Electrokinetic migration across artificial liquid membranes: New concept for rapid sample preparation of biological fluids

Basic drug substances were transported across a thin artificial organic liquid membrane by the application of 300 V d.c. From a 300 μl aqueous donor compartment (containing 10 mM HCl), the drugs migrated through a 200 μm artificial liquid membrane of 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether immobilized in the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber, and into a 30 μl aqueous acceptor solution of 10 mM HCl inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. The transport was forced by an electrical potential difference sustained over the liquid membrane, resulting in electrokinetic migration of drug substances from the donor compartment to the acceptor solution. Within 5 min of operation at 300 V, pethidine, nortriptyline, methadone, haloperidol, and loperamide were extracted with recoveries in the range 70–79%, which corresponded to enrichments in the range 7.0–7.9. The chemical composition of the organic liquid membrane strongly affected the permeability, and may serve as an efficient tool for controlling the transport selectivity. Water samples, human plasma, and human urine were successfully processed, and in light of the present report, electrokinetic migration across thin artificial liquid membranes may be an interesting tool for future isolation within chemical analysis.