Determination of inorganic anions in ethyl acetate by ion chromatography with an electromembrane extraction method

In this work, the determination of inorganic anions in slightly water-soluble organic solvents (ethyl acetate) was realized by ion chromatography (IC) with a novel-efficient electromembrane extraction method. From an 8 mL ethyl acetate sample, three inorganic anions migrated through the pores of a polypropylene hollow fiber membrane, and into deionized water inside the lumen of the hollow fiber by the application of 600 V. The transport was forced by an electrical potential difference sustained over the liquid membrane, resulting in electrokinetic migration of inorganic anions from the donor compartment to the acceptor solution. After the electromembrane extraction, the acceptor solution was analyzed by IC with a sodium carbonate-sodium bicarbonate eluent. The applied voltage, stirring speed, and extraction time for controlling the extraction efficiency were optimized. Within 10 min of operation at 600 V, chloride, bromide, and sulfate were extracted with recoveries in the range 76-110%, which corresponded to a linear range of 0.01-1 mg/L. The procedure was applied to the analysis of inorganic anions in a real ethyl acetate sample and expands onto other slightly water-soluble organic solvents.