersion mode. The main conditions (extraction time, extraction temperature, ionic strength, and desorption time) were optimized by a factor‐by‐factor optimization. The as‐established method exhibited a wide linearity range (0.5–200 μg/L) and low limits of determination (0.05–0.10 μg/L). It was applied to analyze environmental water samples of rain and river water. Three kinds of the model analytes were quantified and the recoveries of samples spiked at 10 μg/L were in the range of 92.3–120 and 93.8–115%, respectively. The obtained results indicated the fiber was efficient for solid‐phase microextraction analysis.     

Nanostructured copper‐coated solid‐phase microextraction fiber for gas chromatographic analysis of dibutyl phthalate and diethylhexyl phthalate environmental estrogens

A novel nanostructured copper‐based solid‐phase microextraction fiber was developed and applied for determining the two most common types of phthalate environmental estrogens (dibutyl phthalate and diethylhexyl phthalate) in aqueous samples, coupled to gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The copper film was coated onto a stainless‐steel wire via an electroless plating process, which involved a surface activation process to improve the surface properties of the fiber. Several parameters affecting extraction efficiency such as extraction time, extraction temperature, ionic strength, desorption temperature, and desorption time were optimized by a factor‐by‐factor procedure to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The as‐established method showed wide linear ranges (0.05–250 μg/L). Precision of single fiber repeatability was <7.0%, and fiber‐to‐fiber repeatability was <10%. Limits of detection were 0.01 μg/L. The proposed method exhibited better or comparable extraction performance compared with commercial and other lab‐made fibers, and excellent thermal stability and durability. The proposed method was applied successfully for the determination of model analytes in plastic soaking water.     

Development and validation of a solid-phase microextraction method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in groundwater samples

Summary Solid-phase microextraction is a relatively recent extraction technique for sample preparation. It has been used successfully to analyse environmental pollutants in a variety of matrices such as soils, water and air. In this work, a simple and rapid method for the analysis of volatile organic and polar compounds from polluted groundwater samples by SPME coupled with gas chromatography (GC) is described. Different types of fibres were studied and the extraction process was optimised. The fibre that proved to be the best to analyse this kind of samples was CAR-PDMS. The method was validated by analysis of synthetic samples and comparison with headspace—GC. The optimised method was successfully applied to the analysis of ground-water samples.     

Synthesis of layered zinc hydroxide intercalated with dodecyl sulfate organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposite as a fiber coating for the headspace solid‐phase microextraction of aromatic hydrocarbons from water

We describe the synthesis of a layered zinc hydroxide‐dodecyl sulfate organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposite as a new solid‐phase microextraction fiber. The fiber coating can be prepared easily in a short time and the reaction is at room temperature; it is mechanically stable and exhibits relatively high thermal stability. The synthesized layered zinc hydroxide‐dodecyl sulfate nanocomposite was successfully prepared and immobilized on a stainless steel wire and evaluated for the extraction of aromatic compounds from aqueous sample solutions in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The method yields good results for some validation parameters. Under optimum conditions (extraction time: 15 min, extraction temperature: 50°C, desorption time: 1 min, desorption temperature: 250°C, salt concentration: 0.5 g/mL), the limit of detection and dynamic linear range were 0.69–3.2 ng/L and 10–500 ng/L, respectively. The method was applied to the analyses of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o‐, p‐, and m‐xylenes in two real water samples collected from the Aji river and Mehran river, Tabriz, Iran. Under optimum conditions, the repeatability and reproducibility for one fiber (n = 3), expressed as the relative standard deviation, was 3.2–7.3% and 4.2–11.2% respectively. The fibers are thermally stable and yield better recoveries than conventional methods of analysis.     

Evaluation of matrix effects in the analysis of volatile organic compounds in whole blood with solid‐phase microextraction

The complexity and matrix variability of biological samples requires an accurate evaluation of matrix effects. The dilution of the biological sample is the simplest way to reduce or avoid the matrix effect. In the present study, a set of volatile organic compounds with different volatilities was used to assess the effect of the dilution of blood samples on the extraction efficiency by headspace solid‐phase microextraction. It was found that there was a significant matrix effect but that this effect differs significantly depending on the volatility of the compound. A 1:2 (blood/water) dilution was enough to allow quantitative recoveries of those compounds with boiling points <100°C. For compounds with boiling points between 100 and 150°C, the matrix effect was stronger and a 1:5 dilution was required. The dilution of blood samples proved to be inefficient for quantitative recovery of compounds with boiling points >150°C. A 1:5 dilution of the sample allowed detection limits in the range of nanogram per liter to be obtained. This was sufficient to detect the main volatile compounds present in blood and contamination after exposure.     

Characterization of volatile substances in apples from Rosaceae family by headspace solid‐phase microextraction followed by GC‐qMS

The volatile composition of different apple varieties of Malus domestica Borkh. species from different geographic regions at Madeira Islands, namely Ponta do Pargo (PP), Porto Santo (PS), and Santo da Serra (SS) was established by headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) procedure followed by GC‐MS (GC‐qMS) analysis. Significant parameters affecting sorption process such as fiber coating, extraction temperature, extraction time, sample amount, dilution factor, ionic strength, and desorption time, were optimized and discussed. The SPME fiber coated with 50/30 μm divinylbenzene/carboxen/PDMS (DVB/CAR/PDMS) afforded highest extraction efficiency of volatile compounds, providing the best sensitivity for the target volatiles, particularly when the samples were extracted at 50°C for 30 min with constant magnetic stirring. A qualitative and semi‐quantitative analysis between the investigated apple species has been established. It was possible to identify about 100 of volatile compounds among pulp (46, 45, and 39), peel (64, 60, and 64), and entire fruit (65, 43, and 50) in PP, PS, and SS apples, respectively. Ethyl esters, terpenes, and higher alcohols were found to be the most representative volatiles. α‐Farnesene, hexan‐1‐ol and hexyl 2‐methylbutyrate were the compounds found in the volatile profile of studied apples with the largest GC area, representing, on average, 24.71, 14.06, and 10.80% of the total volatile fraction from PP, PS, and SS apples. In PP entire apple, the most abundant compounds identified were α‐farnesene (30.49%), the unknown compound m/z (69, 101, 157) (21.82%) and hexyl acetate (6.57%). Regarding PS entire apple the major compounds were α‐farnesene (16.87%), estragole (15.43%), hexan‐1‐ol (10.94), and E‐2‐hexenal (10.67). α‐Farnesene (30.3%), hexan‐1‐ol (18.90%), 2‐methylbutanoic acid (4.7%), and pentan‐1‐ol (4.6%) were also found as SS entire apple volatiles present in a higher relative content. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the results clustered the apples into three groups according to geographic origin. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was performed in order to detect the volatile compounds able to differentiate the three kinds of apples investigated. The most important contributions to the differentiation of the PP, PS, and SS apples were ethyl hexanoate, hexyl 2‐methylbutyrate, E,E‐2,4‐heptadienal, p‐ethyl styrene, and E‐2‐hexenal.     

顶空固相微萃取-气相色谱法测定环保水性涂料中的挥发性有机物

建立了一种固相微萃取．气相色谱同时测定环保水性涂料中的苯系物和卤代烃的方法。选择涂层厚度为70μm的聚乙二醇-二乙烯苯(CW-DVB)萃取纤维,对固相微萃取的萃取条件进行了优化。该法相对标准偏差小于10％,样品的加标回收率大于72．2％,已成功地测定了11种水性涂料中的苯系物和卤代烷。     

Solid phase microextraction assisted by droplets-based liquid-liquid microextraction for analysis of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons in water by gas chromatography

A new technique for the analysis of volatile aromatic hydrocarbons by combining liquid-liquid microextraction with solid phase microextraction has been developed. The analytes were extracted from aqueous samples by an immobilized polydimethylsiloxane fiber assisted by the droplets of an appropriate organic solvent. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene were used as target analytes. The main factors potentially affecting the microextraction such as the nature and the volume of organic solvent, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) swelling, extraction time, agitation, temperature, and salts were optimized. The method requires a very low consumption of organic solvent. The relative enrichment factor is in the range of 7.1-32.4 for extraction in the presence of dichloromethane at an optimum volume of 18 μL mL(-1) of aqueous sample. This enhancement over regular polydimethylsiloxane fiber is primarily the result of the fiber swelling and of a stable thin layer of organic solvent attached to the surface of the PDMS fiber. The limit of detection ranges from 0.02 to 0.65 ng mL(-1) for the target compounds using a 7-μm bonded polydimethylsiloxane coating and a flame ionization detector. The validity of this method is demonstrated by the analysis of a real waste water sample.