Application of vortex-assisted supramolecular solvent liquid–liquid microextraction for trace determination of nitroaniline isomers

A novel, fast and efficient method for the analysis of nitroaniline isomers as model compounds was developed using vortex-assisted supramolecular solvent liquid–liquid microextraction (VA-SMS-LLME). A vortex mixer was used as the mixer in supramolecular solvent liquid–liquid microextraction, and it decreased the extraction time greatly. Several important parameters influencing extraction efficiency, such as the type and volume of extraction solvent, pH of sample, salt effect and extraction time, were optimised in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factor was 133 for p-nitroaniline, 98 for m-nitroaniline and 115 for o-nitroaniline, and the limits of detection by HPLC were 0.3, 1.0 and 0.5 μg L^?1, respectively. Linearity with determination coefficient from 0.9981 to 0.9993 was evaluated using water samples spiked with the nitroanilines at fourteen different concentration ranging from 4 to 1000 μg L^?1. The ranges of intra-day and inter-day precision (n = 5) at 10 μg L^?1 of nitroanilines were 1.67–7.05% and 9.4–11.6%, respectively. The VA-SMS-LLME method was successfully applied for preconcentration of nitroanilines in environmental water samples.