Ionic liquid based hollow fiber supported liquid phase microextraction of ultraviolet filters

Hollow fiber protected liquid phase microextraction using an ionic liquid as supported phase and acceptor phase (IL-HF-LPME) is proposed for the determination of four ultraviolet (UV) filters (benzophenone, 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)-camphor, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone and 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone) in water samples for the first time. In the present study, four different ILs 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate) [HMIM][FAP], 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate [BMPL][FAP], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium phosphate ([BMIM][PO4]) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6]) were evaluated as extraction solvent. Only [HMIM][FAP] showed high chemical affinity to the analytes which permits a selective isolation of the UV filters from the sample matrix, allowing also their preconcentration. IL-HF-LPME and high performance liquid chromatography provides repeatability from 1.1% to 8.2% and limits of detection between 0.3 and 0.5 ng/ml. Real water samples spiked with the analytes extracted were analyzed, and yielded relative recoveries ranging from 82.6% to 105.9%.

► Ionic liquid [HMIM][FAP] was employed as supported phase and acceptor phase in HF-LPME. ► [HMIM][FAP] shows high extraction efficiency for UV filter extraction from aqueous samples. ► Simple and efficient method with low LODs, good linearity and repeatability.