Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction in Analytical Toxicology

Abstract

Sample preparation is the most critical and demanding step for determining target analytes in analytical toxicology. Until now, the application of conventional sample preparation techniques has been widely reported for preparing biofluid samples prior to toxicological analysis. However, these extraction techniques exhibit significant disadvantages, such as complicated procedures, time-intensive steps, and the need for a high volume of sample and organic solvents. In order to overcome these fundamental limitations, a plethora of microextraction and miniaturized extraction techniques have been developed. Fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) is a novel technique that was introduced in 2014 by Kabir and Furton, and it has innovatively combined solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction as well as reduced/eliminated the majority of the issues posed by classical sample preparation techniques. In FPSE, the analytes are extracted after the direct immersion of the FPSE membrane, which is composed of a fabric substrate coated with a sol-gel sorbent, into the sample solution. FPSE exhibits numerous benefits, including superiority of performance and simplicity in application, as well as reduced utilization of toxic organic solvents. In this chapter, the theoretical principles of FPSE, its application in analytical toxicology, and its future perspectives in this interesting field are thoroughly discussed.