Combination of electromembrane extraction and electro-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction: A tandem sample...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Separation Science
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Electromembrane extraction (EME) and electro-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (EA-LLME) are established sample preparation techniques.
• Combining these methods can potentially enhance extraction efficiency and analytical performance.
• Accurate determination of pharmaceuticals like clomipramine and imipramine in complex matrices requires efficient sample preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a hyphenated EME-EA-LLME method for the determination of clomipramine and imipramine.
• To evaluate the performance of the combined EME-EA-LLME technique compared to individual methods.
• To apply the developed method for analyzing target analytes in real-world samples like urine and wastewater.

Main Methods:

• A tandem sample preparation approach combining Electromembrane Extraction (EME) with Electro-Assisted Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (EA-LLME).
• Optimization of key parameters including organic solvent, pH, voltage, and extraction time.
• Gas Chromatography (GC) was employed for the quantitative determination of clomipramine and imipramine.

Main Results:

• The EME-EA-LLME method achieved excellent linearity (R² ≥ 0.998) over a wide concentration range (0.5-750 ng/mL).
• Achieved low limits of detection (0.15 ng/mL) and high enrichment factors (up to 770.3).
• Demonstrated superior extraction efficiency compared to standalone EME or EA-LLME, with analysis time under 10 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The hyphenated EME-EA-LLME technique is a powerful and efficient sample preparation method for trace analysis.
• The method offers advantages such as simplicity, low cost, and rapid analysis, making it suitable for routine applications.
• Successfully applied to the determination of clomipramine and imipramine in complex biological and environmental samples.