Selective solid-phase extraction based on molecularly imprinted technology for the simultaneous determination of 20 triazole pesticides in cucumber samples using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A selective analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 20 triazole fungicides and plant growth regulators in cucumber samples was developed using solid-phase extraction with specific molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as adsorbents. The MIPs were successfully prepared by precipitation polymerization using triadimefon as the template molecule, methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as the crosslinker, and acetonitrile as the porogen. The performance and recognition mechanism for both the MIPs and non-molecularly imprinted polymers were evaluated using adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics. Liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry was used to identify and quantify the target analytes. The solid-phase extraction using the MIPs was rapid, convenient, and efficient for extraction and enrichment of the 20 triazole pesticides from cucumber samples. The recoveries obtained at three concentration levels (1, 2, and 10 μg L−1) ranged from 82.3% to 117.6% with relative standard deviations of less than 11.8% (n = 5) for all analytes. The limits of detection for the 20 triazole pesticides were all less than 0.4 μg L−1, and were sufficient to meet international standards.