A double-functionalized polymeric ionic liquid used as solid-phase microextraction coating for efficient aromatic amine extraction and detection with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Synthesis of stable and efficient amide-based covalent organic frameworks fiber coatings for the improved solid-phase microextraction of polar aromatic amines

BACKGROUND

Developing facile and general functionalization strategies to improve the durability of covalent organic framework (COF) coatings and their affinity for polar targets is of great significance for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technology.

RESULTS

In this work, a facile and general amidation strategy was developed for conversion from reversible (imine) to irreversible (amide) linkages in COF coatings. After the amidation, the durability of the obtained amide-linked covalent organic framework (Am-P-COF) coating was greatly improved, and the adsorption efficiency for polar aromatic amines (AAs) was also significantly increased. Moreover, this strategy is also applicable to the amidation of other two COF coatings, showing good general applicability. The obtained Am-P-COF coated fiber was used for SPME, and then coupled with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) to detect AAs. Under the optimal SPME conditions (extraction temperature: 50 °C, extraction time: 30 min, stirring rate: 600 rpm, pH: 8, NaCl concentration: 5.0 mg mL-1, desorption temperature: 290 °C and desorption time: 10 min), a detection method for trace AAs was established. The established method possess wide linear ranges (0.5-500.0 ng L-1), good correlation coefficients (0.9986-0.9993) and low detection limits (0.1-0.5 ng L-1). Moreover, the established method had also been successfully applied to detection of trace AAs in bottled tea beverage and plastic bags packed tea with satisfactory recoveries (83.5 %-116.8 %).

SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY

This research provides a facile and general pathway for increasing the durability of COF coatings and affinity to the polar AAs. The detection method based on the obtained fibers possesses high sensitivity, satisfactory reproducibility and good precision.

Carboxylated mesoporous carbon hollow spheres for the efficient solid-phase microextraction of aromatic amines

An efficient and stable fiber coating is of great importance for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). In this study, carboxylated mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHS-COOH) were developed as an efficient SPME coating of polar aromatic amines (AAs) for the first time. The MCHS-COOH coating material with high specific surface area (1182.32 m² g^-1), large pore size (10.14 nm), and rich oxygen-containing groups was fabricated via a facile H₂O₂ post-treatment. The as-prepared MCHS-COOH-coated fiber exhibited fast adsorption rate and excellent extraction properties, mainly due to its π-π interactions, hollow structure, and abundant affinity sites (carboxyl groups). Subsequently, coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), a sensitive method with low limits of detection (0.08-2.0 ng L^-1), a wide linear range (0.3-500.0 ng L^-1), and good repeatability (2.0-8.8%, n = 6) was developed for the analysis of AAs. The developed method was validated against three river water samples, with satisfactory relative recoveries being obtained. The above results demonstrated that the prepared MCHS-COOH-coated fiber exhibited good adsorption capacity, suggesting a promising application to monitor trace polar compounds in real environment.

A Core-Shell Amino-Functionalized Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Based on Glycidyl Methacrylate for Dispersive Solid-Phase Microextraction of Aniline

A core-shell amino-functionalized glycidyl methacrylate magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by the suspension polymerization/surface imprinting method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry, nitrogen gas adsorption–desorption, and elemental analysis. This MIP was used as the sorbent in dispersive solid-phase microextraction (DSPME) of aniline from textile wastewater prior to high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) measurements. Since aniline is toxic and a probable human carcinogen, its determination in water is of great significance. This is a challenging task because aniline is usually present at trace levels. The effects of different DSPME variables on the preconcentration efficiency have been studied by using the Plackett–Burman screening design of experiments (DoE) followed by response surface methodology optimization using the Box-Behnken design. Thus, DoE enabled the investigation of several variables simultaneously. Under optimized conditions, aniline was effectively and selectively separated by a small amount of the DSPME sorbent and detected in real textile wastewater samples. The method detection limit of 1 ng mL−1 was attained, with good method linearity and acceptable recovery and precision. The results showed that the studied MIP could be a reliable DSPME sorbent for efficiently analyzing trace aniline in real wastewater samples.

Oxygenated carbon nanotubes cages coated solid-phase microextraction fiber for selective extraction of migrated aromatic amines from food contact materials

In this study, an oxygenated carbon nanotubes cages (OCNTCs) material was prepared by calcinating zeolitic imidazole framework-67 (ZIF-67) and then oxidizing the resulting material. The OCNTCs was used as a high efficient solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating to extract aromatic amines (AAs). The obtained fiber exhibited high selectivity for AAs over other organic compounds in food contact materials (FCMs) due to matched pore size and abundant oxygen-containing groups. Subsequently, coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), a sensitive method with low limits of detection (0.1-2.0 ng L^-1), wide linear ranges (0.5-500 ng L ^-1) and good precision (RSDs ≤ 8.6%) was developed for analysis of AAs. The specific migrated AAs from food simulants that prepared by standardized migration and thermal migration test were successfully analysed by this developed method with satisfactory recoveries (81.6% - 118.1%) and precision (RSDs, 2.1-9.5%). The results demonstrated that the prepared OCNTCs-coated fibers displayed excellent extraction performance, suggesting a promising application to investigate the migration behaviors of AAs.

On-site sample preparation of trace aromatic amines in environmental waters with monolith-based multichannel in-tip microextraction apparatus followed by HPLC determination

A novel on-site preparation strategy for the determination of trace aromatic amines (AAs) in environmental waters was developed in the present study. To extract AAs effectively, 4-vinylbenzoic acid was copolymerized with ethylene dimethacrylate (ED)/divinylbenzene (DVB) in a pipette tip to obtain a new monolith-based adsorbent (MBA). The MBAs were employed as the extraction phases of home-made multichannel in-tip microextraction apparatus (ITMA) which was used to perform field sample preparation of AAs in different water samples followed by HPLC/DAD analysis. Due to the abundant functional groups, the prepared MBA displayed satisfying extraction performance for studied AAs. Under the optimized conditions, limits of detection varied from 2.1 to 26 ng/L with good coefficients of determination and precision. The recoveries for real water samples with different fortified concentrations were in the range of 78.1-119%, and the RSD values varied from 0.85 to 11%. In addition, the results achieved with the introduced method were well comparable to that obtained with conventional laboratory sample pretreatment process. Compared with existing approaches, the proposed method exhibits some merits such as s high throughput, good sensitivity and eco-friendliness. Most of important, the MBA/ITMA for on-site preparation avoids the storage and transportation of large volumes of waters, and guarantees the analytical accuracy of studied AAs.

Metal-Organic Framework-Plant Nanobiohybrids as Living Sensors for On-Site Environmental Pollutant Detection

Photoluminescent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were grown in a living plant (Syngonium podophyllum) via immersing their roots in an aqueous solution of disodium terephthalate and terbium chloride hexahydrate sequentially for 12 h without affecting their viability. Then, app-assisted living MOF-plant nanobiohybrids were used for the detection of various toxic metal ions and organic pollutants. Their performance and sensing mechanism were also evaluated. The results demonstrated that the living plants served as self-powered preconcentrators via their passive fluid transport systems and accumulated the pollutants around the embedded MOFs, resulting in relative changes in fluorescence intensity. Therefore, the living MOF-plant nanobiohybrids initiate superior selectivity and sensitivity (0.05-0.5 μM) in water for Ag⁺, Cd²⁺, and aniline with a "turn-up" fluorescence response and for Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ with "turn-down" fluorescence response in the linear range of 0.05-10 μM with excellent precision and accuracy of 5 and 10%, respectively. With the easy-to-read visual signals under ultraviolet light, the app translates plant luminescent signals into digital information on a smartphone for on-site monitoring of environmental pollutants with high sensitivity and specificity. These results suggest that interfacing synthetic and living materials may contribute to the development of smart sensors for on-site environmental pollutant sensing with high accuracy.

Sol-gel fabrication and performance evaluation of graphene-based hydrophobic solid-phase microextraction fibers for multi-residue analysis of pesticides in water samples

Widespread use of organophosphorus pesticides poses serious environmental threats, and hence calls for effective analysis methods for these classes of compounds. In this study, a lab-made graphene-based solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was fabricated by the sol-gel method and combined with a gas chromatography-flame photometry detector (GC-FPD) to realize the detection of trace OPPs in water samples. Compared to the commercial fiber coatings, the new sol-gel graphene fiber coatings showed advantages of good durability and solvent resistance, which were attributed to the hydrophobic and antibacterial properties of the functionalized graphene and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecylammonium chloride (QAS). A headspace SPME method in combination with a GC-FPD was established to evaluate the performance of the novel fibers. The proposed method showed a good linear relationship for the eight OPPs (R²≥ 0.9957) in the concentration range of 1 to 1000 μg L^-1, with limits of quantification of 0.11-3.37 μg L^-1 and limits of detection of 0.03-1.01 μg L^-1. Furthermore, the developed method also exhibited good recoveries for the analysis of OPPs both in rainwater and lake water, which demonstrates that this method is an alternative choice for multi-residue analysis of OPPs, and it has the potential for broader applications in the future.

Development of a rapid GC-FID method to simultaneously determine triethylamine, diisopropylamine, and 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine residues in an active pharmaceutical ingredient

A rapid GC-FID method was developed to simultaneously determine residual levels of triethylamine (TEA), 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMG), and diisopropylamine (DIPA) in the synthetic route of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Due to the severe absorption of amines on GC stationary phases, GC columns with various stationary phases were evaluated for optimal peak shape and reproducibility. The final conditions used the Agilent CP-Volamine column to resolve the three amines in 12 min. Various inlet liners were also screened to further improve the sensitivity of the analysis. The Restek Siltek® liner was selected to achieve the desired detectability for the method. The quantitation limits were 4, 3, and 4 μg/mL for TEA, DIPA, and TMG in the presence of API, respectively. All three amines showed good linearity (r > 0.999) and recoveries (> 90%) over the concentration range of 3 to 16 μg/mL. The testing of residual amines was initially performed at the penultimate stage of the synthesis. However, this work demonstrates that TMG can act as a proton sponge to react with salicylic acid, the counter ion of the penultimate, to form a volatile component that elutes at a different retention time. Consequently, in the final method, these three amines were monitored in the final API to circumvent the matrix interference. Key parameters of the method were qualified per method validation requirements in ICH guidelines. The method was successfully applied for batch testing during development and implemented as an in-process control procedure at manufacturing sites.

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A fast and sensitive GC-FID method was developed to monitor the residue of three volatile amines in an API.

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The detection of 1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidine (TMG) at trace level is reported the first time.

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The method circumvented the interference of sample matrix since TMG can react with carboxylic acid in penultimate.

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The method was qualified per ICH guideline and implemented as an in-process-control procedure.