Amino ethyl-functionalized nanoporous silica as a novel fiber coating for solid-phase microextraction

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a widely used technique for sample preparation.
• Developing novel, highly efficient, and selective SPME materials is crucial for trace analysis.
• Nanoporous silica materials offer unique properties for adsorbent development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a new SPME fiber coating material based on functionalized nanoporous silica (HPTES-SBA-15).
• To evaluate the performance of the HPTES-SBA-15 SPME fiber for the extraction of BTEX and phenolic compounds.
• To optimize extraction conditions and assess the fiber's selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility, and durability.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of HPTES-SBA-15 via functionalization of SBA-15 silica.
• Characterization using N(2) sorption, SEM, and TGA.
• Fabrication of SPME fiber by immobilizing HPTES-SBA-15 onto a copper wire.
• Extraction of analytes coupled with GC-MS analysis.
• Simplex optimization for extraction parameters.

Main Results:

• HPTES-SBA-15 exhibited a high surface area (790 m²/g) and porous morphology.
• The developed SPME fiber demonstrated selectivity towards polar phenolic compounds.
• Extraction efficiencies were superior to a commercial PDMS fiber.
• High repeatability (6.5–9.8% RSD) and reproducibility (8.2–11.3% RSD) were achieved.
• The fiber maintained extraction efficiency over 50 cycles and was successfully applied to real water samples.

Conclusions:

• The HPTES-SBA-15 SPME fiber is a robust, selective, and highly porous material.
• It offers a promising, cost-effective alternative to commercial SPME fibers for environmental analysis.
• The developed material facilitates efficient extraction of phenolic compounds from complex matrices.