Preparation and application of simetryn-imprinted nanoparticles in triazine herbicide residue analysis

This work provides a simple and rapid method for synthesis uniform simetryn imprinted nanoparticles, which can be used to pretreat the tested samples before detecting. A series of computational approach were employed for design simetryn-imprinted polymer. Based on the conclusion of theoretical calculation, the simetryn imprinted nanoparticles were synthesized using simetryn as template, methacrylic acid as monomer with different solvent volume and synthesis conditions. The obtained nanoparticles have small size, uniform distribution and high imprinted factor. Scatchard analysis and quantum chemical calculations were applied for evaluating the interaction of simetryn with methacrylic acid in the imprinting process. The selectivity and recognition ability of the simetryn imprinted nanoparticles for six triazine herbicides and two other type herbicides were investigated. The results show that the simetryn imprinted nanoparticles had high selectivity and binding capacity and could be used for the separation and enrichment of four triazine pesticide residues from actual samples. A method of molecularly imprinted matrix solid phase extraction ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was established for detecting four kinds of triazine herbicide residues in tobacco. The recovery rate of terbuthylazine, simetryn, atrazine, and prometryn in tobacco was 84.03-119.05%, and the relative standard deviation was 0.35-10.12%.