Novel double-confined polymeric ionic liquids as sorbents for solid-phase microextraction with enhanced stability and durability in high-ionic-strength solution

Because of the occurrence of ion exchange between high-ionic-strength solution and anions of polymeric ionic liquids (PILs), PILs based solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers were rarely used in direct immersion mode to high-salt-added samples. In this work, a novel double-confined PIL sorbent was prepared by co-polymerization of cation and anion of 1-vinyl-3-octylimidzaolium p-styrenesulfonate (VOIm+SS−). The poly(VOIm+-SS−) was chemically bonded onto functionalized stainless steel wire via surface radical chain-transfer reaction. Stability of poly(VOIm+-SS−) in high-ionic-strength solution was investigated and compared with that of poly(1-vinyl-3-octylimidzaolium benzenesulfonate) (poly(VOIm+BS−)) by elemental analysis of sulfur element, and results turned out that the poly(VOIm+-SS−) was more stable. Coupled to gas chromatography (GC), the poly(VOIm+-SS−) fiber was used to extract three sorts of compounds including anilines, phenols and phthalate esters in aqueous solution. The as-established method showed good linearity, low detection limits, and acceptable repeatability. The direct immersion SPME-GC method was applied to determine the model phthalate esters in bottled mineral water. The determination results were satisfactory.

► Cation and anion of IL were copolymerized in situ on functionalized metal support.
► Stability of the PIL fiber in salted solution was enhanced by copolymerization.
► The copolymerized PILs SPME fiber was successfully used in direct immersion mode.