The effects of electrolysis on operational solutions in electromembrane extraction: The role of acceptor solution

• Electrolysis was shown to play an important role in EMEs.
• Acid–base indicators and μ-EMEs across FLMs were employed for electrolysis monitoring.
• Corresponding colour changes in μ-EME solutions were visualized in real-time.
• Detrimental changes in pH values of μ-EME solutions were observed within seconds to minutes of μ-EMEs.
• Electrolysis had also serious consequences on EME recoveries of a model basic drug.

Fundamental operational principle and instrumental set-up of electromembrane extraction (EME) suggest that electrolysis may play an important role in this recently developed micro-extraction technique. In the present study, the effect of electrolysis in EME is described comprehensively for the first time and it is demonstrated that electrolysis considerably influences EME performance. Micro-electromembrane extraction (μ-EME) across free liquid membrane formed by 1-pentanol was utilized for real-time monitoring of the electrolytically induced changes in composition of μ-EME solutions. These changes were visualized with a set of acid–base indicators. Changes in colours of their aqueous solutions revealed serious variations in their pH values, which occurred within seconds to minutes of the μ-EME process. Variations of up to eight pH units were observed for indicator solutions initially prepared in 1, 5 and 10 mM hydrochloric acid. No or only negligible pH changes (less than 0.15 pH unit) were observed for indicator solutions prepared in 50 and 100 mM acetic acid demonstrating that initial composition of the aqueous solutions was the crucial parameter. These results were also confirmed by theoretical calculations of maximum pH variations in the solutions, which were based on total electric charge transfers measured in the μ-EME systems, and by exact measurements of their pH values after μ-EMEs. Acceptor solutions that, in the current practice, consist predominantly of low concentrations of strong mineral acids or alkali hydroxides may thus not always ensure adequate EME performance, which was manifested by decrease in extraction recoveries of a basic drug papaverine. A suitable remedy to the observed effects is the application of acceptor solutions containing high concentrations of weak acids or bases. These solutions not only eliminate the decrease in recoveries but also serve well as matrices of extracted samples for subsequent analysis by capillary electrophoresis.