Simultaneous micro-electromembrane extractions of anions and cations using multiple free liquid membranes and acceptor solutions

Abstract

Micro-electromembrane extractions (μ-EMEs) across free liquid membranes (FLMs) were applied to simultaneous extractions of anions and cations. A transparent narrow-bore polymeric tubing was filled with adjacent plugs of μL volumes of aqueous and organic solutions, which formed a stable five-phase μ-EME system. For the simultaneous μ-EMEs of anions and cations, aqueous donor solution was the central phase, which was sandwiched between two organic FLMs and two aqueous acceptor solutions. On application of electric potential, anions and cations in the donor solution migrated across the two FLMs and into the two peripheral acceptor solutions in the direction of anode and cathode, respectively. Visual monitoring of anionic (tartrazine) and cationic (phenosafranine) dye confirmed their simultaneous μ-EMEs and their rapid (in less than 5 min) transfers into anolyte and catholyte, respectively. The concept of simultaneous μ-EMEs was further examined with selected model analytes; KClO4 was used for μ-EMEs of inorganic anions and cations and ibuprofen and procaine for μ-EMEs of acidic and basic drugs. Quantitative analyses of the resulting acceptor solutions were carried out by capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE-C4D). Good extraction recoveries (91–94%) and repeatability of peak areas (≤6.3%) were achieved for 5 min μ-EMEs of K+ and ClO4−. Extraction recoveries and repeatability of peak areas for 5 min μ-EMEs of ibuprofen and procaine were also satisfactory and ranged from 35 to 63% and 7.6 to 11.3%, respectively. Suitability of the presented micro-extraction procedure was further demonstrated on simultaneous μ-EMEs with subsequent CE-C4D of ibuprofen and procaine from undiluted human urine samples.