Polysulfone Hollow Fiber Membranes Research Articles

Effect of hybrid post treatments on the structural property and water flux of polysulfone hollow fiber membrane

The application of post treatments in preparation of high flux membranes is expanding rapidly. In this work, several hybrid post treatments have been introduced and used for change in the water flux of polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes. Dry wet spinning method was employed for fabrication of PSf hollow fiber membrane from spinning dope in mass ratio of 15:5:80 of PSf/PVP-K90/NMP. The simultaneous effects of single and hybrid post treatments containing traditional hypochlorite; high pressure injection technique (HPI) of hypochlorite, hot air and hot water treatments on the morphology and water flux of fabricated hollow fibers has been investigated. AFM analysis and image processing of SEM microphotographs of hollow fibers were used for structural studies. The mechanical properties of hollow fibers as well as strain at break and strength also were studied. It was found that the pores size and surface roughness parameter of hollow fiber membranes have been increased after traditional hypochlorite, HPI technique and hot water treatments while decreased when heat treated in air. In general all the employed hybrid post treatments caused to increase in the pores size of hollow fibers although the pores size increase rate in the membranes treated by the hybrid post treatments involving hot air was much lower than the others. The mechanical properties of hollow fibers have been decreased after hybrid and single post treatments containing traditional hypochlorite, HPI technique and hot water treatment while slightly increased after post treatments containing hot air. It was stated that the fabricated PSf hollow fibers were considerably affected by the employed hybrid post treatments. This can be attributed to the combine effects of used post treatments.

Fabrication and Characterization of Polysulfone Membranes Coated with Polydimethysiloxane for Oxygen Enrichment

ABSTRACTThis paper presented the application of polymeric membranes for oxygen/nitrogen (O2/N2) gas separation. Polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber membranes were fabricated by phase inversion process using N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as co-solvent and ethanol as additive. The effects of bore fluid flow rate and polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) coating concentration on the separation characteristics of hollow fiber membranes were studied. Prior to gas permeation study, characterizations were performed to study the membrane morphology, its thickness and quality of PDMS coating layer on the membrane surface. It was found that the bore fluid flow rate played an important role for the O2/N2 separation as it could alter the membrane structure and dimension. The membrane fabricated with lower bore fluid flowrate exhibited better gas permeance and selectivity, owing to better structural integrity that favored the PDMS coating. The results indicated that the PSF hollow fiber membrane coated with optimum PDMS concentration could show greater O2/N2 gas permeability and selectivity relative to the PSF membrane without PDMS coating.

Role of functional nanoparticles to enhance the polymeric membrane performance for mixture gas separation

Abstract To improve the water vapor/gas separation the hydroxylated TiO 2 (OH-TiO 2 ) nanopartilces have been synthesized and surface of polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membrane (HFM) has been coated as thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. To remove the water vapor from mixture gas, hollow fiber membrane has been fabricated and while coating, the OH-TiO 2 nanoparticles have been incorporated in the m -phenylenediamine (MPD) solution to make TFN membrane. Aqueous MPD—OH-TiO 2 nanoparticles mix solutions and organic trimesoyl chloride (TMC) were used to prepare the TFN membranes on the surface of the PSf HFM substrate. Pristine TiO 2 surface was modified to initiate functional groups on the TiO 2 surface to increase the hydrophilicity of the nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the hydroxylation of TiO 2 nanoparticles. The membranes were well characterized using different physicochemical characterization techniques. The membrane performances were evaluated based on water vapor permeance, selectivity, water vapor flux and water vapor removal efficiency. Obtained experimental results designated that the incorporated OH-TiO 2 nanoparticles were dispersed well while interfacial polymerization in the TFN layer and their addition enhanced membrane performances. With an increasing concentration of OH-TiO 2 nanoparticles from 0.025 to 0.2 wt.% compare with MPD solution during the fabrication, water vapor permeance and selectivity significantly enhanced due to the amplified water vapor permeation corridors afforded by the modified OH-TiO 2 nanoparticles. After increasing the concentration of OH-TiO 2 more than 0.2 wt.% in the monomer solution the agglomeration was started. The results revealed that the addition of modified hydroxylated TiO 2 in MPD solution up to 0.2 w/w% (membrane sample TFN-4 (MT(0.5, 0.2)-OH-TiO 2 -0.2)) increased the permeate flux and showed the best permeance 1396 GPU and selectivity 510 among the all prepared membranes.

Hydrophilization of polysulfone hollow fiber membranes via addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone to the bore fluid

The novel method of modification of hollow fiber membranes from polysulfone is proposed. The method involves the use of aqueous solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a bore fluid in the dry-jet wet spinning process. Increasing PVP concentration (1–5wt%) in the bore fluid was found to yield in the efficient hydrophilization of the inner skin layer of the hollow fiber membrane. The contact angle of the skin layer was found to decrease from 76° down to 54° when the PVP concentration in the bore fluid is 1wt% and down to 45° – at 5wt%. The FTIR-spectra studies reveal the presence of PVP only on the inner surface of the modified hollow fiber membrane while outer surface was found to represent unmodified polysulfone. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies reveal a difference in the structure of the initial and modified membranes. Introduction of PVP into the bore fluid leads to the marked changes in membrane pure water permeability and rejection. When the bore fluid contains 5wt% of PVP, the rejection coefficient for PVP (Mn=40 000gmol−1) was found to increase from 29% to 85%, and the pure water flux – to decrease from 370 to 130Lm−2 h−1bar−1 compared with the initial membrane. Antifouling characteristics against human serum albumin are shown to be significantly improved for the modified hollow fiber membranes compared with the initial membranes.

PEG-mimetic peptoid reduces protein fouling of polysulfone hollow fibers

Biofouling is a persistent problem for membranes exposed to blood or other complex biological fluids, affecting surface structure and hindering performance. In this study, a peptoid with 2-methoxyethyl (NMEG5) side chains was immobilized on polysulfone hollow fiber membranes to prevent protein fouling. The successful attachment of NMEG5 to the polysulfone surface was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and an increase in hydrophilicity was confirmed by contact angle analysis. The NMEG5-modified surface was found to resist fouling with bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, and adsorbed significantly less fibrinogen as compared with other published low-fouling surfaces. Due to the low fouling nature and increased biocompatibility of the NMEG5 coated membranes, they have potential applicability in numerous biomedical applications including artificial lungs and hemodialysis.

Carbon dioxide capture by [emim][Ac] ionic liquid in a polysulfone hollow fiber membrane contactor

CO2 emissions have to be controlled and reduced in order to avoid greenhouse effect. This work reports an analysis of the efficiency of CO2 separation using a hollow fiber membrane contactor and an ionic liquid. This process configuration contributes to the process intensification approach in the field of CO2 capture and storage.In this study, the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [emim][Ac], was used as absorbent due to its high CO2 solubility. The module selected was polysulfone (Ps) because it is a well characterized polymer that allows to operate at moderate temperatures. Results were compared to previous studies with a polypropylene module. The gas stream flowed through the inside of the hollow fibers. The CO2 removal efficiency was obtained from experimental data, showing a temperature dependence: from 30 to 45.0%, corresponding to 291K and 348K respectively, when the Ps contactor was used. The overall mass transfer coefficient Koverall has also been evaluated.In addition, a numerical analysis was carried out to study the performance of the membrane contactor for the CO2 capture in order to estimate the process conditions to accomplish 90% CO2 capture as a target to be competitive with the conventional absorption process.

Interaction of arbekacin with dialysis membrane

The interaction between arbekacin and the hemodialysis membrane is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adsorption of arbekacin (ABK) onto hemodialysis membranes and to establish a simpler system for evaluating the adsorption properties of the drug. First, small cut pieces of polysulfone or sulfonated polyacrylonitrile (AN69) hollow fiber membranes were stirred in a solution of ABK for the qualitative assessment. Then, we designed the experimental system that was approximately 1/100 of the actual size using a small dialyzer “mini-module” of our original design for the polysulfone or AN69. We circulated ABK solution in this system for the quantitative assessment. Finally, we administered ABK in subjects undergoing hemodialysis as a clinical trial to evaluate the adsorption of ABK onto polysulfone or AN69. In the qualitative assessment, the rates of ABK adsorption onto polysulfone and AN69 were 6.2 ± 2.9 and 49.8 ± 1.8 %, respectively. In the quantitative assessment, although there was almost no change in the circulating ABK concentration with the use of polysulfone, there was about 68 % decrease in the circulating ABK concentration with the use of AN69. In the clinical trial, clearance by the dialyzer using AN69 was high at 10 min after starting dialysis, despite the sieving coefficient being 0. However, reduction of ABK clearance was observed with time; the removal rate of ABK at the completion of the dialysis using polysulfone or AN69 was about 67 %, with no difference between the two membranes. The main limitation of this study was the small sample size in the clinical trial. These findings suggest that ABK is adsorbed onto AN69. Furthermore, the present adsorption experiment with a mini-module was considered useful as an evaluation system because it was easy to handle, using less solvent and drugs compared with a previous report, and it reflected the results of the clinical trial.

Functional Properties of Punica granatum L. Juice Clarified by Hollow Fiber Membranes

There is currently much interest in pomegranate juice because of the high content of phenolic compounds. Moreover, the interest in the separation of bioactive compounds from natural sources has remarkably grown. In this work, for the first time, the Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) juice—clarified by using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polysulfone (PSU) hollow fiber (HF) membranes prepared in the laboratory—was screened for its antioxidant properties by using different in vitro assays, namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests, and for its potential inhibitory activity of the carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzymes, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The effects of clarification on quality characteristics of the juice were also investigated in terms of total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid. Experimental results indicated that PVDF membranes presented a lower retention towards healthy phytochemicals in comparison to PSU membranes. Accordingly, the juice clarified with PVDF membranes showed the best antioxidant activity. Moreover, the treatment with PVDF membranes produced a clarified juice with 2.9-times fold higher α-amylase inhibitory activity in comparison to PSU (IC50 value of 75.86 vs. 221.31 μg/mL, respectively). The same trend was observed using an α-glucosidase inhibition test. These results highlight the great potential of the clarified juice as a source of functional constituents.

Development of carboxylated TiO2 incorporated thin film nanocomposite hollow fiber membranes for flue gas dehydration

In this work, thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes for water vapor removal have been fabricated by incorporation of carboxylated TiO2 nanoparticles in the polyamide membrane matrix. Surface of pure TiO2 was modified to introduce functional groups on the TiO2 surface and increase the hydrophilicity of the nanoparticles. Modified nanoparticles were then homogeneously dispersed in the aqueous phase monomer (3, 5-diaminobenzoic acid) and reacted with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) to form a thin film nanocomposite membrane (TFN) on top of the polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (HFM) substrate. The carboxylation of TiO2 was confirmed by FTIR spectra. Intrinsic properties of the TFN were analyzed by ATR-FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle. Introduction of carboxylated TiO2 caused a more dense and cross-linked polyamide layer due to its high binding affinity with the polyamide layer, which was also confirmed by SEM analysis. Furthermore, the addition of modified nanoparticles also increased the hydrophilicity of the TFN membrane due to excess carboxylic groups. Water vapor permeance and selectivity drastically improved due to the increased water vapor permeation paths provided by the modified nanoparticles. A maximum water vapor permeance and selectivity of 1340 GPU and 486 respectively, were obtained at optimum conditions. In addition, effect of reaction time and monomer concentration have also been studied and correlated.

The formation of polysulfone hollow fiber membranes by the free fall spinning method

The basic principles of the spinning of polysulfone hollow fiber membranes by the dry-jet wet spinning process, where the polymer solution is extruded through an air gap between the spinneret and coagulation bath by the free fall spinning method, have been discussed. The main distinctive feature of the method is that the deformation of both the extruded polymer solution and the nascent hollow fiber (spinneret drawing) is due to the action of the gravity force alone without applying an external tensile force. Published data on the effect of the shear rate of the spinning solution at the spinneret outlet and nascent fiber drawing in the air gap on the structure and permeability of the hollow fiber membranes have been analyzed. The main factors affecting the spinneret drawing and dimensions of the hollow fiber membranes formed by free fall spinning have been experimentally revealed using polysulfones of different molecular weights. The factors are the dope composition, approaching ratio and viscosity, the air gap length, the temperature and the feed rate of the dope and the bore fluid, coagulation power of the bore fluid with respect to the dope. It has been found that as the spinneret draw value increases, the hydraulic permeability and the rejection coefficient of the resulting fiber generally change in a nonmonotonic manner: the pure water flux of the hollow fibers passes through a maximum and the rejection coefficient, through a maximum or minimum. The behavior is caused by the fact that the pore structure of the hollow fiber membranes is formed during uniaxial drawing and, in some cases (at increasing bore liquid flow rate), during biaxial deformation. When an external mechanical force is applied to the forming hollow fiber, an increase in the fraction of interconnected pores and the transition from cylindrical to slitlike pores are possible, which results in an increase in the hydraulic permeability of the fiber walls. A further increase in the spinneret draw ratio results in the reverse process, a decrease in the membrane matrix porosity due to the orientation and collapse of the pores, yielding a decrease in the flux and an increase in the rejection coefficient. By blocking the process of hollow fiber shrinkage through an increase in the bore fluid flow rate (increasing the internal diameter of the hollow fiber), it is possible to enhance the effective porosity of the fiber walls without substantial change in pore size, i.e., a transition from a system with isolated or partly isolated pores to a system of interconnected pores. A sharp increase in the hydraulic permeability of the hollow fiber membranes without a substantial change in their rejection is supposedly caused by this structural change.

In vitro biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity of chitin monomer obtain from hollow fiber membrane

This study for the first time shows the effective utilization and production of chitin monomers at laboratory level, with immense potential for its biomedical application. Low molecular weight (LMW) N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is prepared by depolymerization of chitin using chemical method coupled with a physical separation method. A novel filtration strategy exploiting polysulfone hollow fiber membrane is used for the preparation of GlcNAc particles with 94% yield within 8.5 ± 0.5 h. This high efficiency is analyzed using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The GlcNAc obtained was further analyzed using dynamic light scattering, first derivative Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The antimicrobial properties of GlcNAc, chitin, and GlcNAc/chitin mixture were investigated using minimal inhibitory concentration against S. aureus and E. coli. Bacteriostatic property was exhibited by high molecular weight chitin, while GlcNAc and GlcNAc/chitin mixture (LMW) demonstrated bactericidal activity. Blood biocompatibility below 0.25 g/ml and cytocompatibility with NIH3T3 fibroblast cells and the proliferative efficacy suggested its utilization and suitability of these particles in biological applications.

Influence of the concentration and molecular weight of polyethylene glycol on the structure and permeability of polysulfone hollow fiber membranes

The influence of the concentration and molecular weight of polyethylene glycol (PEG, 400–40000 g mol–1) on the phase state and viscosity of ternary polysulfone–polyethylene glycol–N,N-dimethylacetamide solutions has been studied. It was shown that an increase in PEG molecular weight (MW) results in a decrease in the region of existence of homogeneous solutions on the phase diagram due to polymer incompatibility, and in an increase in the viscosity of polymer solutions. At a constant PEG concentration (5%) the viscosity depends on PEG MW in a complicated way: in the range of PEG molecular weights 1000–6000 g mol–1 the viscosity is nearly unchanged, but when the PEG MW exceeds 6000 g mol–1 a sharp increase in the viscosity of the polymer solutions is observed. It was shown that changes in the membrane performance are determined by PEG concentration in the dope solution. At a PEG concentration of 5% an increase in PEG MW results in an increase in membrane performance and a decrease in the rejection capability; at an increase in PEG concentration in the dope solution up to 25% the maximum pure water flux was observed for PEG-400. The bubble point test showed that with an increase in PEG molecular weight a fraction of large pores, which can be considered as selective layer defects, increases.

Synthesis and characterization of polyamide/polyester thin-film nanocomposite membranes achieved by functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles for water vapor separation

In this study, we report the synthesis of thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes by interfacial polymerization (IP) on porous polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membrane supports.

Simultaneous Adsorption and Fixation of Aspergillus oryzae β-Galactosidase on Polyelectrolyte-Layered Polysulfone Hollow-Fiber Membrane

A simple procedure involving simultaneous adsorption and fixation was developed to immobilize β-galactosidase (β-Gal) from Aspergillus oryzae on a polysulfone hollow-fiber membrane module for converting lactose to galacto-oligosaccharides. Polyethylenimine was used as a polyelectrolyte intermediate layer to provide a positively charged character for β-Gal adsorption. β-Gal adsorbed on polyethylenimine layer was then fixed with cross-linking by glutaraldehyde. The concentrations of polyethylenimine, glutaraldehyde, and β-Gal were significant parameters to achieve high activity yield. The optimum concentration of polyethylenimine and glutaraldehyde were determined as 5% (w/v) and 15% (v/v), respectively. The activity yield on the membrane surface increases as the concentration of β-Gal used during adsorption and fixation increased. The highest activity yield obtained was 1.26 IU cm–2 at 5 mg mL–1 of β-Gal concentration. The activity yield is proportionally dependent on the concentration of the β-Gal employe...

Water vapor permeation behavior of interfacially polymerized polyamide thin film on hollow fiber membrane substrate

Thin film polyamide layer was formed by reaction between MPD and TMC on the inner surface of polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes (HFM). Concentrations of both the aqueous and organic monomer were varied in order to study the effect on physical properties such as surface morphology, hydrophilicity, roughness and thickness of polyamide layer. Physical properties were evaluated using FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and water contact angle. The water vapor permeation performances of composite HFM were tested and it was observed that monomer concentration drastically affects the water vapor permeance and selectivity. Not only polyamide layer thickness, but also the hydrophilicity, and structure of the polyamide layer affect the water vapor permeance and selectivity. Increase in MPD concentration caused increase in water vapor permeance while on the other hand TMC concentration had adverse effect on the permeance. Maximum water vapor permeance (1500 GPU) and selectivity (500) were obtained by using 2.0 w/v% MPD and 0.25 w/v% TMC for interfacial polymerization. In the end, MATLAB simulations were carried out in order to estimate the membrane area required to achieve 60% water vapor removal efficiency for real site 10 MW coal fired power plant.

Modification of hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes by interfacial polycondensation: Monomer ratio effect

The effect of the component ratio on the permeability and contact angle of ultrafiltration polysulfone hollow fiber membranes modified by interfacial polycondensation of triethylenetetramine (TETA) and isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) has been studied. It has been found that the dependence of the rejection factor on the monomer ratio in the TETA: IPC range from 1: 28 to 20: 1 has two peaks. The first rejection peak is observed in a narrow range of TETA: IPC ratios close to 7: 1. The second peak is observed in a rather broad range of isophthaloyl chloride excess, at TETA: IPC equivalent ratios 1: (5–15). The membrane pure water flux was shown to change conversely to the rejection coefficient. The influence of the average functionality of the system on the change in the selectivity of the modified membranes was studied. A correlation between hydrophilicity and permeability of the modified membranes was revealed: with decreasing contact angle the pure water flux enhances, and the rejection coefficient decreases.

Enhancing hydrophilicity performance of polysulfone hollow fiber membrane by surface modification via UV-induced graft polymerization of HEA

In order to enhance hydrophilicity performances, polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber membrane was modified through graft polymerization with 2-Hydroxyethylacrylate initiated by ultraviolet radiation. The effects of irradiation time and monomer concentration on the grafting degree of the membranes were examined. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectra, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and different thermo analysis were used to characterize the chemical and morphological changes of the PSF membrane matrix surface. Static contact angle measurements showed that the hydrophilicity of PSF matrix was enhanced after grafting modification. Water flux and bovine serum albumin filtration experiments also show that the hydrophilicity and fouling resistance of the grafted membranes were obviously increased with increasing grafting degree.

Separation of silver nanoparticles by hollow fiber flow field-flow fractionation: Addition of tannic acid into carrier liquid as a modifier

A homemade hollow fiber flow-field fractionation (Hf-FlFFF) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was set-up for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) separation by using polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (30,000 MW cutoff) as a separation channel. Tannic acid and citrate stabilized AgNPs were synthesized and introduced into Hf-FlFFF. The effects of carrier liquid and stabilizing agent on retention behavior of AgNPs were investigated. Different elution behaviors were observed as follows: with 0.02% (w/v) FL-70, all of AgNPs were eluted from Hf-FlFFF but differences in retention behaviors were observed for AgNPs with tannic acid and citrate stabilizing agents; and with 30mM TRIS buffer, only tannic acid stabilized AgNPs were eluted from Hf-FlFFF, whereas citrate stabilized AgNPs were not eluted. In this work, tannic acid addition into carrier liquid was proposed to modify the surface of AgNPs and the surface of the membrane, and thereby adjusting the retention behaviors of AgNPs. Various concentrations of tannic acid were added into FL-70 and TRIS buffer. With the use of 0.1mM tannic acid in 30mM TRIS buffer as the carrier liquid, retention behaviors of both tannic acid stabilized- and citrate stabilized-AgNPs were similar and with similar fractionation recovery.

PSF hollow fiber membrane fabricated from PSF–HBPE–PEG400–DMAc dope solutions via reverse thermally induced phase separation (RTIPS) process

Hyperbranched polyesters (HBPEs) based on 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA) was used as an additive to prepare polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes while the PSf–HBPE–PEG400–DMAc dope solutions were low critical solution temperature (LCST) membrane-forming systems. When the temperature of the coagulation bath was lower than the cloud point, the membrane formation process was the NIPS process, and the finger-like structure could be found in the membranes. The hydrophilicity, porosity, pure water flux, mean effective pore size and breaking strength of these prepared membranes increased with increasing the HBPE content. On the other hand, when the temperature of the coagulation bath reached the cloud point, the membrane formation process was changed to the reverse thermally induced phase separation (RTIPS) process. In these membranes, the finger-like structure was replaced by the sponge-like structure, and the porosity, pure water flux, mean effective pore size and breaking strength of these prepared membranes increased with increasing the temperature of the coagulation bath.

Three-phase molecularly imprinted sol-gel based hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for enrichment and selective determination of a tentative lung cancer biomarker.

In the present study, the modification of a polysulfone hollow fiber membrane with in situ molecularly imprinted sol-gel process (as a novel and one-step method) was prepared and investigated. 3-(propylmethacrylate)trimethoxysilane (3PMTMOS) as an inorganic precursor was used for preparation of molecularly imprinted sol-gel. The modified molecularly imprinted sol-gel hollow fiber membrane (MSHM) was used for the liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) of hippuric acid (HA) in human plasma and urine samples. MSHM as a selective, robust, and durable tool was used for at least 50 extractions without significant decrease in the extraction efficiency. The non-molecularly imprinted sol-gel hollow fiber membrane (NSHM) as blank hollow fiber membrane was prepared by the same process, only without HA. To achieve the best condition, influential parameters on the extraction efficiency were thoroughly investigated. The capability of this robust, green, and simple method for extraction of HA was successfully accomplished with LC/MS/MS. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) in human plasma and urine samples were 0.3 and 1.0nmolL(-1), respectively. The standard calibration curves were obtained within the concentration range 1-2000nmolL(-1) for HA in human plasma and urine. The coefficients of determination (r(2)) were ≥0.998. The obtained data exhibited recoveries were higher than 89% for the extraction of HA in human plasma and urine samples.