Supported liquid membrane-protected molecularly imprinted fibre for solid-phase microextraction of thiabendazole

In this work, molecularly imprinted polymer fibres (MIP-fibre) have been prepared and evaluated for solid-phase microextraction (SPME), using thiabendazole (TBZ) as template. Inherent limitations of molecular imprinted polymers, such as target recognition in aqueous media, have been solved with the use of organic supported liquid membrane (SLM) protecting the MI-SPME process. MIP-fibres were located inside a polypropylene hollow capillary and protected by an organic solvent immobilized as a thin SLM in the pores of the capillary wall. The extraction procedure involved two simultaneous processes: liquid phase microextraction using polypropylene hollow fibres (HF-LPME) of the analytes from the sample to an organic acceptor solution through a SLM; and SPME of the analytes from the organic acceptor solution to a MIP-fibre inside the polypropylene capillary. The developed methodology was optimized and applied to the extraction of TBZ form spiked orange juices. Calibration curves showed good linearity in the concentration range under study (0.01-5.00 mg L(-1)) and a regression coefficient better than 0.995 was obtained. The detection limit was 4 μg L(-1), low enough to permit the satisfactory analysis of TBZ in real samples, according to European regulation. Relative standard deviations ranged below 10%, indicating good repeatability. By this manner, the advantages of inherent selectivity of MIP SPME fibres and the enrichment and sample cleanup capability of the HF-LPME have been successfully combined into a single device.