Conductive polymers as new media for solid-phase extraction: isolation of chlorophenols from water sample

Three different conductive polymers, poly-N-methylaniline (PNMA), polyaniline and polydiphenylamine were synthesised and used as sorbents for the solid-phase extraction of some phenolic compounds from water. The separation and determination was, subsequently, performed by gas chromatography-electron-capture and flame ionization detection. Among these easy-made polymers, PNMA gave better recovery for the extraction of the studied analytes. The capability of the PNMA to extract other non-polar compounds such as chloro- and methylbenzene, decane, decanol, cyclohexane and cyclohexanol was also studied. The polymer showed some sort of selectivity towards aromatic compounds than aliphatic. Preconcentration of sample volumes up to 1 l at pH 2 using 120 mg of PNMA led to acceptable recoveries for phenolic compounds, except for phenol. Recovery of phenol for 100 ml of water was 72%. Limits of detection for chlorophenols when 250 ml river water was preconcentrated were between 1 and 40 ng l(-1), analyzed by GC-electron-capture detection.