Metal-organic framework-coated stainless steel fiber for solid-phase microextraction of polychlorinated biphenyls

Supramolecular Materials as Solid-Phase Microextraction Coatings in Environmental Analysis

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has been widely proposed for the extraction, clean-up, and preconcentration of analytes of environmental concern. Enrichment capabilities, preconcentration efficiency, sample throughput, and selectivity in extracting target compounds greatly depend on the materials used as SPME coatings. Supramolecular materials have emerged as promising porous coatings to be used for the extraction of target compounds due to their unique selectivity, three-dimensional framework, flexible design, and possibility to promote the interaction between the analytes and the coating by means of multiple oriented functional groups. The present review will cover the state of the art of the last 5 years related to SPME coatings based on metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and supramolecular macrocycles used for environmental applications.

Recent progress of covalent organic frameworks as attractive materials for solid-phase microextraction: A review

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a green, environmentally friendly, and efficient technique for sample pre-treatment. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of porous materials formed by covalent bonds, have gained prominence owing to their remarkable attributes, including large specific surface area, tunable pore size, and robust thermal/chemical stability. These characteristics have made COFs highly appealing as potential coatings for SPME fiber over the past decades. In this review, various methods used to prepare SPME coatings based on COFs are presented. These methods encompass physical adhesion, sol-gel processes, in situ growth, and chemical cross-linking strategies. In addition, the applications of COF-based SPME coating fibers for the preconcentration of various targets in environmental, food, and biological samples are summarized. Moreover, not only their advantages but also the challenges they pose in practical applications are highlighted. By shedding light on these aspects, this review aims to contribute to the continued development and utilization of COF materials in the field of sample pretreatment.

Efficient and selective solid-phase microextraction of polychlorinated biphenyls by using a three-dimensional covalent organic framework as functional coating

Developing functional fiber coating for selective solid phase microextraction (SPME) of trace pollutants is critical in environmental analysis. Herein, the novel covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with three-dimensional (3D) frameworks and multiple interactions were designed and presented for the selective SPME of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Using tetra (p-aminophenyl) methane (TAM) and 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) as the monomers, the 3D TpTAM-COF was synthesized and possessed a large specific surface area, high thermal stability, and spatial selectivity toward PCBs. Characterizations such as morphology, XPS, XRD, thermal stability, and enhancement factors (EFs) were studied. Multiple interactions including π-π conjugation, hydrophobic interaction, and selectivity toward non-planar structure were adopted, which resulted in a superior adsorption affinity toward PCBs on TpTAM-COF. Under the optimal conditions, the spatial selectivity toward PCBs, organic analogs (o-dichlorobenzene, biphenyl) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, pyrene, and anthracene)) was achieved. Efficient and selective adsorption of fifteen PCBs was fulfilled with the highest EF up to 10305. Using the HS-SPME-GC-MS method, the recoveries of PCBs in the river water and soil samples were determined to be 84.8 ± 7.8% ∼ 117.2 ± 8.5% (n = 3) and 84.4 ± 8.6% ∼ 114.7 ± 7.6% (n = 3), respectively. Compared with most commercial SPME fibers and other COFs-based fibers, the resultant TpTAM-COF-coated fibers possessed higher selectivity and EFs of PCBs. It proposed a promising approach for selective SPME of trace PCBs by multiple interactions in the steric structure of 3D COFs.

Chitosan and dicationic ionic liquid intercalated clay-coated solid-phase microextraction fiber for determination of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coffee and tea samples

In the present study, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared by coating clay (MMT)-chitosan (CH) and dicationic ionic liquid (DIL) onto the stainless-steel wire step by step. The characterization of fibers was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The prepared fibers were evaluated for separation and determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coffee and tea samples in headspace- and direct immersion-SPME by coupling with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The analytical performance of MMT/CH/DIL fibers was carried out for the extraction of PAHs and compared with the performance of carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) and divinylbenzene/CAR/PDMS (DVB/CAR/PDMS) fibers under optimized conditions. The wider linear ranges between 0.001 and 25 μg L^-1 with a coefficient of determination above 0.9962, low limits of detection between 0.0001 and 0.05 μg L^-1 and good intra-day repeatability from 2.45 to 6.48 % and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility from 3.19 % to 8.82 % were obtained for all PAHs in both methods with MMT/CH/octyl (O)-DIL fiber. The extraction recoveries of coffee and tea samples ranged from 87.5 to 112 % using the MMT/CH/O-DIL fiber in both SPME methods.

In-situ fabrication of a chlorine-functionalized covalent organic framework coating for solid-phase microextraction of polychlorinated biphenyls in surface water

The functionalization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) identifies significant potential for developing selective coating materials for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Herein, a chlorine-functionalized covalent organic framework (CF-COF) was in-situ synthesized by employing triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and 2,5-dichloro-1,4-phenylenediamine (2,5-DCA) as monomers on an amino-functionalized stainless steel wire. The obtained CF-COF coated fiber exhibited a higher enrichment capacity for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) than commercial fibers and non-chlorinated COF fiber, owing to a more hydrophobic surface, size-matching effect, a large number of micropores and the π-π stacking interactions between COF coating and analytes. As a practical application, the CF-COF coated fiber was applied to the headspace extraction of 17 PCBs prior to their quantification by GC/MS. The established analytical method offered a good linearity in the range of 0.1-1000 ng L^-1, low detection limits of 0.0015-0.0088 ng L^-1, and satisfactory enhancement factors (EFs) of 699-4281. The repeatability for single fiber and the fiber-to-fiber reproducibility was lower than 9.26% and 9.33%, respectively. The proposed method was verified to be sensitive, selective, and applicable for the analysis of ultra-trace PCBs in environmental surface water samples with the recoveries ranged from 78.7% to 124.0%.

Novel solid-phase microextraction fiber coatings: A review

The materials used for the fabrication of solid-phase microextraction fiber coatings in the past five years are summarized in the current review, including carbon, metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, aerogel, polymer, ionic liquids/poly (ionic liquids), metal oxides, and natural materials. The preparation approaches of different coatings, such as sol-gel technique, in-situ growth, electrodeposition, and glue methods, are briefly reviewed together with the evolution of the supporting substrates. In addition, the limitations of the current coatings and the future development directions of solid-phase microextraction are presented.

On the use of metal-organic frameworks for the extraction of organic compounds from environmental samples

The determination of trace metals and organic contaminants in environmental samples, such as water, air, soil, and sediment, is until today a challenging process for the analytical chemistry. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are novel porous nanomaterials that are composed of metal ions and an organic connector. These materials are gaining more and more attention due to their superior characteristics, such as high surface area, tunable pore size, mechanical and thermal stability, luminosity, and charge transfer ability between metals and ligands. Among the various applications of MOFs are gas storage, separation, catalysis, and drug delivery. Recently, MOFs have been successfully introduced in the field of sample preparation for analytical chemistry and they have been used for sample pretreatment of various matrices. This review focuses on the applications of MOFs as novel adsorbents for the extraction of organic compounds from environmental samples.

Aptamer-functionalized metal-organic framework-based electrospun nanofibrous composite coating fiber for specific recognition of ultratrace microcystin in water

A novel aptamer@AuNPs@UiO-66-NH₂ electrospun nanofibrous coating fiber for specific recognition of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) was proposed by using electrospinning, metal-organic frameworks (MOF) seed growth and AuNPs bridging aptamer strategies. Characterization of morphology, structure and stability of the obtained affinity nanofibrous coating fiber were investigated. High loading of MOFs and aptamers on the nanofibrous fiber were achieved and successfully applied for accurate identification of MC-LR by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with LC-MS. Highly specific recognition of MC-LR with little interference of analogs was achieved with extremely low LOD (0.004 ng/mL), good precision (CV% < 11.0%) and low relative error (RE% = -1.5% to -10.0%), which was rather better than that of the traditional SPME or SPE protocols. Satisfactory recoveries of MC-LR were obtained in the range of 92.0-96.8% (n = 3) in fortified tap water, raw pond water and river water samples. This work revealed an attractive alternative access to specific recognition and super-sensitive analysis of MC-LR in water.

Fabrication of an SPME fiber based on ZnO@GA nanorods coated onto fused silica as a highly efficient absorbent for the analysis of cancer VOCs in water and urine

Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) secreted in urine, blood, breath, etc. is a new method for monitoring the metabolism and biochemistry of the human body. However, due to the complexity of samples, a pre-concentration step is necessary before the final analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Therefore, miniaturized extraction methods such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) can be a promising and simple pre-concentration technique. Different strategies have been adopted for the fabrication or modification of SPME fibers. This study presents the preparation and characterization of glass optical fibers coated with ZnO nanorods functionalized with gallic acid (ZnO@GA nanorod) as SPME adsorbent in GC-MS. ZnO@GA nanorods were synthesized separately and then coated onto the fibers. The coated fibers were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (FESEM/EDAX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Possessing a high surface to volume ratio of ZnO nanorods and functional groups of GA, the ZnO@GA nanorod-based SPME fibers exhibited good extraction performance for VOCs comparing with the commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated fibers. Under optimal conditions (NaCl concentration, 30% w/v; extraction time of 25 min; pH, 5-7 and stirring rate of 400 rpm) ZnO@GA nanorods coated fibers achieved low detection limits (0.32-4.8 μg/L), low quantification limits (1.8-16.3 μg/L) and good linearity (5-1000 μg/L) for selected VOCs. The repeatability (n = 3) for a single fiber was within the range of 4.1-7.9% (intra-day) and 5.7-9.6% (inter-day) while the reproducibility (n = 3) of fiber-to-fiber were in the range of 4.7% and 9.9%. This method was successfully used for the determination of six VOCs in water and urine with satisfactory recoveries of 90-112%. ZnO@GA nanorod coated fibers, despite possessing a much thinner coating compared to the commercial fibers, revealed a better overall extraction efficiency towards VOCs. These results indicated that the ZnO@GA provided a promising alternative in sample pretreatment and analysis in GC-MS.

In situ room-temperature rapidly fabricated imine-linked covalent organic framework coated fibers for efficient solid-phase microextraction of pyrethroids

A facile and rapid strategy for preparation of covalent organic framework (COF) coated fibers at ambient temperature is urgently needed for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technology. In this work, an in situ room-temperature rapid growth strategy was developed to high-efficiently fabricate imine-linked COF (TPB-DVA) coated fibers in as little as 30 min at room temperature, and the thickness of the coating reached 9 μm. The prepared TPB-DVA coated fiber offer high thermal and chemical stability, and outstanding service lifetime. Moreover, we generalize this strategy to other two imine-linked COF (TPB-DMTP and TFPB-TAPB) coated fibers and the fibers were fabricated at room temperature for 3 h and 12 h, respectively, which demonstrate the applicability of this strategy. Subsequently, a SPME-GC-MS/MS analytical method was developed for trace pyrethroids (PYs) detection, which exhibited high enhancement factors (EFs, 2700-13195), wide linear range (0.08-800 ng L^-1), low limits of detection (LODs, 0.02-0.20 ng L^-1), and good repeatability (RSD ≤ 8.5%, n = 6). Furthermore, the developed analytical method was applied to tea samples and trace PYs (1.31-4.32 ng L^-1) were found with satisfactory recovery (80.2-119.8%). The above results demonstrated that the feasibility of the developed strategy for the facile and rapid fabrication of imine-linked COF coated fibers.

In situ fabrication of nitrogen doped graphitic carbon networks coating for high-performance extraction of pyrethroid pesticides

The tailor-prepare solid phase microextraction (SPME) coatings with stable and excellent properties to effectively extract analytes from sample matrix still remains a challenge. Herein, a nitrogen doped graphitic carbon networks (NG-CNTW) coated fiber was fabricated by direct carbonization of nanosized ZIF-67 crystals (nano-ZIF-67) that grown on stainless steel wire. The NG-CNTW coated fiber coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was applied for enrichment and determination of pyrethroids. The NG-CNTW coating exhibited high surface area and hierarchical porous structures that facilitate diffusion and accessibility of target molecules. Simultaneously, the nitrogen doped and highly graphitic structures endow the coating with high adsorption affinity for aromatic compounds. Under optimum conditions, the SPME-GC-MS/MS method presented wide range of linearity performance (0.08-200.0 ng g^-1), low limits of detection (0.02-0.5 ng g^-1) and good repeatability (RSD < 9.6%) for 8 kinds of pyrethroids. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully applied in the determination of pyrethroids in grape and cauliflower samples, as the results were in the range of 3.16-15.06 ng g^-1and 2.08-9.29 ng g^-1, respectively. This work not only provides a new method by fabricating carbon nanomaterial coatings in situ derived from MOFs, but also shows great potential of MOFs derivative materials in environmental analysis field.

Metal-organic frameworks for food applications: A review

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are high surface-to-volume ratio crystalline hybrid porous coordination materials composed of metal ions as nodes and organic linkers. The goal of this paper was to provide an updated and comprehensive state-of-the-art review of MOFs for different food applications such as active food contact materials, antimicrobial nanocarriers, controlled release nanosystems for active compounds, nanofillers for food packaging materials, food nanoreactors, food substance nanosensors, stabilizers and immobilizers for active compounds and enzymes, and extractors of food contaminants. Extraction and sensing of several food contaminants have been the main food applications of MOFs. The other applications listed above require further investigation, as they are at an early stage. However, interesting results are being reported for these other fields. Finally, an important limitation of MOFs has been the use of non-renewable feedstocks for their synthesis, but this has recently been solved through the manufacture and use of γ-cyclodextrin-based MOFs.

Applications of porous frameworks in solid-phase microextraction

Porous frameworks are a term of attracting solid materials assembled by interconnection of molecules and ions. These trendy materials due to high chemical and thermal stability, well-defined pore size and structure, and high effective surface area gained attention to employ as extraction phase in sample pretreatment methods before analytical analysis. Solid-phase microextraction is an important subclass of sample preparation technique that up to now different configurations of this method have been introduced to get adaptable with different environments and analytical instruments. In this review, theoretical aspect and different modes of solid-phase microextraction method are investigated. Different classes of porous frameworks and their applications as extraction phase in the proposed microextraction method are evaluated. Types and features of supporting substrates and coating procedures of porous frameworks on them are reviewed. At the end, the prospective and the challenges ahead in this field are discussed.

Sheathed in situ heteroepitaxial growth metal-organic framework probe for detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in river water and living fish

Exploring the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic environment is an important task. Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) are commonly used as sorbents for enriching PAHs but their crystal synthesis, sorbent preparation and robustness remain challenging. In the present study, under mild conditions, a novel sheathed MOF fiber coating was fabricated via in situ heteroepitaxial growth of copper-2,5-diaminoterephthalate (Cu-DAT) crystals and subsequent polyimide (PI) sheath. The copper hydroxide nanotubes were first synthesized on the copper wire to provide a substrate for further in situ heteroepitaxial Cu-DAT growth, and the coating was then sheathed with PI via a simple dip-coating procedure. The well-ranged copper hydroxide nanotubes, the unique adsorption property of Cu-DAT, and the PI sheath, the prepared fiber all contributed to a successful solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device for detecting PAHs. Results demonstrated that the SPME methods using the novel fiber possessed great sensitivity, wide linear range, good reproducibility, and the robustness was significantly improved with PI sheath. The novel SPME material was successfully applied for detection of PAHs in river water samples and in vivo detection of PAHs in fish dorsal muscle. In general, this study explored an effective and convenient method to prepare high-efficient MOF-based SPME fiber for PAHs analysis in complex environmental water samples and living organisms via in situ growth and polymer sheath.

Development of a solid-phase microextraction method for fast analysis of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes in water

Cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS) are widely used in consumer products and commonly detected in the environment. There are challenges in the analysis of cVMS because of their ubiquitous use which can introduce high background contamination. The current study introduces a sample preparation method based on headspace of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for monitoring the cVMS in waters. Efforts were made to reduce the background contamination during sample preparation and instrument analysis. A laboratory prepared MIL-101 coating was prepared using polysulfone instead of polydimethylsiloxane as adhesive to avoid the contamination. The extraction performance of the MIL-101 fiber was optimized and evaluated. The optimized extraction time and temperature were 60 min and 40 °C, respectively. The method quantification limits of the MIL-101 fiber for octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and dodecylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) in water were 0.15 ng mL^-1, 0.14 ng mL^-1, and 0.27 ng mL^-1, respectively. The extraction efficiency of the proposed MIL-101 fiber was comparable to the commercial polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene fiber. The developed method was applied to analyze the cVMS in wastewater treatment plant and the concentrations in the barscreen and in the aeration tank ranged from 0.73 to 3.3 ng mL^-1 and 7.74-85.1 ng mL^-1, respectively. The MIL-101 fiber was also applied to study the photodegradation of the cVMS in water under simulated sunlight. Approximately 25%, 20%, and 45% of D4, D5, and D6, respectively, were degraded after 10 h exposure.

A new proposal for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental water by using host-guest adsorption

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants whose wide industrial use has been banned over the years in most countries due to their persistence and bioaccumulation. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer defined them in 2016 as carcinogenic to humans based on sufficient evidence of an increased risk of cancer, being children and pregnant or lactating women the most vulnerable population subgroups. In this work, a new alternative for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB138, PCB153, and PCB180) in water samples has been developed by using a cyclodextrin-containing silica microparticulated material as an adsorbent in solid-phase extraction. Gas chromatography coupled to an electron capture detector has been used in the quantification step. The methodology allows quantifying polychlorinated biphenyls at very trace levels, with limits of detection between 0.2 and 1.7 ng L^-1. Other parameters such as the repeatability, with coefficients of variation lower than 11%, were likewise established. To end, real water samples were analyzed, and the results were comparable with those obtained with a reference method. The proposed methodology can be utilized for assessing the presence of these compounds in the environment and can come in handy for evaluation and remediation purposes.

Determination of Volatile Water Pollutants Using Cross-Linked Polymeric Ionic Liquid as Solid Phase Micro-Extraction Coatings

Ionic liquids found a wide application in catalysis and extraction due to their unique properties. Herein, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker and 1-vinyl-3- butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as functional monomer via thermally initiated free-radical polymerization was prepared as a novel copolymer solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) coating. A surface modified stainless-steel wire was implemented as the substrate. Factors affecting the extraction performances of the copolymer, including the molar ratio of monomers to cross-linkers, the amount of porogen agent, and polymerization time were evaluated and optimized. To evaluate the extraction performance, five commonly seen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were taken as the analytical targets. The potential factors affecting extraction efficiency were optimized. The as-prepared SPME device, coupled with gas chromatography, was successfully applied for the determination of PAHs in water samples. The wide linear range, low detection limit, good reproducibility, selectivity, and excellent thermal stability indicate the promising application of the newly developed SPME fiber in environmental monitoring as well as in other samples having complex matrices.

The geometrical characteristics of nickel-based metal organic framework on its entrapment capability

Here, a three dimensional nickel-based metal organic framework (MOF) was synthesized via solvothermal and room temperature protocols. In order to study the effects of the synthesis conditions on the physical properties such as pore sizes and shapes of the prepared MOFs, their extraction capabilities were examined. Both MOFs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and thermogravimetric analyses. Brilliant properties such as porous structure, high surface area and considerable thermal stability make them reasonable candidates to be employed as efficient extractive phases. The efficiency of the superior nickel-based MOF was evaluated for headspace needle trap extraction of chlorobenzenes as model compounds in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The MOF-based extractive phase was conveniently packed in a needle trap device and after extraction, the desorption process was performed via direct insertion of needle into the GC inlet. After optimizing the extraction/desorption conditions, the figures of merit such as linear dynamic range was in the range of 5-1000 ng L^-1 (R² > 0.987) while the limits of detection and quantification values were 2-10 and 6-30 ng L^-1, respectively. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations for three replicates at the concentration level of 50 ng L^-1 were in the range of 7-9% and 9-12%, respectively. The needle-to-needle reproducibility was also found to be in the range of 5-11%. Acceptable relative recovery values at the concentration level of 50 ng L^-1 ranged from 85 to 96%, showing no significant matrix effect.

Recent Applications and Newly Developed Strategies of Solid-Phase Microextraction in Contaminant Analysis: Through the Environment to Humans

The present review aims to describe the recent and most impactful applications in pollutant analysis using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technology in environmental, food, and bio-clinical analysis. The covered papers were published in the last 5 years (2014–2019) thus providing the reader with information about the current state-of-the-art and the future potential directions of the research in pollutant monitoring using SPME. To this end, we revised the studies focused on the investigation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, and emerging pollutants (EPs) including personal care products (PPCPs), in different environmental, food, and bio-clinical matrices. We especially emphasized the role that SPME is having in contaminant surveys following the path that goes from the environment to humans passing through the food web. Besides, this review covers the last technological developments encompassing the use of novel extraction coatings (e.g., metal-organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, PDMS-overcoated fiber), geometries (e.g., Arrow-SPME, multiple monolithic fiber-SPME), approaches (e.g., vacuum and cold fiber SPME), and on-site devices. The applications of SPME hyphenated with ambient mass spectrometry have also been described.

Metal–Organic Frameworks as Key Materials for Solid-Phase Microextraction Devices—A Review

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted recently considerable attention in analytical sample preparation, particularly when used as novel sorbent materials in solid-phase microextraction (SPME). MOFs are highly ordered porous crystalline structures, full of cavities. They are formed by inorganic centers (metal ion atoms or metal clusters) and organic linkers connected by covalent coordination bonds. Depending on the ratio of such precursors and the synthetic conditions, the characteristics of the resulting MOF vary significantly, thus drifting into a countless number of interesting materials with unique properties. Among astonishing features of MOFs, their high chemical and thermal stability, easy tuneability, simple synthesis, and impressive surface area (which is the highest known), are the most attractive characteristics that makes them outstanding materials in SPME. This review offers an overview on the current state of the use of MOFs in different SPME configurations, in all cases covering extraction devices coated with (or incorporating) MOFs, with particular emphases in their preparation.