Rapid preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers by custom-made microwave heating for analysis of atrazine in water.

The rapid preparation of an atrazine-imprinted polymer in a cost-effective custom-made microwave reactor was demonstrated. The polymerization reaction was accelerated by microwave heating, and the preparation time was greatly shortened (to 1 h). The resulting polymer was successfully applied as solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the selective extraction and preconcentration of atrazine in environmental water samples. The binding capacity of the polymer was 1.11 mg/g polymer. The polymer provided selectivity with higher recovery of atrazine than of other interfering related contaminants. The proposed method had good limits of detection and quantitation at 0.20 and 0.60 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries were from 83 to 89% at two spiking levels, with relative standard deviations less than 5%. This method was successfully applied to determine the atrazine levels in environmental water samples.

Hybrid monolith sorbent of polypyrrole-coated graphene oxide incorporated into a polyvinyl alcohol cryogel for extraction and enrichment of sulfonamides from water samples.

A hybrid monolith sorbent of polypyrrole-coated graphene oxide embedded in polyvinyl alcohol cryogel was prepared and used as an effective solid phase extraction sorbent for the determination of trace sulfonamides. The large surface areas with many adsorption sites of polypyrrole and graphene oxide facilitated the high adsorption of sulfonamides via hydrogen bonding, π-π and hydrophobic interactions. The high porosity of the polyvinyl alcohol cryogel helped to reduce the back pressure that occurs in a conventional packed solid phase extraction cartridge. The effecting parameters on the extraction efficiency including the type of sorbent, the polymerization time, desorption conditions, the sample pH, the sample volume, the sample flow rate, and ionic strength were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the developed method provided a wide linear range from 0.20 to 100.0 µg L-1 for sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole and sulfamerazine; and from 0.10 to 100 µg L-1 for sulfamethazine, sulfamonomethoxine and sulfadimethoxine. The limits of detection were 0.20 µg L-1 for sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole and sulfamerazine; and 0.10 µg L-1 for sulfamethazine, sulfamonomethoxine and sulfadimethoxine. The developed hybrid monolith polypyrrole-coated graphene oxide embedded in the polyvinyl alcohol cryogel sorbent provided good recoveries in the range of 85.5-99.0% with RSDs of less than 5.0%. The sorbent offered a good reproducibility, was robust and can be reused at least 10 times. It was successfully applied for the extraction and enrichment of sulfonamides from normal and supplemented water samples.

Carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polydimethylsiloxane, a new coating for 96-blade solid-phase microextraction for determination of phenolic compounds in water.

A new thin-film, carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polydimethylsiloxane (MWCNTs-COOH/PDMS) coating was developed for 96-blade solid-phase microextraction (SPME) system followed by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The method provided good extraction efficiency (64-90%) for three spiked levels, with relative standard deviations (RSD)≤6%, and detection limits between 1 and 2 µg/L for three phenolic compounds. The MWCNTs-COOH/PDMS 96-blade SPME system presents advantages over traditional methods due to its simplicity of use, easy coating preparation, low cost and high sample throughput (2.1 min per sample). The developed coating is reusable for a minimum of 110 extractions with good extraction efficiency. The coating provided higher extraction efficiency (3-8 times greater) than pure PDMS coatings.

Molecularly imprinted polymer for analysis of trace atrazine herbicide in water.

A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for atrazine was synthesized by non-covalent method. The binding capacity of MIP was 1.00 mg g(-1) polymer. The selectivity and recovery were investigated with various pesticides which are mostly, found in the environment, for both similar and different chemical structure of atrazine. The competitive recognition between atrazine and structurally similar compounds was evaluated and it was found that the system provided highest recovery and selectivity for atrazine while low recovery and selectivity were obtained for the other compounds. The highest recovery was obtained from MIP compared with non-imprinted polymer (NIP), a commercial C(18) and a granular activated carbon (GAC) sorbent. The method provided high recoveries ranged from 94 to 99% at two spiked levels with relative standard deviations less than 2%. The lower detection limit of the method was 80 ng L(-1). This method was successfully applied for analysis of environmental water samples.

Trace phthalate and adipate esters contaminated in packaged food.

A method for trace analysis of two plasticizers, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), contaminated in packaged curry paste were investigated by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Curry paste samples were extracted by ultrasonic and solid phase extraction using Florisil(R) cartridge. Analysis by the GC-FID system provided limits of detection for DEHA and DEHP at 12 and 25 microg L(- 1) and a linear dynamic range between 25 microg L(- 1) to 60 mg L(- 1) with a coefficient of determination (R(2)) greater than 0.99. High recoveries were obtained, ranged from 91 to 99% and 88 to 98% for DEHP and DEHA with RSD lower than 7 and 10% respectively. The method detection limit and limits of quantitation were ranged from 27 to 30 and 90 to 100 microg L(- 1). The analysis of curry paste samples showed concentrations of DEHP and DEHA in the range of 4.0 ng g(- 1) to 0.61 microg g(- 1).