A novel 3D-printed solid phase microextraction device equipped with silver-polyaniline coated pencil lead for the extraction of phthalate esters in cosmeceutical products

Abstract

A screw-based portable and simple solid phase microextraction device was fabricated by a 3D printer and used in combination with the developed silver-incorporated porous polyaniline film pencil lead solid-phase microextraction fiber (Ag/PANI SPME). Scanning electron microscopy revealed a porous structure of the electrodeposited Ag/PANI film. The spectrum from energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and the elemental map confirmed the presence of silver in the porous polymer film. It was used under stirring for the extraction of five phthalate esters: dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). The extracted solution was identified and quantified by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Under the optimum conditions of the developed method, a good linearity was obtained in a concentration range of 5.0–1000 μg L−1 for all five phthalate esters with limits of detection (LODs) of 4.41 ± 0.91 μg L−1, 3.98 ± 0.92 μg L−1, 3.65 ± 0.74 μg L−1, 4.91 ± 0.52 μg L−1 and 4.25 ± 0.66 μg L−1 for DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP and DEHP, respectively. The developed method provided good precision when tested with standard solutions (RSD < 5.5%, n = 6) and real samples (RSD < 3.4%, n = 6). Good fiber-to-fiber reproducibility was also confirmed by extraction with six newly prepared fibers; recoveries ranged from 81.09 ± 0.54% to 92.92 ± 0.46% with RSD <6.6%. The developed method was used to determine phthalate esters in 14 cosmeceutical samples. In rubbing alcohol samples, DEP and DEHP were detected at 7.03 ± 0.76 μg L−1 and 5.89 ± 0.53 μg L−1, respectively, while in contact lens cleaners, DEHP was found in a concentration range from 5.3 ± 1.1 μg L−1 to 6.8 ± 1.2 μg L−1. No phthalate esters contamination was detectable in saline solutions, eye cleaners and antibacterial disinfectant liquids. Recoveries in the range of 81.92 ± 0.99% to 102.4 ± 1.1% indicated the good accuracy of the developed method.