High-efficiency extraction of nucleosides based on the combination of self-assembly ionic liquid layer and boronic acid-functionalized attapulgite

• Boronic acid-functionalized attapulgite was prepared.
• Ionic liquid (IL) was coated on the material via physical self-assembly process.
• IL-coated adsorbent was used for the extraction of nucleosides.
• Extraction efficiency of the material increased dramatically after coated with IL.
• Enrichment ratios for nucleosides increased by 9- to 282-fold with adding IL.

Boronate affinity materials have been widely used for selective capture of cis-diol-containing molecules, but most do not have sufficient extraction efficiency. We have prepared boronic acid-functionalized attapulgite, and then it was coated with imidazolium-based ionic liquid, 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C12mimBr), via physical self-assembly process. The extraction efficiency of the material increased dramatically after coated with C12mimBr, and its enrichment ratios for nucleosides increased by 9- to 282-fold. Besides, the C12mimBr-coated adsorbent did not lose selectivity and was able to capture cis-diols in the presence of a 100-fold excess of interferences. C12mimBr-coated material was applied to selective enrichment of nucleosides from human urine. The limits of detection and the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.06–0.46 ng mL−1 and 0.20–1.53 ng mL−1, respectively. Reproducibility of the method was determined with relative standard deviations≤9.9%. The recoveries of the target nucleosides from spiked human urine were in the range of 87.8–109.6%. In our preception, self-assembly ionic liquid layer can serve as a promising alternative to improve the extraction efficiency of boronate affinity materials.

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