Functionalized-multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a preconcentrating probe for rapid monitoring of cationic dyestuffs in environmental water using AP-MALDI/MS

A simple and sensitive method was developed for the rapid analysis of cationic dyestuffs from river and industrial wastewater using functionalized-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNT) with atmospheric pressure-matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (AP-MALDI/MS). The separation and preconcentration of analytes from sample solution was based on electrostatic force of attraction between positive dyestuffs and negatively charged f-MWCNT. The optimum enrichment of the three dyestuffs was observed at pH 5.0 for 3 min contact time and using 1 mg f-MWCNT in 1 mL water sample. The developed method has been successfully applied for the determination of three cationic dyestuffs namely neutral red (NR), brilliant cresyl blue (BB), and methylene blue (MB) in real world samples including river and industrial wastewater. The relative recoveries of dyestuffs from water sample were in the range 88.6-98.4%, indicating that the matrix had little effect on enrichment of analytes. The LOD and LOQ for cationic dyestuffs in water were 0.5-1.9 and 1.6-6.0 microg/L, respectively. All the results indicated that the proposed method could be used for the simultaneous determination of the three cationic dyestuffs in river and industrial wastewater at trace levels without the need of any chromatographic separation techniques.