Polymeric ionic liquid-based portable tip microextraction device for on-site sample preparation of water samples

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• On-site sample preparation is crucial for accurate analysis and reduced sample transportation.
• Traditional methods often involve complex procedures and large sample volumes.
• Developing portable and efficient pretreatment devices is essential for field analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a portable prototype of a tip microextraction device (TMD) for on-site sample pretreatment.
• To evaluate the practicability of the TMD for measuring trace estrogens in water samples.
• To compare the performance of the TMD with traditional laboratory-based extraction methods.

Main Methods:

• In-situ preparation of a polymeric ionic liquid (PIL)-based adsorbent within a pipette tip.
• Assembly of the tip with a syringe driven by a bidirectional motor for controlled flow rates.
• On-site sample preparation of water samples using the TMD.
• Analysis of trace estrogens using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD).

Main Results:

• The developed TMD is simple to assemble and operate.
• Accurate control of adsorption and desorption flow rates was achieved using the motor-driven syringe.
• Limits of detection (LODs) for trace estrogens ranged from 4.9-22 ng/L.
• The TMD demonstrated comparable extraction performance to traditional solid-phase extraction (SPE).

Conclusions:

• The portable TMD offers a simple, convenient, and effective solution for on-site water sample pretreatment.
• The device avoids complicated sampling and transferring steps, improving efficiency.
• The TMD is a viable alternative to traditional laboratory methods for trace estrogen analysis in water.