The role of graphene-based sorbents in modern sample preparation techniques.

The application of graphene-based sorbents in sample preparation techniques has increased significantly since 2011. These materials have good physicochemical properties to be used as sorbent and have shown excellent results in different sample preparation techniques. Graphene and its precursor graphene oxide have been considered to be good candidates to improve the extraction and concentration of different classes of target compounds (e.g., parabens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, pyrethroids, triazines, and so on) present in complex matrices. Its applications have been employed during the analysis of different matrices (e.g., environmental, biological and food). In this review, we highlight the most important characteristics of graphene-based material, their properties, synthesis routes, and the most important applications in both off-line and on-line sample preparation techniques. The discussion of the off-line approaches includes methods derived from conventional solid-phase extraction focusing on the miniaturized magnetic and dispersive modes. The modes of microextraction techniques called stir bar sorptive extraction, solid phase microextraction, and microextraction by packed sorbent are discussed. The on-line approaches focus on the use of graphene-based material mainly in on-line solid phase extraction, its variation called in-tube solid-phase microextraction, and on-line microdialysis systems.

Use of graphene supported on aminopropyl silica for microextraction of parabens from water samples.

This paper describes the synthesis, characterization and use of graphene supported on aminopropyl silica through covalent bonds (Si-G) as a sorbent for microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS). Five parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl and benzyl) present in water matrices were used as model compounds for this evaluation. The Si-G phase was compared to other sorbents used in MEPS (C18 and Strata™-X) and also with graphene supported on primary-secondary amine (PSA) silica, where Si-G showed better results. After this, the MEPS experimental parameters were optimized using the Si-G sorbent. The following variables were optimized through univariate experiments: pH (4,7 and 10), desorption solvent (ACN:MeOH (50:50), ACN:H2O (40:60), MeOH and ACN) and ionic strength (0, 10 and 20% of NaCl). A factorial design 26-2 was then employed to evaluate other variables, such as the sample volume, desorption volume, sampling cycles, wash cycles and desorption cycles, as well as the influence of NaCl% on the extraction performance. The optimized method achieved a linear range of 0.2-20µg/L for most parabens; weighted calibration models were employed during the linearity evaluation to reduce the absolute sum of the residue values and improve R2, which ranged from 0.9753 to 0.9849. The method's accuracy was 82.3-119.2%; precision, evaluated as the coefficient of variance for intraday and interday analysis, ranged from 1.5 to 19.2%. After evaluation of the figures of merit, the method was applied to the determination of parabens in water samples.

On-line approaches for the determination of residues and contaminants in complex samples.

The determination of residues and contaminants in complex matrices such as in the case of food, environmental, and biological samples requires a combination of several steps to succeed in the aimed goal. At least three independent steps are integrated to provide the best available situation to deal with such matrices: (1) a sample preparation technique is employed to isolate the target compounds from the rest of the matrix; (2) a chromatographic (second) step further "purifies" the isolated compounds from the co-extracted matrix interferences; (3) a spectroscopy-based device acts as chromatographic detector (ideally containing a tandem high-resolution mass analyzer) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis. These techniques can be operated in different modes including the off-line and the on-line modes. The present report focus the on-line coupling techniques aiming the determination of analytes present in complex matrices. The fundamentals of these approaches as well as the most common set ups are presented and discussed, as well as a review on the recent applications of these two approaches to the fields of bioanalytical, environmental, and food analysis are critically discussed.

New materials for sample preparation techniques in bioanalysis.

The analysis of biological samples is a complex and difficult task owing to two basic and complementary issues: the high complexity of most biological matrices and the need to determine minute quantities of active substances and contaminants in such complex sample. To succeed in this endeavor samples are usually subject to three steps of a comprehensive analytical methodological approach: sample preparation, analytes isolation (usually utilizing a chromatographic technique) and qualitative/quantitative analysis (usually with the aid of mass spectrometric tools). Owing to the complex nature of bio-samples, and the very low concentration of the target analytes to be determined, selective sample preparation techniques is mandatory in order to overcome the difficulties imposed by these two constraints. During the last decade new chemical synthesis approaches has been developed and optimized, such as sol-gel and molecularly imprinting technologies, allowing the preparation of novel materials for sample preparation including graphene and derivatives, magnetic materials, ionic liquids, molecularly imprinted polymers, and much more. In this contribution we will review these novel techniques and materials, as well as their application to the bioanalysis niche.

Determination of pesticides in sugarcane juice employing microextraction by packed sorbent followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

This paper describes the development of a method for the determination of six pesticides (tebuthiuron, carbofuran, atrazine, metribuzine, ametryn, and bifenthrin) in sugarcane juice using microextraction by packed sorbent as the extraction technique. The extraction steps were optimized by factorial design, being the variables pH, ionic strength, desorption solvent and solvent volume optimized for comparisons among sorbent materials. Among the evaluated materials C18-Chromabond(®) showed better extraction efficiency. A factorial design 2(3) with central point was used for the extraction cycles optimization. Draw/eject and washes cycles showed significant improvements in the extraction efficiency when the number of cycles increased. The method was validated and showed a limit of quantification in the range of 2.0-10.0 µg.L(-1) . The calibration curves were constructed by weighting models that reduced the sum of absolute residues values and improved determination coefficient. The matrix factor and extraction efficiency were 97.3-77.3% and 27.1-64.8%, respectively. The accuracy was 71.7-106.9%; precision evaluated as the coefficient of variance obtained in intra and inter day analysis was 4.5-15.9%. The method was applied to the determination of pesticide residues in four sugarcane juice samples commercially available in markets from different cities from São Paulo state, Brazil.

An overview of multidimensional liquid phase separations in food analysis.

Food safety is a priority public health concern that demands analytical methods capable to detect low concentration level of contaminants (e.g. pesticides and antibiotics) in different food matrices. Due to the high complexity of these matrices, a sample preparation step is in most cases mandatory to achieve satisfactory results being usually tedious, lengthy, and prone to the introduction of errors. For this reason, many research groups have focused efforts on the development of online systems capable to do the cleanup, concentration, and separation steps at once through multidimensional separation techniques (MDS). Among several possible setups, the most popular are the multidimensional chromatographic techniques (MDC) that consist in combining more than one mobile and/or stationary phase to provide a satisfactory separation. In the present review, we selected a variety of multidimensional separation systems used for food contaminant analysis in order to discuss the instrumentation aspects, the concept of orthogonality, column approaches used in these systems, and new materials that can be used in these columns. Selected classes of contaminants present in food matrices are introduced and discussed as example of the potential applications of multidimensional liquid phase separation techniques in food safety.