Filter-based emulsification microextraction as an efficient method for the determination of chlorophenols by gas chromatography.

In this work, an efficient microextraction method was applied for the extraction of some chlorophenols in water samples. This method, termed filter-based emulsification microextraction, is based on the dispersion of an extractant into an aqueous sample solution to accelerate the extraction process and the utilization of a Nylon syringe filter to break the emulsion. After phase separation, the method is coupled with gas chromatography as a final analyzer instrument. The overall derivatization/extraction time was about 90 s. The proposed method is centrifuge-free, and it also provides a suitable sample clean-up by filtration of the extracting phase. The effective parameters involved in the extraction method were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the method provided a good linearity in the range of 2.0-2000 ng/mL, extraction repeatabilities (relative standard deviations) below 9.4%, enrichment factors of 180-203, and limits of detection between 0.5 and 1.2 ng/mL.

Centrifugeless dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on salting-out phenomenon followed by high performance liquid chromatography for determination of Sudan dyes in different species.

In this work, a novel method, namely centrifugeless dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, is introduced for the efficient extraction of banned Sudan dyes from foodstuff and water samples. In this method, which is based upon the salting-out phenomenon, in order to accelerate the extraction process, the extraction solvent (1-undecanol, 75 µL) is dispersed into the sample solution. Then the mixture is passed through a small column filled with 5 g sodium chloride, used as a separating reagent. In this condition, fine droplets of the extraction solvent are floated on the mixture, and the phase separation is simply achieved. This method is environmentally friendly, simple, and very fast, so that the overall extraction time is only 7 min. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the preconcentration factors in the range of 90-121 were obtained for the analytes. Also good linearities were obtained in the range of 2.5-1200 ng mL-1 (r2 ≥ 0.993).

Improved in-tube electro-membrane extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography for simple and selective determination of ionic compounds: Optimization by central composite design.

In this work, an efficient sample clean-up method, named in-tube electro-membrane extraction, is modified to resolve the formation of bubbles in the extraction process. This modified method is applied for the extraction of two model analytes including tartrazine and sunset yellow from food samples. The method is based on the electro-kinetic migration of ionized compounds by the application of an electrical potential difference, and on this basis the analytes under investigation, as anionic compounds, simply migrate from the donor phase and concentrate in the acceptor phase. A thin polypropylene sheet placed in the tube acts as a support for the membrane solvent, and it separates 30 µL of the aqueous acceptor from 1.2 mL of the aqueous donor. This setup can be used to solve the problem of extracting highly hydrophilic analytes. Response surface methodology is used for optimization of the experimental parameters so that under the optimized conditions, the method provides a good linearity in the range of 50-1000 ng/mL, low limits of detection (15-25 ng/mL), good extraction repeatabilities (relative standard deviations below 8.1%, n = 5), and high extraction recoveries (54-76%).

Rapid determination of some psychotropic drugs in complex matrices by tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography.

Simple and rapid determinations of some psychotropic drugs in some pharmaceutical wastewater and human plasma samples were successfully accomplished via the tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (TDLLME-HPLC-UV). TDLLME of the three psychotropic drugs clozapine, chlorpromazine, and thioridazine was easily performed through two consecutive dispersive liquid-liquid microextractions. By performing this convenient method, proper sample preconcentrations and clean-ups were achieved in just about 7min. In order to achieve the best extraction efficiency, the effective parameters involved were optimized. The optimal experimental conditions consisted of 100µL of CCl4 (as the extraction organic solvent), and the pH values of 13 and 2 for the donor and acceptor phases, respectively. Under these optimum experimental conditions, the proposed TDLLME-HPLC-UV technique provided a good linearity in the range of 5-3000ngmL-1 for the three psychotropic drugs with the correlation of determinations (R2s) higher than 0.996. The limits of quantification (LOQs) and limits of detection (LODs) obtained were 5.0ngmL-1 and 1.0-1.5ngmL-1, respectively. Also the proper enrichment factors (EFs) of 96, 99, and 88 for clozapine, chlorpromazine, and thioridazine, respectively, and good extraction repeatabilities (relative standard deviations below 9.3%, n=5) were obtained.

Centrifugeless ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction based on salting-out phenomenon followed by high-performance liquid chromatography for the simple determination of phthalate esters in aqueous samples.

A fast, sensitive, and centrifugeless ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction followed by a high-performance liquid chromatography method is developed for the determination of some phthalate esters in aqueous samples. In this method, a simple approach is followed to eliminate the centrifugation step in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction using an organic solvent whose melting point is near the ambient temperature, consumption of the extracting solvent is efficiently reduced, and the overall extraction time was found to be only 7 min. The variables affecting the method are optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions (75 µL of 1-undecanol, a flow rate of 2.0 mL/min, and an ultrasound irradiation of 1 min), the proposed method exhibits good preconcentration factors (52-97), low limits of detection (1.0-5.0 ng/mL), and linearities in the range of 5-1500 ng/mL (r2 ≥ 0.995). Finally, the method is successfully applied to the analysis of phthalate esters in the drinking and river water samples. To study the probable release of the phthalate esters from a polyethylene container into boiling water, the boiling water exposed to the polyethylene container was analyzed by the proposed method.

Centrifugeless dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on salting-out phenomenon as an efficient method for determination of phenolic compounds in environmental samples.

A new centrifugeless dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method was applied for the convenient extraction of some phenolic compounds from environmental samples. After dispersing the extracting solvent into the sample solution (10.0 mL), the mixture was passed through a small column filled with 5 g sodium chloride. As a result, phase separation was achieved via the salting-out phenomenon, and the extracting solvent was suspended on top of the sample solution. Using a low-toxic and solidifiable extracting solvent (1-dodecanol), after immersing the column into an ice bath, the extracting solvent was solidified, collected easily, and injected into an HPLC-UV instrument. The overall extraction time was 7 min, consumption of the extracting solvent was efficiently reduced to 50 µL, and the centrifugation step was simply eliminated, which made the automation of the procedure easier than the normal DLLME technique. A series of parameters influencing the extraction were investigated systematically. The optimal experimental conditions were found to be 50 µL of 1-dodecanol as the extracting solvent, a flow rate of 2.0 mL min-1, and a pH value of 4.0 for the sample solution. Under these conditions, the method provided a good linearity in the range of 0.5-800 ng mL-1, low limits of detection (0.1-0.3 ng mL-1), good extraction repeatabilities (RSDs below 9.1%, n = 5), and enrichment factors of 100-160. Graphical Abstract Schematic diagram of the centrifugeless dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.

Application of tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of doxepin, citalopram, and fluvoxamine in complicated samples.

A new type of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction is used for the determination of doxepin, citalopram, and fluvoxamine in aqueous matrices. This method is based upon the tandem utilization of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and by providing a high sample clean-up, it efficiently improves the applicability of the method in complicated matrices. For this purpose, in the first step, the analytes contained in an aqueous sample solution (8.0 mL) were extracted into an organic solvent, and then these analytes were simply back-extracted into an aqueous acceptor phase (50 µL). The overall extraction time was 7 min, and very simple tools were required for this aim. Optimization of the variables affecting the method such as the type and volume of the organic solvent used and effect of ionic strength was carried out to achieve the best extraction efficiency. Under the optimized experimental conditions, tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with high-performance liquid chromatography and UV detection showed a good linearity in the range of 10-5000 ng/mL. The limits of detection were in the range of 3-10 ng/mL. The Intra-day precisions (relative standard deviation) were 9.2, 4.5, and 4.8, and the recoveries were 58.5, 52.9, and 39.3% for citalopram, doxepin, and fluvoxamine, respectively.

Rapid determination of some beta-blockers in complicated matrices by tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography.

In this research work, an efficient tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (TDLLME) procedure coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) was successfully applied for the determination of beta-blockers in human plasma and pharmaceutical wastewater samples. High clean-up and preconcentration factor are easily and rapidly feasible via this novel, cheap, and safe microextraction method, leading to high quality experimental data. It consists of two sequential dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction methods, accomplished via air/ultrasonic agitation and air agitation, respectively. In order to enrich the optimal values for the mentioned procedures, the Box-Behnken design (BBD) combined with the desirability function (DF) was used. The optimum values were found to be 11.0 % (w/v) of the salt amount, an initial pH value of 12.0, 103 µL of organic extractant phase, and 45 µL of aqueous extractant phase with pH value of 2.0, resulted in reasonable recovery percentages with a logical desirability. Under optimal experimental conditions, good linear ranges (3-2000 ng mL-1 for metoprolol and 2.5-2500 ng mL-1 for propranolol with the correlation of determinations (R 2s) higher than 0.99) and low limits of detection (0.8 and 1.0 ng mL-1 for propranolol and metoprolol, respectively) were obtainable. Also, TDLLME-HPLC-UV provided good proper repeatabilities (relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 5.7 %, n = 3) and high enrichment factors (EFs) of 75-100. Graphical abstract TDLLME of beta-blockers from complicated matrices.

Tandem air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction as an efficient method for determination of acidic drugs in complicated matrices.

A rapid and simple microextraction method with a high sample clean-up, termed as tandem air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction (TAALLME), is described. This method is based upon the tandem implementation of the air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction (AALLME), and this approach improves the applicability of the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) methods in complicated matrices. With very simple tools, the three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs diclofenac, ibuprofen, and mefenamic acid were efficiently extracted, with an overall extraction time of 7 min. By performing the first AALLME, these acidic analytes, contained in an aqueous sample solution (donor phase, 8.0 mL), were extracted into the organic solvent (1,2-dichloroethane, 37 µL), and their simple back-extraction into the aqueous acceptor solution (pH, 10.01, 51 µL) was obtained in 2 min by a second implementation of AALLME. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for optimization of the experimental parameters. The pH values 2.94 and 10.01 were obtained for the donor and acceptor phases, respectively, and the volumes 99.5 and 51 µL were obtained for the organic solvent and the acceptor phase, respectively, as the optimal extraction conditions. Under the optimized conditions, tandem AALLME-HPLC-UV provided a good linearity in the range of 0.5-4000 ng mL(-1), limits of detection (0.1-0.3 ng mL(-1)), extraction repeatabilities (relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 7.7%, n = 5), and the enrichment factors (EFs) of 80-104. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method was evaluated by the extraction and determination of the drugs under study in the wastewater and human plasma samples.

Tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction as an efficient method for determination of basic drugs in complicated matrices.

A simple and efficient approach is introduced for the improvement of the clean-up and applicability of the dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method in complicated matrices. For this purpose, two dispersive microextraction methods were combined, and the tandem dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (TDLLME) method was provided. At first, using the ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction (USAEME) method, the tricyclic anti-depressant (TCA) drugs nortriptyline, imipramine, and amitriptyline, as the model compounds, contained in an aqueous sample solution (8.0 mL), were extracted into an organic solvent (35 µL). Then by utilizing the air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction (AALLME) method, these analytes were simply back-extracted into 50 µL of an aqueous acceptor phase. By performing this convenient extraction method, a high sample clean-up was obtained; the overall extraction time was 7 min. The back-extraction step could be performed in less than 2 min, and very simple tools were required for this purpose. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of the experimental parameters so that the volumes 95 and 50 µL were obtained for the organic solvent and the acceptor phase, respectively, and the pH values of 11.25 and 1.75 were obtained for the donor and acceptor phases, respectively, as the optimal extraction conditions. Under the optimized conditions, TDLLME-HPLC-UV provided a good linearity in the range of 2.5-5000 ng mL(-1), low limits of detection (0.7-1.0 ng mL(-1)), good extraction repeatabilities (relative standard deviations below 6.2%, n=5), and enrichment factors (EFs) of 50-101. Finally, the developed method was successfully used for the determination of the mentioned drugs in the wastewater and human plasma samples.

In-tube electro-membrane extraction with a sub-microliter organic solvent consumption as an efficient technique for synthetic food dyes determination in foodstuff samples.

A simple and efficient extraction technique with a sub-microliter organic solvent consumption termed as in-tube electro-membrane extraction (IEME) is introduced. This method is based upon the electro-kinetic migration of ionized compounds by the application of an electrical potential difference. For this purpose, a thin polypropylene (PP) sheet placed inside a tube acts as a support for the membrane solvent, and 30µL of an aqueous acceptor solution is separated by this solvent from 1.2mL of an aqueous donor solution. This method yielded high extraction recoveries (63-81%), and the consumption of the organic solvent used was only 0.5µL. By performing this method, the purification is high, and the utilization of the organic solvent, used as a mediator, is very simple and repeatable. The proposed method was evaluated by extraction of four synthetic food dyes (Amaranth, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, and Carmoisine) as the model analytes. Optimization of variables affecting the method was carried out in order to achieve the best extraction efficiency. These variables were the type of membrane solvent, applied extraction voltage, extraction time, pH range, and concentration of salt added. Under the optimized conditions, IEME-HPLC-UV provided a good linearity in the range of 1.00-800ngmL(-1), low limits of detection (0.3-1ngmL(-1)), and good extraction repeatabilities (RSDs below 5.2%, n=5). It seems that this design is a proper one for the automation of the method. Also the consumption of the organic solvent in a sub-microliter scale, and its simplicity, high efficiency, and high purification can help one getting closer to the objectives of the green chemistry.

Comparison of air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction and ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons determination in hookah water.

In this work, two disperser-free microextraction methods, namely, air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction and ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction are compared for the determination of a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous samples, followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The effects of various experimental parameters upon the extraction efficiencies of both methods are investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors and limits of detection were found to be in the ranges of 327-773 and 0.015-0.05 ng/mL for air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction and 406-670 and 0.015-0.05 ng/mL for ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction, respectively. The linear dynamic ranges and extraction recoveries were obtained to be in the range of 0.05-120 ng/mL (R(2) ≥ 0.995) and 33-77% for air-agitated liquid-liquid microextraction and 0.05-110 ng/mL (R(2) ≥ 0.994) and 41-67% for ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction, respectively. To investigate this common view among some people that smoking hookah is healthy due to the passage of smoke through the hookah water, samples of both the hookah water and hookah smoke were analyzed.