High enrichment and sensitive measurement of seventeen phthalates in beverages with metal organic framework functionalized magnetic MXene nanocomposite based on magnetic solid phase extraction prior to gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry

Abstract

Phthalates (PAEs) are typical plasticizers, and widely used in various products. Because of their toxic effects such as carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption, they have become one of the most important public health hazards. It is vital to establish reliable methods for sensitively measuring PAEs at trace levels in the environment. In present study, a new magnetic metal organic framework functionalized MXene composite was designed (CoFe2O4@Ti3C2@MIL101(Cr)), in which NH2-MIL101(Cr) was successfully modified onto the surface of aldehyde-functionalized magnetic titanium carbide by Schiff base reaction. The prepared magnetic composite was used as the adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) in combination with gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for high-performance enrichment and sensitive measurement of seventeen PAEs. CoFe2O4@Ti3C2@MIL101(Cr) had favorable adsorption ability for PAEs, the adsorption of PAEs was multilayered and non-uniform, and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Redlich-Peterson isotherm model. Moreover, the results revealed that the lower temperature was more beneficial for the extraction of PAEs. The factors influencing the enrichment efficiencies of PAEs were investigated. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the constructed method exhibited prominent linearity over concentration range of 0.01–40 μg L−1, and the limits of detection (LODs) were very low over range of 0.003–0.018 μg L−1. The extraction efficiencies of seventeen PAEs were ranged from 44.2 % to 104 %. The established method was validated for determining PAEs in the different beverages, and DIBP (0.19 μg L−1) and DBP (0.44 μg L−1) were successfully detected in tea drinks, and the spiked recoveries of seventeen PAEs in real samples were in the range of 86.9 −100.2 %, with standard deviations less than 5.8 %. The enrichment factors were between 71 and 166. In short, the proposed method earned prominent sensitivity and high feasibility, and could be a credible, and valuable alternative for monitoring PAEs in the future.