Microextraction in packed syringe: solvent-minimized sample preparation technique

Abstract

In recent years, great effort has been made to develop new analytical methods, such as microextraction techniques, that greatly reduce the limitations of conventional methods. Microextraction in packed syringe (MEPS) is a novel miniaturized solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique that works online with gas and liquid chromatography. MEPS is designed in the syringe format, wherein a small amount of the sorbent is packed between the barrel and the needle as a cartridge or inside a syringe as a plug. MEPS is a green sample preparation technique because of the small amount of sorbent used and the small volumes of solvent required. This article gives an overview of the successful approaches proposed concerning MEPS and provides the state of the art for biological, environmental, and food analyses. Selection of factors affecting MEPS performance is discussed. A comparison between MEPS and other techniques such as SPE, solid phase microextraction, and protein precipitation is provided.