Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Cell Co-culture Patterning Using Aqueous Two-phase Systems
Published on: March 26, 2013
A novel procedure for phase separation in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of the
1Department of Chemistry, University of Balearic Islands, Carretera de Valldemossa, Km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain.
Abstract:
In this paper, an alternative for handling the organic phase after a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction using organic solvents lighter than water is presented. It is based on solidification (at -18°C) of the aqueous phase obtained after centrifugation, and the decantation, collection and analysis of the liquid organic layer. The extraction of nicotine in toluene, and its determination in eggplant samples was conducted as a proof of concept. The study has been carried out using standards prepared in water and the formation of the dispersion was assisted by sonication. The organic extract was analysed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Satisfactory analytical figures of merit as: limit of detection (0.4µgL(-1), 2ngg(-1) wet sample), limit of quantification (1.2µgL(-1), 6.5ngg(-1) wet sample), within-day precision (RSD=7%), and linearity interval (up to 384µgL(-1) nicotine) were achieved. It constituted a contribution to the handling of organic extracts after microextraction processes.
Related Concept Videos
Distillation: Vapor–Liquid Equilibria
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Elution Process
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Introduction
In HPLC, two phases play a critical role in the separation process:
Extraction: Advanced Methods
Size-Exclusion Chromatography
Silica particles offer advantages such as rigidity,...
Extraction: Partition and Distribution Coefficients
For extracting a solute from an aqueous phase into an...

