Selective determination of clenbuterol residues in urine by molecular imprinted polymer-Ion mobility spectrometry

Clenbuterol is banned for sports use and strictly regulated in livestock industry. In this study, a procedure for the determination of clenbuterol residues in water and urine has been developed using selective supports combined with ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) determination. A molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) was used for efficient clean-up and preconcentration of clenbuterol followed to a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) in order to improve selectivity and sensitivity of IMS determinations. Quantitative recoveries from 81 to 99% were obtained for water and spiked urine samples using MIP-DLLME-IMS method. A precision of 4.5%, established as the relative standard deviation of analysis at a concentration level of 5 μg L− 1, was obtained, being the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.2 μg L− 1. A certified reference and several blind-spiked urine samples were analyzed by the proposed methodology and results were compared to a reference ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS-MS) procedure, being statistically comparable. Thus, the proposed methodology is an attractive strategy for the sensitive and selective analysis of clenbuterol residues in water and urine samples.