Using magnetic core-shell nanoparticles coated with an ionic liquid dispersion assisted by effervescence powder for...

In this work, a novel, efficient, and green sorbent, SiO₂ @Fe₃ O₄ has been created and functionalized with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as an ionic liquid. This sorbent was applied for microextraction of four beta blockers, propranolol, metoprolol, atenolol, and alprenolol with bupivacaine as internal standard from human plasma followed by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. A mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate was used as an extractant dispersive agent (effervescent power) to enhance the interaction between the magnetic sorbent and analytes. Main affecting parameters on microextraction and elution were optimized. Figures of merit for dispersive solid phase extraction with ionic liquid coated magnetic nanoparticles assisted by effervescent powder were calculated under the optimized conditions. The detection limits for propranolol, metoprolol, atenolol, and alprenolol were found at 0.33, 0.62, 0.03, and 0.44 ng/mL, respectively. For all analytes, good linearity was obtained. Intra- (n = 5) and interday (n = 10) precision were both under 6.3% while the preconcentration factors were obtained in the range between 15-18. The extraction efficiencies for each analyte ranged from 75 to 91%. The method was successfully applied for determination of trace amounts of the beta blockers in human plasma samples.