Solid-phase Microextraction Ion Mobility Research Articles

Determination of chlorophenols in water by headspace solid phase microextraction ion mobility spectrometry (HS-SPME-IMS)

Chlorophenols (CPs) as persistent toxic compounds are of worldwide environmental concern. Usage of chlorinated phenols, especially pentachlorophenol (PCP), has been restricted or widely banned in many countries due to their possible adverse health effects even at low concentrations. Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) has received increasing interest in environmental applications due to its unique characteristics, such as portability and speed of analysis. A range of sample introduction methods combined with IMS enable analysis from different environmental matrices. This study utilised headspace solid phase microextraction IMS (HS-SPME-IMS) in the determination of CPs from water samples. The extraction conditions were examined and the method was applied to real water samples. The developed method is suitable to detect CPs at milligram per liter level in water. Based on the results, SPME-IMS setup is feasible as an early warning system for water monitoring of pollutants present in drinking or surface water in case of environmental accidents or leakages.

Planar solid-phase microextraction-ion mobility spectrometry: a diethoxydiphenylsilane-based coating for the detection of explosives and explosive taggants

A novel diethoxydiphenylsilane-based coating for planar solid-phase microextraction was developed using sol-gel technology and used for ion mobility spectrometric detection of the explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, and of the explosive taggant ethylene glycol dinitrate. The trap was characterized in terms of coating thickness, morphology, inter-batch repeatability, and extraction efficiency. An average thickness of 143 ± 13 μm with a uniform distribution of the coating was obtained. Good performances of the developed procedure in terms of both intra-batch and inter-batch repeatability with relative standard deviations <7% were obtained. Experimental design and desirability function were used to find the optimal conditions for simultaneous headspace extraction of the investigated compounds: the optimal values were found in correspondence of a time and a temperature of extraction of 45 min and 40 °C, respectively. Detection and quantitation limits in low nanogram levels were achieved proving the superior extraction capability of the developed coating, obtaining ion mobility spectrometric responses at least two times higher than those achieved using commercial teflon and paper traps.