Extraction of hydroxyaromatic compounds in river water by liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction with automated movement of the acceptor and the donor phase

Liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction with automated movement of the acceptor and the donor phase technique is described for the extraction of six hydroxyaromatic compounds in river water using a disposable and ready to use hollow fiber. Separation and quantitative analyses were performed using LC with UV detection at 254 nm. Analytes were extracted from the acidified sample solution (donor phase) into the organic solvent impregnated in the pores of the hollow fiber and then back extracted into the alkaline solution (acceptor phase) inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The fiber was held by a conventional 10 microL LC syringe. The acceptor phase was sandwitched between the plunger and a small volume of the organic solvent (microcap). The acceptor solution was repeatedly moved in and out of the hollow fiber using a syringe pump. This movement provides a fresh acceptor phase to come in contact with the organic phase and thus enhancing extraction kinetics thereby leading to the improvement in enrichment of the analytes. The microcap separates the acceptor phase and the donor phase in addition to being partially responsible for mass transfer of the analytes from the donor solution to the acceptor solution. Under stirring, a fresh donor phase will enter through the open end of the fiber that will also contribute to the mass transfer. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency viz type of organic solvent, extraction time, stirring speed, effect of sodium chloride, and concentration of donor and acceptor phases were studied. RSD (3.9-5.6%), correlation coefficient (0.995-0.997), detection limit (2.0-51.2 ng/mL), enrichment factor (339-630), relative recovery (93.2-97.9%), and absolute recovery (33.9-63.0%) have also been investigated. The developed method was applied for the analysis of river water.