Molecular imprinting on surface of silica particles for the selective extraction of benzylparaben in flow system applied to cosmetics and water samples

Molecular imprinted polymer coated Silica (Si-MIP) particles were prepared using non-covalent approach. The Si-MIP material was employed as selective solid phase extraction sorbent for the determination of benzylparaben (BP) in samples of environmental and cosmetic origin. The preconcentration step was studied firstly in a batch system and subsequently it was optimized and adapted to an automatized flow system and the eluate was then analyzed by HPLC-UV. The whole procedure was validated, showing satisfactory analytical parameters. The methodology was applied to real samples showing extraction recoveries always better than 98.85%. A linear response within the concentration range of 1.11 × 10−5-0.025 mg mL−1 was obtained for BP (r2 = 0.9998). The limits of detection and quantification after Si-MIP-HPLC procedure were 3.34 and 11.16 ng mL−1, respectively. The developed methodology provided a simple an economic way for accomplishing a clean-up/preconcentration step and the subsequent determination of BP in a complex matrix. The showed selectivity plus robustness and the possibility of reutilization, enable it to be used for BP routine monitoring in personal care products (PCP) and environmental samples.