Polymeric ionic liquid modified stainless steel wire as a novel fiber for solid-phase microextraction

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is a widely used technique for sample preparation.
• Developing efficient and stable SPME fibers is crucial for improving analytical performance.
• Polymeric ionic liquids offer unique properties for material modification and extraction applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel polymeric ionic liquid modified stainless steel wire for SPME.
• To evaluate the extraction performance of the developed fiber for phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
• To assess the method's applicability in real water sample analysis.

Main Methods:

• Stainless steel wire functionalization using a sol-gel process with mercaptopropylsilane.
• In situ surface radical chain-transfer polymerization of 1-vinyl-3-octylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate to form the polymeric ionic liquid.
• Characterization of the fiber surface using field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis.
• Gas chromatography (GC) coupled with SPME for the analysis of phenols and PAHs.
• Optimization of extraction and desorption conditions.

Main Results:

• The modified fiber exhibited excellent extraction efficiency for phenols and PAHs.
• High repeatability (RSD < 7.34%) and reproducibility (RSD < 16.82%) were achieved.
• Linear calibration curves were obtained over a wide range with low detection limits (10-60 ng L⁻¹).
• Successful application in real water samples with recoveries ranging from 83.35% to 119.24% for spiked samples.
• The fiber demonstrated good rigidity, stability, and durability.

Conclusions:

• The developed polymeric ionic liquid modified stainless steel wire is a highly efficient and robust material for SPME.
• The method is suitable for the trace analysis of phenols and PAHs in environmental water samples.
• This approach offers a promising alternative for sample preparation in environmental monitoring and analysis.