Simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic drugs via on-chip electromembrane extraction using a single-compartment...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Separation Science
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic compounds presents analytical challenges.
• Existing methods often require multiple steps or separate extraction processes.
• Microfluidic devices offer miniaturized platforms for efficient sample processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a novel chip for simultaneous on-chip electromembrane extraction (CEME) of acidic and basic drugs.
• To couple the CEME chip with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for drug analysis.
• To optimize extraction parameters and assess the method's performance for diclofenac and nalmefene in human urine.

Main Methods:

• A custom-designed three-part polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) chip with spiral microfluidic channels was fabricated.
• Simultaneous extraction of diclofenac (acidic) and nalmefene (basic) was achieved in a single chamber using CEME.
• Porous polypropylene sheets impregnated with organic solvents facilitated analyte transfer across a liquid membrane, driven by an electric field from platinum electrodes.

Main Results:

• The CEME-HPLC method demonstrated linear calibration curves (R2 > 0.9913) for diclofenac (11.0-500 μg L-1) and nalmefene (9.0-500 μg L-1).
• Low relative standard deviations (<6.3%) and limits of detection (3.0-4.0 μg L-1) were achieved.
• Successful application in human urine samples yielded high recovery rates (≥90%) for both analytes.

Conclusions:

• The developed single-chamber CEME chip provides an efficient and sensitive platform for simultaneous extraction of acidic and basic drugs.
• The method offers a significant advancement for sample preparation in complex matrices like human urine.
• This integrated microfluidic approach simplifies drug analysis and improves analytical throughput.