Synergistic analytical preconcentration with ionic liquid-nanomaterial hybrids

Nanomaterials and ionic liquids (ILs) have very attractive properties for improved analytical preconcentration methods. Thus, ILs have been used as excellent tools to functionalize nanomaterials, giving them specific chemical properties for higher selectivity, extraction efficiency and extended re-utilization in preconcentration. Moreover, incorporation of IL-nanomaterial hybrids in miniaturized solid phase and liquid phase microextraction procedures is being increasingly exploited to obtain high analytical recoveries while developing environmentally friendly analytical methods. In this review, the design and application of innovative and efficient analytical methods for sensitive and selective determination of inorganic and organic analytes is described. The synthesis of some IL-nanomaterial hybrids is presented along with a revision of the most important synergistic physicochemical properties useful for the extraction of analytes. Finally, practical considerations concerning the application of IL-nanomaterial hybrids for the development of modern analytical separation and preconcentration techniques are fully discussed in this work.