Magnetic retrieval of ionic liquids: Fast dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of benzoylurea insecticides in environmental water samples

A novel, rapid ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) technique combined with magnetic retrieval (MR-IL-DLLME) has been developed and used to analyze five benzoylurea insecticides (BUs) in environmental water samples. This procedure was based on the magnetic retrieval of the ionic liquid using unmodified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). In this experiment, the fine ionic liquid droplets formed in aqueous samples functioned as an extractant for the extraction of BUs; after the extraction process was completed, Fe3O4 MNPs were added as a carrier to retrieve and separate the ionic liquid from the sample solution. After the supernatant was removed, the ionic liquid was desorbed using acetonitrile and subsequently injected directly into an HPLC system for analysis. The optimum experimental parameters are as follows: 20 mg of Fe3O4 (20 nm) as magnetic sorbents; 70 μL of [C6MIM][PF6] as the extraction solvent; 300 μL of acetonitrile as the disperser solvent; a vortex extraction time of 90 s with the vortex agitator set at 2800 rpm and no ionic strength. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was obtained with correlation coefficients (r) greater than 0.9981. The repeatability and reproducibility of the proposed method were found to be good, and the limits of detection ranged from 0.05 μg L−1 to 0.15 μg L−1. The proposed method was then successfully used for the rapid determination of BUs in real water samples. The recoveries of five BUs at two spiked levels ranged from 79.8 to 91.7% with RSDs less than 6.0%.

► A novel approach (MR-IL-DLLME) was developed. ► [C6MIM][PF6] was chosen as extractant and absorbed by Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles. ► The method exceptionally accelerates the sample preparation, extraction was completed within 5 min. ► The method was applied for benzoylurea insecticides in real water samples.