Adsorption and Quantification of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) by using Hybrid Magnetic Nanoparticles

The ability of Fe₃ O₄ magnetic nanoparticles decorated with perylene bisimides to adsorb aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is reported. We have used DFT-D3 calculations to anticipate the strong ability of the electron-poor perylene bisimide to form noncovalent complexes with electron-rich aromatic rings belonging to the VOC family. Subsequently, we synthesized a hybrid magnetic nanomaterial based on bisimide perylene dopamine and iron oxide nanoparticles. This material was used to fill a sorbent tube to study its ability to adsorb aromatic VOCs. We connected two tubes in series filled with the hybrid nanoparticles. The analysis of the front and back tubes was performed by thermal desorption (TD) coupled with capillary gas chromatography (GC)/flame ionization detector (FID). Adsorption values (defined as %VOCs found in the back tube) were determined for a series of aromatic VOCs and compared with the DFT binding energies. The tubes can be desorbed and reutilized more than 200 times without losing their properties.