Monohydroxycucurbit[7]uril-coated stir-bar sorptive extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of apolar and polar organic compounds

Selective identification of p-nitroaniline by bromine-mediated polarization of carbon dots

A fluorometric method based on boron, bromide-codoped carbon dots (BBCNs) was developed for the first time for the highly selective detection of p-nitroaniline (PNA) in wastewater samples. It should be noted that the introduction of bromine greatly increases the molecular polarizability of the probe, which can regulate the energy level matching between the probe and PNA, resulting in the interaction between BBCNs and PNA. In the presence of PNA, the fluorescence of BBCNs is obviously quenched and accompanied by a red shift of the fluorescence band, which might be attributed to the formation of aggregates caused by the polar adsorption of BBCNs and PNA. It is beneficial for constructing a highly selective sensing platform for PNA determination compared to its isomers (o-nitroaniline and m-nitroaniline) through atomic bromine-mediated polarization of the BBCNs. With the help of this mechanism, an excellent linear range of 0.5-300 μM with a low detection limit of 0.24 μM toward PNA was obtained. This work further confirms that there is a significant relationship between the nature of doping elements and the optical and physicochemical properties of fluorescent materials.

Stir bar sorptive extraction and its application

Recent progress of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) in the past six years is reviewed. The preparation methods including electrodeposition, self-assembly, solvent exchange, physical magnetic adsorption and electrostatic spinning, for the coated stir bar are summarized and compared, specifically for a specific material for coatings fabrication, e.g., carbon-based materials and metal organic frameworks. The emerging materials (e.g., graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, monolith, metal-organic frameworks and porous organic polymers) applied for coated stir bar fabrication are one of the focus of this review, along with their respective advantages in extraction process and application in trace analysis. The development and application of extraction apparatus of SBSE are also involved. Based on these information, the development status and prospects of SBSE as an efficient sample pretreatment technique in real sample analysis are discussed.

Specific recognition of cationic paraquat in environmental water and vegetable samples by molecularly imprinted stir-bar sorptive extraction based on monohydroxylcucurbit[7]uril-paraquat inclusion complex

Molecularly imprinted stir-bar coatings were created based on a hydroxylcucurbit[7]uril-paraquat inclusion complex. The inclusion complex that contained paraquat (PQ) as a template and monohydroxylcucurbit[7]uril ((OH)Q[7]) as a monomer was preassembled mainly through cavity inclusion interaction of (OH)Q[7] to form a one-dimensional self-assembly structure. The inclusion complex was anchored chemically on the surface of a glass stir bar with hydroxy-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) by the sol-gel technique to obtain a molecularly imprinted polymer-coated stir bar (MIP-SB). The molecularly imprinted coating showed specific adsorption for cationic PQ in aqueous media. Other quaternary amine compounds with a similar structure that coexisted in the solution, such as ethyl-viologen, diquat, and difenzoquat, were almost not extracted by the prepared MIP-SB. The sorptive capacity of the MIP-SB for PQ was nearly four times that of the non-imprinted stir bar (NIP-SB). The recognition mechanism indicated that the selectivity and extraction capacity resulted mainly from the imprinted cavity in the polymer that was formed by a one-dimensional assembly structure consisting of the (OH)Q[7]-PQ inclusion complex. The imprinted cavity was complementary to the PQ in shape, size, and functionality. A method to determine PQ in environmental water and vegetable samples was developed by combining MIP-SB sorptive extraction with HPLC-UV. The linear range was from 100 to 10,000 ng L^-1 with a 8.2 ng L^-1 detection limit for water samples and 0.02-0.85 mg kg^-1 with a 0.005 mg kg^-1 detection limit for vegetable samples. The limit of detection for both samples was lower than the EU-established maximum residual levels and that of other previously reported methods. The average recoveries were 70.0-96.1% with a relative standard deviation ≤ 7.6%, which showed the successful application in real sample analysis. Molecularly imprinted stir-bar coatings were created based on a hydroxylcucurbit[7]uril-paraquat (PQ) inclusion complex, which showed a specific recognition toward cationic PQ. A method to determine PQ in environmental water and vegetable samples was established by combining MIP-SB sorptive extraction with HPLC-UV.

In-tube stir bar sorptive extraction based on 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane surface-modified Ce-doped ZnAl layered double hydroxide thin film for determination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in saliva samples

A thin-film based on 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane surface-modified Ce-doped zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxide was synthesized on the inner surface of an aluminum tube. It has been applied to in-tube stir bar sorptive extraction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in saliva samples followed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The sorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and elemental mapping. The extraction parameters including sample pH (4.2), extraction time (10 min), stirring speed (800 rpm), type of eluent (acidified tetrahydrofuran), eluent volume (100 μL), and desorption time (6 min) were thoroughly optimized. Under the optimum conditions, limits of detection were found to be less than 5.0 ng mL^-1. Calibration plots were linear within the range 10-1000 ng mL^-1 (R² > 0.9982). Absolute recoveries were calculated in the range 63.5 to 72.4%. The repeatability (intra- and inter-day precision) and reproducibility (tube-to-tube precision) at concentrations of 50, 250, and 500 ng mL^-1 were less than 7.6% and 9.4%, respectively. The method accuracy based on the relative error was calculated at these concentrations and ranged from - 4.9 to - 9.3% for intra-day relative error (%) and - 6.8 to - 11% for inter-day relative error (%). Finally, the method applicability was examined for the determination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in saliva samples, and good relative recoveries were obtained within the range 86.5 to 95.2%. As a result, the introduced method can be applied as a suitable alternative to measuring nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in biological fluids. Graphical abstract A surface-modified Ce-doped ZnAl LDH thin film was synthesized on the inner surface of an Al tube and applied for in-tube stir bar sorptive extraction of NSAIDs in saliva.