Solid-phase microextraction of phthalate esters in water sample using different activated carbon-polymer monoliths as adsorbents

• Effect of PAE adsorption/desorption using AC in different polymers were investigated.
• Different polymers were used to facilitate the incorporation of AC for SPME of PAE.
• AC in different polymers enhanced the desorption of PAE analytes.
• AC-poly(STY-DVB) demonstrated higher extraction recovery than AC-poly(BMA-EDMA).
• AC-poly(STY-DVB) was applied for SPME of PAE in water sample.

In this study, the application of different activated carbon-polymer (AC-polymer) monoliths as adsorbents for the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of phthalate esters (PAEs) in water sample were investigated. The activated carbon (AC) was embedded in organic polymers, poly(butyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (poly(BMA-EDMA)) or poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) (poly(STY-DVB)), via a 5-min microwave-assisted or a 15-min water bath heating polymerization. Preliminary investigation on the performance of the native poly(BMA-EDMA) and poly(STY-DVB) demonstrated remarkable adsorption efficiencies for PAEs. However, due to the strong hydrophobic, π-π, and hydrogen bonding interactions between the analytes and polymers, low extraction recoveries were achieved. In contrast, the presence of AC in native polymers not only enhanced the adsorption efficiencies but also assisted the PAE desorption, especially for AC-poly(STY-DVB) with extraction recovery ranged of 76.2–99.3%. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction recoveries for intra-, inter-day and column-to-column were in the range of 76.5–100.8% (<3.7% RSDs), 77.2–97.6% (<5.6% RSDs) and 75.5–99.7% (<6.2% RSDs), respectively. The developed AC-poly(STY-DVB) monolithic column showed good mechanical stability, which can be reused for more than 30 extraction times without any significant loss in the extraction recoveries of PAEs. The AC-poly(STY-DVB) monolithic column was successfully applied in SPME of PAEs in water sample with extraction recovery ranged of 78.8%–104.6% (<5.5% RSDs).

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