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Tailor-made chitosan fiber was prepared via hydrothermal treatment to serve as a micro-solid phase extraction (micro-SPE) sorbent for the analysis of petroleum acids (PAs) in crude oils. Chitosan fiber, which is commercial and cheap, has a diameter of about 10 μm and a length of a few centimeters. The fibrous property of the sorbent enables the micro-SPE to deal with viscous crude oil samples because of the low back-pressure during extraction, while the abundant hydroxyl groups and amino groups on the surface of chitosan fiber can provide high density of specific sites for adsorption of PAs. Moreover, it was found that hydrothermal treatment at certain conditions could tune the surface properties of chitosan fiber, leading to significant improvement of the capacity of the fiber in adsorption of PAs. Using hydrothermally treated chitosan fiber as sorbent, the micro-SPE was applied to the determination of PAs in crude oils, with the advantages of easy-operation, rapidness and high sensitivity (the limits of detection range from 0.7 ng/g to 5.4 ng/g). Furthermore, coupled with comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC × GCMS), the treated chitosan fiber packed micro-SPE method showed a great potential for comprehensive profiling of PAs in crude oils., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a polyoxometalate (POM) incorporated polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) was successfully proposed and employed in the selective extraction of basic antidepressants in undiluted urine sample. This hybrid monolith exhibited strong cation-exchange interaction (SCX) with positively charged antidepressants when pH was 3.0, because of the multiple ionizable moieties on polyanionic POM. As such, antidepressants in complex sample matrices were efficiently extracted by the monolith, and the matrix effect was significantly reduced. In addition, due to the high amount of anionic POM, the monolith exhibited remarkable extraction capacities for target antidepressants ranging from 4.7 to 5.8mg/g. Further, the POM incorporated PMME was coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV). Thus, antidepressants in undiluted urine sample was efficiently extracted under optimized extraction conditions online. The limits of detection (LODs) for the target antidepressants ranged from 0.7 to 1.4ng/mL, and the linear range was 5-1000ng/mL with determination coefficients (R 2 ) higher than 0.9960. The recoveries ranged from 86.8% to 104.0% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.4-10.1%. The proposed procedure was successfully applied to determine antidepressant in human urine. Taken together, the developed method presented a new strategy for the analysis of basic drugs in undiluted urine sample, which could be used for monitoring medicines in pharmacokinetic analysis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A fully automated in-tube solid phase microextraction/liquid chromatography-post column derivatization-mass spectrometry (in-tube SPME/LC-PCD-MS) method was developed for the analysis of urinary hexanal and heptanal. Online in-tube SPME enabled effective enrichment of the low level aldehydes and elimination of matrix interferences. PCD could be simply realized by mixing the LC elute and hydroxylamine hydrochloride (HAHC) solution with just a tee. The peak broadening and loss in separation efficiency associated with post column dead-volume could be ignored and even completely eliminated by employing suitable PCD configuration. What's more, HAHC is commercially available and quite cheap, and shows no contaminations to MS. The entire procedure, including the extraction of aldehydes by in-tube SPME, LC separation, post column derivatization and MS detection were integrated together and completely automated, offering competitive advantages in terms of rapidity, economy, reproducibility and simplicity. The developed protocol was then successfully performed to determine lung cancer biomarkers (hexanal, heptanal) levels in urine samples., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

More than 140 modified ribonucleosides have been identified in RNA. Determination of endogenous modified ribonucleosides in biological fluids may serve as non-invasive disease diagnostic strategy. However, detection of the modified ribonucleosides in biological fluids is challenging, especially for the low abundant modified ribonucleosides due to the serious matrix interferences of biological fluids. Here, we developed a facile preparation strategy and successfully synthesized zirconium oxide-silica (ZrO2/SiO2) composite capillary monolithic column that exhibited excellent performance for the selective enrichment of cis-diol-containing compounds. Compared with the boronate-based affinity monolith, the ZrO2/SiO2 monolith showed ∼2 orders of magnitude higher extraction capacity and can be used under physiological pH (pH 6.5-7.5). Using the prepared ZrO2/SiO2 composite monolith as the trapping column and reversed-phase C18 column as the analytical column, we further established an online solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in combination with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (online SPME-LC-MS/MS) analysis for the comprehensive profiling of ribonucleosides modification in human urine. Our results showed that 68 cis-diol-containing ribosylated compounds were identified in human urine, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest numbers of cis-diol-containing compounds were determined in a single analysis. It is worth noting that four modified ribonucleosides were discovered in the human urine for the first time. In addition, the quantification results from the pooled urine samples showed that compared to healthy controls, the contents of sixteen ribose conjugates in the urine of gastric cancer, eleven in esophagus cancer and seven in lymphoma increased more than two folds. Among these ribose conjugates, four ribose conjugates increased more than two folds in both gastric cancer and esophagus cancer; three ribose conjugates increased more than two folds in both gastric cancer and lymphoma; one ribose conjugate increased more than two folds in both esophagus cancer and lymphoma. The developed analytical method provides a good platform to study the modified ribonucleosides in human body fluids., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Appropriate sample preparations prior to analysis can significantly enhance the sensitivity of ambient ionization techniques, especially during the enrichment or purification of analytes in the presence of complex biological matrix. Here in, we developed a rapid analysis method by the combination of thin film microextraction (TFME) and desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI) for the determination of antidepressants in human plasma. Thin films used for extraction consisted of sub-micron sized highly ordered mesoporous silica-carbon composite fibers (OMSCFs), simply prepared by electrospinning and subsequent carbonization. Typically, OMSCFs thin film was immersed into the diluted plasma for extraction of target analytes and then directly subjected to the DCBI-MS for detection. Size-exclusion effect of mesopores contributed to avoid of the protein precipitation step prior to extraction. Mass transfer was benefited from high surface-to-volume ratio which is attributed to macroporous network and ordered mesostructures. Moreover, the OMSCFs provided mixed-mode hydrophobic/ion-exchange interactions towards target analytes. Thus, the detection sensitivity was greatly improved due to effective enrichment of the target analytes and elimination of matrix interferences. After optimization of several parameters related to extraction performance, the proposed method was eventually applied for the determination of three antidepressants in human plasma. The calibration curves were plotted in the range of 5-1000 ng/mL with acceptable linearity (R(2) >0.983). The limits of detection (S/N=3) of three antidepressants were in ranges of 0.3-1 ng/mL. Reproducibility was achieved with RSD less than 17.6% and the relative recoveries were in ranges of 83.6-116.9%. Taken together, TFME-DCBI-MS method offers a powerful capacity for rapid analysis to achieve much-improved sensitivity., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A rapid analysis method by coupling carbon nanotube film (CNTF) microextraction with desorption corona beam ionization (DCBI) was developed for the determination of Sudan dyes (I-IV) and Rhodamine B in chilli oil samples. Typically, CNTF was immersed into the diluted solution of chilli oil for extraction, which was then placed directly under the visible plasma beam tip of the DCBI source for desorption and ionization. Under optimized conditions, five dyes were simultaneously determined using this method. Results showed that the analytes were enriched by the CNTF through the π-π interactions, and the proposed method could significantly improve the sensitivities of these compounds, compared to the direct analysis by DCBI-MS/MS. The method with a linear range of 0.08-12.8 μg g(-1) and good linear relationships (R(2) > 0.93) in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was developed. Satisfactory reproducibility was achieved. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 20.0%. The recoveries ranged from 80.0 to 110.0%, and the limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 1.4-21 ng g(-1). Finally, the feasibility of the method was further exhibited by the determination of five illegal dyes in chilli powder. These results demonstrate that the proposed method consumes less time and solvent than conventional HPLC-based methods and avoids the contamination of chromatographic column and ion source from non-volatile oil. With the help of a 72-well shaker, multiple samples could be treated simultaneously, which ensures high throughput for the entire pretreatment process. In conclusion, it provides a rapid and high-throughput approach for the determination of such illicit additions in chilli products.

A novel mesoporous ZrO2 immobilized magnetic Fe3O4 microsphere (m-ZrO2@Fe3O4) was successfully synthesized and characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), nitrogen adsorption measurement (NAM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Then the resultant m-ZrO2@Fe3O4 and an n-octadecylphosphonic acid modified magnetic microsphere (Fe3O4-OPA) were employed as clean-up co-adsorbents of QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) method for the analysis of 42 pesticides and 7 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish samples. Lipid co-extractives such as fatty acids in QuEChERS extracts could be efficiently removed through the Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between m-ZrO2@Fe3O4 and carboxylic groups, while some other apolar interferents could be adsorbed through hydrophobic interaction by Fe3O4-OPA. Meanwhile, the magnetic property of adsorbents endows the clean-up procedure with manipulative convenience. Several parameters affecting the clean-up performance were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the modified QuEChERS method combined with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the multi-class, multi-residue analysis of pesticides and PCBs in fish samples was validated according to linearility, recovery and precision. Good linearities were obtained for all analytes with R(2) larger than 0.9903. Limits of detection (LODs) were found to be in the range of 0.02-4.40 ng/g. The method recoveries of all analytes spiked at three concentration levels in blank fish samples were from 69.8% to 117.1%, with the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 13.4% and 16.5%, respectively., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel in-syringe dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE) system using electrospun silica fibers as adsorbents has been developed in the current work. A few milligrams of electrospun silica fibers were incubated in sample solution in the barrel of a syringe for microextraction assisted by vortex. Due to the benefit of dispersion and the high mass transfer rate of the sub-microscale electrospun silica fibers, the extraction equilibrium was achieved in a very short time (less than 1 min). Moreover, thanks to the long fibrous properties of electrospun fibers, the separation of the adsorbent from sample solution was easily achieved by pushing out the sample solution which therefore simplified the sample pretreatment procedure. Besides, the analytical throughput was largely increased by using a multi-syringe plate to perform the extraction experiment. The performance of the in-syringe dSPE device was evaluated by extraction of endogenous cytokinins from plant tissue samples based on the hydrophilic interaction. Six endogenous cytokinins in 20 mg of Oryza sativa L. (O. sativa) leaves were successfully determined under optimized conditions using in-syringe dSPE combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The results demonstrated that the in-syringe dSPE method was a rapid and high-throughput strategy for the extraction of target compounds, which has great potential in microscale sample pretreatment using electrospun fibers.

In the current study, polystyrene/oxidized carbon nanotubes (PS/OCNTs) film was prepared and applied as both an adsorbent of thin film microextraction (TFME) and matrix for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) for the first time. The uniform size of PS/OCNTs film with OCNTs evenly and firmly immobilized in PS was obtained by electrospinning. And a novel TFME device was developed using the prepared PS/OCNTs film to enrich benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) from water, and also BaP and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) from urine sample. Then the extracted analytes on the PS/OCNTs film were directly applied to MALDI-MS analysis with PS/OCNTs film as the MALDI matrix. Our results show that PS/OCNTs film is a good TFME adsorbent toward the analytes and an excellent matrix for the sensitive determination of BaP and 1-OHP using MALDI-TOF-MS. The employment of PS/OCNTs as the matrix for MALDI can effectively avoid the large variation of signal intensity normally resulting from heterogeneous distribution of the adsorbed analyte on matrix layer, which therefore significantly improve spot-to-spot reproducibility. The introduction of PS in the film can prevent OCNTs from flying out of MALDI plate to damage the equipment. In addition, PS/OCNTs film also largely extended the duration of ion signal of target analyte compared to OCNTs matrix. The developed method was further successfully used to quantitatively determine BaP in environmental water and 1-OHP in urine samples. The results show that BaP and 1-OHP could be easily detected at concentrations of 50pgmL(-1) and 500pgmL(-1), respectively, indicating the high detection sensitivity of this method. For BaP analysis, the linear range was 0.1-20ngmL(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9970 and the recoveries were in the range of 81.3 to 123.4% with the RSD≤8.5% (n=3); for urinary 1-OHP analysis, the linear range was 0.5-20ngmL(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9937 and the recoveries were in the range of 79.2 to 103.4% with the RSD≤7.6% (n=3). Taken together, the developed method provides a simple, rapid, cost-effective and high-throughput approach for the analysis of BaP in environmental water and endogenous 1-OHP in urine samples., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In current study, a substrateless graphene fiber was successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal strategy and used as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sorbent. Five organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were employed as model analytes to evaluate the performance of as-prepared graphene fiber. The results showed that the graphene fiber exhibited higher extraction efficiencies, higher thermal stability (up to 310°C), better reproducibility, and longer service life (more than 180 times reuse) than commercial fibers. In addition, the method for the determination of OCPs was proposed by coupling headspace (HS)-SPME technique with gas chromatography/electron capture detector (HS-SPME-GC/ECD). The proposed HS-SPME-GC/ECD method showed low limits of detection (0.83-11.5 ng/L), wide linear dynamic ranges (more than 2 orders of magnitude), and acceptable reproducibility (RSD<10.9%). Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of OCPs in environmental water samples with good recoveries (81-121%) and satisfactory precisions (RSD<9%)., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present work, we developed a novel dispersive microextraction technique by combining the advantages of liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) and magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). In this method, trace amount of water directly absorbed on bare Fe₃O₄ to form water-coated Fe₃O₄ (W-Fe₃O₄) and rapid extraction can be achieved while W-Fe₃O₄ dispersed in the sample solution. The analyte adsorbed W-Fe₃O₄ can be easily collected and isolated from sample solution by application of a magnet. It was worth noting that in the proposed method water was used as extractant and Fe₃O₄ served as the supporter and retriever of water. The performance of the method was evaluated by extraction of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) from edible oils. The extracted 3-MCPD was then derived by a silylanization reagent (1-trimethylsilylimidazole) before gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Several parameters that affected the extraction and derivatization efficiency were investigated. Our results showed that the limit of detection for 3-MCPD was 1.1 ng/g. The recoveries in spiked oil samples were in the range of 70.0-104.9% with the RSDs less than 5.6% (intra-day) and 6.4% (inter-day). Taken together, the simple, rapid and cost-effective method developed in current study, offers a potential application for the extraction and preconcentration of hydrophilic analytes from complex fatty samples., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A rapid, high throughput and sensitive method was presented for automated determination of cationic surfactants in environmental water samples. The method was based on an automated analysis platform that was composed of on-line polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum (HPLC-MS) with an autosampler. A poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (MAA-co-EDMA) monolith was selected as the sorbent for purification and enrichment of cationic surfactants in environmental water samples while a new mixed-mode chromatographic column packed with octyl and sulfonic acid co-bonded silica (OSS) was employed for separation and quantitative determination of cationic surfactants in water samples. By integrating sample preparation, chromatographic separation and MS detection into one automated platform, it makes the whole analysis procedure simple, accurate, and time and labor-saving. Several parameters affecting the extraction performance were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method was applied to the analysis of seven cationic surfactants in environmental water samples. Good linearities were obtained for all cationic surfactants with R² larger than 0.9895. The limits of detection were found to be in the range of 15-24 ng/L. The method recoveries of the cationic surfactants spiked in water samples were from 80.5% to 115.1%, with relative standard deviations less than 12.4%., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The silica nanoparticle (SiO(2) NP)-deposited capillary fabricated by liquid phase deposition (LPD) was bonded by 3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate and then modified with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) by polymerization. The resulting PNIPAAm modified SiO(2) NP-deposited capillary was applied to in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (in-tube SPME-HPLC). To investigate the extraction performance of the prepared capillary, diethylstilbestrol (DES) with moderate polarity was selected as the model analyte. Results demonstrate that PNIPAAm modified SiO(2) NP-deposited capillary exhibited obvious temperature responsive character. Finally, the PNIPAAm modified SiO(2) NP-deposited capillary was applied to the analysis of three synthetical estrogens from milk samples. The detection limit of the method was found to be in the range 1.2-2.2 ng/g, and recovery was 71.7-98.9% with relative standard deviations in the range of 2.8-12.6%., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this review the focus is on application of porous monoliths to miniaturized extraction of biological analysis, with emphasis on porous monolithic materials and different miniaturized extraction formats. The general approaches used to synthesize organic polymer and silica monolithic materials are highlighted, and their properties and applicability are described and compared. Several extraction formats, including in-tube microextraction, chip-based microextraction, tip-based microextraction, among others, are reviewed in depth.

A rapid, sensitive and automated in-tube solid-phase microextraction-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (in-tube SPME/LC-MS) method was developed for the analysis of ten antidepressants in urine and plasma. A hybrid organic-inorganic silica monolith with cyanoethyl functional groups was prepared and used as a sorbent for in-tube SPME. Integration of the sample extraction, LC separation and MS detection into a single system permitted direct injection of the diluted urine or plasma after filtration. Under the optimized conditions, good extraction efficiencies for the targets were obtained with no matrix interference in the subsequent LC-MS. Automation of the sampling, extraction and separation procedures was realized under the control of a program in this study. The total process time was 30 min and only 30 μL of urine or plasma was required in one analysis cycle. Good linearities were obtained for ten antidepressants with the correlation coefficients (R) above 0.9933. The limits of detection (S/N=3) for ten antidepressants were found to be 0.06-2.84 ng/mL in urine and 0.07-2.95 ng/mL in plasma. The recoveries of antidepressants spiked in urine and plasma were from 75.2% to 113.0%, with relative standard deviations less than 16.5%. The developed method was successfully used to analyze urine sample from ageing patients undergoing therapy with antidepressants., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A sensitive method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 10 benzimidazole residues and some of their metabolites in egg, milk, chicken, and pork. This method is based on the combination of polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) technique with liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS). The extraction was performed with a poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MAA-co-EGDMA) monolithic capillary column. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good extraction efficiencies for the targets were obtained with no matrix interference in the subsequent detection. The LODs (S/N=3) for 10 benzimidazoles were found to be 0.56-2.76 ng g(-1) in egg, 0.50-1.41 ng mL(-1) in milk, 0.09-0.28 ng g(-1) in chicken, and 0.08-0.15 ng g(-1) in pork. The recoveries in egg, milk, chicken, and pork matrices ranged from 75.2 to 116.8% spiked at different levels with analytes, with RSDs of <13.7%. The method was later successfully applied for the determination of primary and metabolite residues in eggs after oral administration of albendazole to hens.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method is presented to determine seven trace quinolone antibacterials simultaneously in milk, egg, chicken and fish. This method is based on the combination of polymer monolith in-tube solid-phase microextraction with liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-QTOF-MS). LC/ESI-QTOF-MS offers the capability of unequivocal identification of target compounds from complex matrices, as well as the possibility of quantitation at low-level concentrations in real samples. The extraction was performed with a poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic column. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good extraction efficiencies for the targets were obtained with no matrix interference in the subsequent LC/ESI-QTOF-MS. Good linearities were obtained for seven quinolones with the correlation coefficients (R) above 0.9951. The limits of detection (S/N=3) for seven quinolones were found to be 0.3-1.2 ng/g in egg, 0.2-3.0 ng/mL in milk, 0.2-0.7 ng/g in chicken and 0.2-1.0 ng/g in fish. The recoveries of quinolones spiked in four different matrices ranged from 80.2 to 115.0%, with relative standard deviations less than 14.5%. The developed method was applied for the determination of quinolone residues in animal-producing food, and the positive samples were confirmed with high number of identification points (IPs) according to the IP system defined by the European Union (Commission Decision 2002/657/EC).

A poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (poly(NIPAAm-co-EDMA)) monolith was in situ prepared in the capillary and was investigated for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME). NIPAAm, an acrylamide monomer with isopropyl group, was crosslinked with EDMA. PEG of 400-20,000 Da molecular weight and methanol were selected as the binary porogens. The porous structures of the resulting monoliths have been assessed by SEM, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and pressure drop measurements. To investigate the extraction mechanism, several groups of model analytes (including neutral, acidic, and basic) were examined. The result showed that this monolithic material exhibited high extraction efficiencies for compounds under highly acidic and basic conditions, which was due to the hydrophobic interactions and excellent pH stability of the monolith. The equilibrium extraction time profiles were also monitored for model compounds to evaluate the extraction capacity of monolithic capillary. Finally, the developed monolith in-tube SPME-HPLC method was applied to the determination of three tricyclic antidepressants from urine samples.

A carbon monolith was synthesized via a polymerization-carbonization method, styrene and divinylbenzene being adopted as precursors and dodecanol as a porogen during polymerization. The resultant monolith had bimodal porous substructure, narrowly distributed nano skeleton pores and uniform textural pores or throughpores. The carbon monolith was directly used as an extracting fiber, taking place of the coated silica fibers in commercially available solid-phase microextraction device, for the extraction of phenols followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Under the studied conditions, the calibration curves were linear from 0.5 to 50 ng mL(-1) for phenol, o-nitrophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol and p-chlorophenol. The limits of detection were between 0.04 and 0.43 ng mL(-1). The recoveries of the phenols spiked in real water samples at 10 ng mL(-1) were between 85% and 98% with the relative standard deviations below 10%. Compared with the commercial coated ones (e.g. PDMS, CW/DVB and DVB/CAR/PDMS), the carbon monolith-based fiber had advantages of faster extraction equilibrium and higher extraction capacity due to the superior pore connectivity and pore openness resulting from its bimodal porous substructure.

To make analytes amenable for fluorescence (FL) detection, polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with FL detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of catechols and 5-hydroxyindoleamines (5-HIAs) from urine samples. In this method, a two-step pre-column derivatization method was employed to derivatize the analytes and a poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic capillary column was used as the extraction medium for PMME. The conditions for the derivatization and subsequent extraction of 5-HIAs and catechols derivatives were optimized. Using our optimum conditions, the detection limit of the target analytes were 0.11-21 nM. Reproducibility of the method was obtained with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations less than 12% and a recovery of higher than 82%. In this study, we show how our proposed method can be used as a rapid sensitive technique for the determination of catechols and 5-HIAs from urine samples.

An analytical method based on online combination of polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) technique with hydrophilic interaction LC (HILIC)/MS is presented. The extraction was performed with a poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic column while the subsequent separation was carried out on a Luna silica column by HILIC. After 1:1 v/v dilution with 20 mM phosphate solution at pH 7.0 and centrifugation, urine sample was directly used for extraction. After optimization, 85% ACN (containing 0.3% formic acid v/v) was used for rapid online elution, which was also the mobile phase in HILIC to avoid band broadening during separation or carry-over that was usually observed in PMME-RP LC system. Online automation of extraction and separation procedures was realized under the control of a program in this study. The developed method was applied to rapid and sensitive monitoring of three beta2-agonist traces in human urine. The LODs (S/N = 3) of the method were found to be 0.05-0.09 ng/mL of beta2-agonists in urine. The recoveries of three beta2-agonists spiked in five different urine samples ranged from 79.8 to 119.8%, with RSDs less than 18.0%.

A silica nanoparticle (NP)-deposited capillary fabricated by liquid-phase deposition (LPD) and modified with octadecyl groups was introduced for in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (in-tube SPME-HPLC). The resultant capillary (60 cm x 50 microm I.D.) was demonstrated to be of higher extraction capacity by comparing with an octadecyl-grafted bare capillary and an octadecyl-grafted silica-coated capillary that was prepared by sol-gel chemistry. Two groups of compounds, endocrine disruptors and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were used as model analytes to further evaluate extraction capacity of the silica NP-deposited capillary, and its reproducibility and stability was also investigated. The extraction time profiles were monitored for all the chemicals, and their limits of detection were calculated to be in the range of 0.42-0.78 and 0.034-0.19 ng/mL with RSD values of peak area less than 4.6%.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the determination of traces of thirteen sulfonamide antibacterials in milk and eggs is presented. This method is based on the combination of polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) technique with hydrophilic interaction chromatography/mass spectrometry (HILIC/MS). The extraction was performed with a poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic capillary column while the subsequent separation was carried out on a Luna NH2 column by HILIC. To obtain optimum results, several parameters relating to HILIC and PMME were investigated. After optimization, acetonitrile (contain 0.05% formic acid, v/v) was used as the elution solution, which was well compatible with the mobile phase in HILIC. Good linearities were obtained for thirteen SAs with the correlation coefficients (R2) above 0.997. The limits of detection (S/N=3) of the method were found to be 0.4-5.7 ng mL(-1) of SAs in whole milk and 0.9-9.8 ng g(-1) of SAs in eggs. The recoveries of thirteen SAs in two matrices ranged from 80.4 to 119.8%, with relative standard deviations less than 11.8%.

An octyl-functionalized hybrid silica monolithic column was developed for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to perform on-line preconcentration coupled to capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (microHPLC) analysis. A hybrid silica monolithic column functionalized with octyl groups was conveniently synthesized by a two-step acid/base-catalyzed hydrolysis/co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and n-octyltriethoxysilane (C8-TEOS). The size of through-pores as well as the carbon content can be adjusted by changing the ratio of TEOS to C8-TEOS in the polymerization mixture. The extraction characteristics of the monolithic column prepared under optimized fabrication conditions were studied by using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as the analytes. The sample volume that could be injected into the system was increased up to 1mL with simultaneous increase of column efficiency, when hybrid silica monolithic column was used as a precolumn. Good linear calibration curves (R>0.999) were obtained, and the limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N=3) for the analytes were found to be between 2.4 and 8.1ng/mL with a UV absorbance detector, which are 299-456 times lower than those obtained without preconcentration. The column-to-column RSD values were 1.3-8.0% for recoveries of PAHs investigated.

A hydroxylated poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (GMA-co-EDMA) monolithic capillary was prepared and investigated for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The polymer monolith was synthesized by in-situ polymerization of GMA and EDMA in the presence of dodecanol and toluene as the mixed porogenic solvents. After polymerization, glycidyl groups were hydrolyzed with sulfuric acid to produce diol groups at the surface of the porous monolith. To investigate the extraction mechanism, several groups of model analytes (including neutral, acidic and basic) were selected to perform extractions. The resulting monolith showed high extraction selectivity towards polar compounds, which resulted from the enhancement of dipole-dipole and hydrogen bonding interactions relative to hydrophobic interactions. The equilibrium extraction time profiles were also monitored for those model compounds to assess the extraction capacity of the monolithic capillary. Moreover, the hydroxylated poly(GMA-co-EDMA) monolithic capillary exhibited satisfactory reproducibility and stability. Finally, the in-tube SPME-HPLC method, based on the developed monolithic capillary as the extraction media, was successfully applied to the determination of five polar organic contaminants in lake water.

A successful hyphenation of in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and pressure-assisted CEC (pCEC) was developed by installing a poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic capillary to the six-port valve in a CEC system. The device designed was appropriate for on-line in-tube SPME coupled to pCEC or muHPLC. The evaluation of this hyphenation was first carried out for in-tube SPME-muHPLC with analytical capillaries packed with 3 microm octadecyl silica (ODS). Theobromine (TB), theophylline (TP), and caffeine (CA) were chosen as model drugs for an easy comparison with the results obtained by in tube SPME-HPLC. The detection limits of these three analytes were improved more than 100 times when compared with the direct analysis by muHPLC. Then in-tube SPME-pCEC with CEC capillaries packed with perphenylcarbamoylated beta-CD-bonded silica particles was applied to the determination and analysis of propranolol enantiomers in human urine. Under optimal extraction and separation conditions, the experimental LODs were 4 and 7 ng/mL for (S)-propranolol and (R)-propranolol, respectively. The calibration curves showed good linearity for both (S)-propranolol (R(2) = 0.9997) and (R)-propranolol (R(2) = 0.9996) over the concentration range from 20 to 5000 ng/mL. Reproducibility of the method was also investigated with intra- and interday precisions lower than 10% for both enantiomers at different concentration levels.

A novel method of polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) using poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolith combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF MS) was developed for the rapid and sensitive determination of beta-agonists in pork samples. The conditions of PMME were optimized for the improvement of extraction efficiency and reduction of the matrix interferences from pork. Under the optimal condition, the eluate solution allowed direct analysis by mass spectrometry. In the positive ion mode and in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, the limits of detection (LODs) for beta-agonists were found to be 0.08 ng/g (clenbuterol, CLB), 0.18 ng/g (salbutamol, SBTM) and 0.26 ng/g (terbutaline, TBTL) in pork, respectively, with good inter- and intra-day precisions (2-10% for CLB, 11-23% for SBTM and 4-16% for TBTL). The proposed PMME/ESI-QTOF MS method was successfully applied to the determination of beta-agonist residues in thirteen real samples, and the positive samples were confirmed according to the identification points (IPs) system defined by Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. To investigate the matrix effect, the proposed method was compared with PMME-HPLC/ESI-QTOF MS and the slight decrease in sensitivity of PMME/ESI-QTOF MS was ascribed to the inter-analyte ion suppression.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method using in-tube solid-phase microextraction (in-tube SPME) based on poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (MAA-EGDMA) monolith coupled to HPLC with fluorescence and UV detection was developed for the determination of five fluoroquinolones (FQs). Ofloxacin (OFL), norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), enrofloxacin (ENRO), and sarafloxacin (SARA) can be enriched and determined in the spiked eggs and albumins. CIP/ENRO in eggs and albumins of ENRO-treated hens were also studied using the proposed method. Only homogenization, dilution, and centrifugation were required before the sample was supplied to the in-tube microextraction, and no organic solvents were consumed in the procedures. Under the optimized extraction conditions, good extraction efficiency for the five FQs was obtained with no matrix interference in the process of extraction and the subsequent chromatographic separation. The detection limits (S/N=3) were found to be 0.1-2.6 ng g(-1) and 0.2-2.4 ng g(-1) in whole egg and egg albumin, respectively. Good linearity could be achieved over the range 2-500 ng mL(-1) for the five FQs with regression coefficients above 0.9995 in both whole egg and albumin. The reproducibility of the method was evaluated at three concentration levels, with the resulting relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 7%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of ENRO and its primary metabolite CIP in the eggs and albumins of ENRO-treated hens.