Electromembrane extraction of tartrazine from food samples: Effects of nano‐sorbents on membrane performance

In the present study, for the first time electromembrane extraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection was developed and validated for the determination of tartrazine in some food samples. The parameters influencing electromembrane extraction were evaluated and optimized. The membrane consists of 1‐octanol immobilized in the pores of a hollow fiber. As a driving force, a 30 V electrical field was applied to make the analyte migrate from sample solution with pH 3, through the supported liquid membrane into an acceptor solution with pH 10. Best preconcentration (enrichment factor >21) was obtained in extraction duration of 15 min. Effects of some solid nano‐sorbents like carbon nanotubes and molecularly imprinted polymers on membrane performance and electromembrane extraction efficiency were evaluated. The method provided the linearity in the range 25–1000 ng/mL for tartrazine (R² > 0.9996) with repeatability range (RSD) between 3.8 and 8.5% (n = 3). The limits of detection and quantitation were 7.5 and 25 ng/mL, respectively. Finally, the method was applied to the determination and quantification of tartrazine from some food samples with relative recoveries in the range between 90 and 98%.