Development of a new strategy for the synthesis of graphene oxide-alumina nanocomposite as an efficient adsorbent for dispersive solid-phase extraction of parabens

The present study investigates the synthesis and application of the graphene oxide-alumina nanocomposite as a new adsorbent for the dispersive solid-phase extraction of three parabens and their determination using high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection. The characterization of the synthesized material was accomplished and its size, morphology, chemical composition, porosity, and thermal stability were studied. Application of the proposed strategy for the synthesis of the nanocomposite resulted in the incorporation of Al₂ O₃ nanoparticles into graphene oxide nanosheets, further resulting in the exfoliation of graphene oxide nanosheets increasing their surface area. An orthogonal rotatable central composite design was used to optimize the extraction. Under the optimum conditions, the analytical performance of the method showed a suitable linear dynamic range (0.2-100.0 μg/L), reasonable limits of detection (0.03-0.05 μg/L), and preconcentration factors ranging from 128 to 173. Finally, the new validated method was applied for the determination of parabens in some real samples including wastewater, cream, toothpaste, and juice samples with satisfactory recoveries (88%-109%), and relative standard deviations less than 8.7% (n = 3). Results demonstrated that inserting alumina nanoparticles into graphene oxide nanosheets improved the extraction efficiency of parabens, as polar acidic compounds, by providing additional efficient interactions including hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole, and Brønsted and Lewis acid-base interactions.

Layered Double Hydroxide/Graphene Quantum Dots as a New Sorbent for the Dispersive Solid-Phase Microextraction of Selected Benzophenones, Phenols, and Parabens

In this study, the synthesis of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) composite with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and its utilization for the development of a dispersive solid-phase extraction procedure are described. To this end, a carbonate-free Mg-Al LDH was synthesized. The development of the composite material made feasible the use of GQDs in a sample preparation procedure, while the incorporation of the GQDs in the LDH structure resulted in an 80% increase in extraction efficiency, compared to the bare LDH. As a proof of concept, the composite material was used for the development of an analytical method for the extraction, and preconcentration, of benzophenones, phenols, and parabens in lake water using high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled to a diode array detector. The analytical method exhibits low limits of quantification (0.10-1.33 μg L^-1), good recoveries (92-100%), and satisfactory enrichment factors (169-186). Due to the abovementioned merits, the easy synthesis and simple extraction, the developed method can be used for the routine analysis of the target compounds.

Tailored amino/hydroxyl bifunctional microporous organic network for efficient stir bar sorptive extraction of parabens and flavors from cosmetic and food samples

As an effective sample pretreatment approach, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) has shown great prospects in static microextraction and selective enrichment. In this work, bifunctional microporous organic network (B-MON) with the coexistence of amino and hydroxyl groups was firstly designed and synthesized as a novel coating for efficient SBSE of parabens and flavors in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA). Linked by covalent bonds to form an extension of the aromatic ring skeleton, B-MON was a tailored adsorbent featured by porous structure and abundant hydrogen bonding sites for analytes with benzene/naphthalene rings and OH/COOH groups. The extraction and desorption parameters were evaluated in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed B-MON-SBSE-HPLC-PDA method offered good linearity (0.10-100 μg L^-1) with correlation coefficients R² ≥ 0.995, low limits of detection (0.010-0.035 μg L^-1) and limits of quantification (0.035-0.115 μg L^-1), and favorable enrichment factors (40-49). Furthermore, the developed method has been applied to the analysis of parabens and flavors in cosmetic and food samples with recoveries ranging from 80.4 to 109.6%. This method was also feasible to extract the analytes with benzene/naphthalene rings and OH/COOH groups, such as the plant growth regulators and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The present study provided a new way to synthesize bifunctional MONs for SBSE of trace analytes in complex samples.

Use of Nanomaterial-Based (Micro)Extraction Techniques for the Determination of Cosmetic-Related Compounds

The high consumer demand for cosmetic products has caused the authorities and the industry to require rigorous analytical controls to assure their safety and efficacy. Thus, the determination of prohibited compounds that could be present at trace level due to unintended causes is increasingly important. Furthermore, some cosmetic ingredients can be percutaneously absorbed, further metabolized and eventually excreted or bioaccumulated. Either the parent compound and/or their metabolites can cause adverse health effects even at trace level. Moreover, due to the increasing use of cosmetics, some of their ingredients have reached the environment, where they are accumulated causing harmful effects in the flora and fauna at trace levels. To this regard, the development of sensitive analytical methods to determine these cosmetic-related compounds either for cosmetic control, for percutaneous absorption studies or for environmental surveillance monitoring is of high interest. In this sense, (micro)extraction techniques based on nanomaterials as extraction phase have attracted attention during the last years, since they allow to reach the desired selectivity. The aim of this review is to provide a compilation of those nanomaterial-based (micro)extraction techniques for the determination of cosmetic-related compounds in cosmetic, biological and/or environmental samples spanning from the first attempt in 2010 to the present.

Graphene/dodecanol floating solidification microextraction for the preconcentration of trace levels of cinnamic acid derivatives in traditional Chinese medicines

A novel graphene/dodecanol floating solidification microextraction followed by HPLC with diode-array detection has been developed to extract trace levels of four cinnamic acid derivatives in traditional Chinese medicines. Several parameters affecting the performance were investigated and optimized. Also, possible microextraction mechanism was analyzed and discussed. Under the optimum conditions (amount of graphene in dodecanol: 0.25 mg/mL; volume of extraction phase: 70 μL; pH of sample phase: 3; extraction time: 30  min; stirring rate: 1000 rpm; salt amount: 26.5% NaCl; volume of sample phase: 10 mL, and without dispersant addition), the enrichment factors of four cinnamic acid derivatives ranged from 26 to 112, the linear ranges were 1.0 × 10^-2 -10.0 μg/mL for caffeic acid, 1.3 × 10^-3 -1.9 μg/mL for p-hydroxycinnamic acid, 2.8 × 10^-3 -4.1 μg/mL for ferulic acid, and 2.7 × 10^-3 -4.1 μg/mL for cinnamic acid, with r² ≥ 0.9993. The detection limits were found to be in the range of 0.1-1.0 ng/mL, and satisfactory recoveries (92.5-111.2%) and precisions (RSDs 1.1-9.5%) were also achieved. The results showed that the approach is simple, effective and sensitive for the preconcentration and determination of trace levels of cinnamic acid derivatives in Chinese medicines. The proposed method was compared with conventional dodecanol floating solidification microextraction and other extraction methods.

Porous membrane protected micro-solid-phase extraction: A review of features, advancements and applications

Membrane protected micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) was introduced in 2006 as an alternative to multistep SPE. μ-SPE is based on packing of very small amount of sorbent inside the porous membrane sheet whose edges are heat sealed to fabricate a μ-SPE device. This device performs clean up, extraction, and pre-concentration in a single step. It suits best for extraction of complex samples as sorbent is effectively protected inside the membrane and extraneous matter cannot adsorb over it. This review summarizes most important aspects of μ-SPE including basic principles, extraction procedure, different formats, sorbents employed and affecting parameters. The article also provides a brief account on modified μ-SPE procedures where μ-SPE was either combined with other techniques or some major changes were introduced in original procedure. Finally, the applications of μ-SPE in environmental, food and biological analysis are described. At the end, advantages and pitfalls of μ-SPE are critically appraised.

Graphene-Based Materials as Solid Phase Extraction Sorbent for Trace Metal Ions, Organic Compounds, and Biological Sample Preparation

Graphene is a new carbon-based material that is of interest in separation science. Graphene has extraordinary properties including nano size, high surface area, thermal and chemical stability, and excellent adsorption affinity to pollutants. Its adsorption mechanisms are through non-covalent interactions (π-π stacking, electrostatic interactions, and H-bonding) for organic compounds and covalent interactions for metal ions. These properties have led to graphene-based material becoming a desirable adsorbent in a popular sample preparation technique known as solid phase extraction (SPE). Numerous studies have been published on graphene applications in recent years, but few review papers have focused on its applications in analytical chemistry. This article focuses on recent preconcentration of trace elements, organic compounds, and biological species using SPE-based graphene, graphene oxide, and their modified forms. Solid phase microextraction and micro SPE (µSPE) methods based on graphene are discussed.

Application of surfactant-templated ordered mesoporous material as sorbent in micro-solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for determination of perfluorinated carboxylic acids in aqueous media

In the present study, micro-solid phase extraction (µ-SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-triple tandem mass spectrometery (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) at trace levels in water samples. The µ-SPE device comprised of a porous polypropylene membrane bag containing 5mg sorbent. The membrane bag acted as a clean-up filter and prevented matrix compounds from interfering with the extraction process. Analysis was carried out by LC-MS/MS in negative electrospray ionization mode. MS/MS parameters were optimized for multiple reaction monitoring. Calcined and non-calcined MCM-41, as silica-ordered mesoporous materials, were used as sorbents in µ-SPE for the extraction of five PFCAs-perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)-from aqueous media. The performances of these two sorbents were compared with other sorbents such as octadecylsilane (C18) modified silica, HayeSep-A, HayeSep-B, and Porapak-R. It was found that non-calcined MCM-41 showed better extraction performance for the analytes considered. Parameters influencing extraction efficiency, such as desorption time, extraction time, desorption solvent, and salt concentration, were investigated. The effect of the matrix on MS signals (suppression or enhancement) was also evaluated. Only minor effects on ionization efficiencies were observed. The developed method proved to be convenient and offered good sensitivity and reproducibility. The limits of detection ranged from 0.02 to 0.08ng L(-1), with a relative standard deviations between 1.9 and 10.5. It was successfully applied to the extraction of PFCAs in river and rain water samples. As expected from the ubiquitous nature of PFCAs, contamination at low levels was detected for some analytes in the samples (with the highest concentration recorded for PFOA). Satisfactory relative recoveries ranging between 64% and 127% at spiking levels of 10ng L(-1) of each analyte were obtained.