Microporous polymer microspheres with amphoteric character for the solid-phase extraction of acidic and basic...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is a crucial sample preparation technique.
• Current SPE sorbents often require multiple types for analyzing diverse analytes.
• Innovations focus on developing sorbents with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, synthesize, and evaluate a novel amphoteric SPE sorbent.
• To demonstrate the sorbent's dual-functionality for capturing both anions and cations.
• To enable selective fractionation of acidic and basic analytes using a single material.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel SPE sorbent based on microporous polymer microspheres with amphoteric character.
• Utilizing sarcosine (N-methylglycine) as the basis for polymer-bound amphoteric species.
• Investigating the pH-dependent ion-exchange retention mechanism (anion-exchange at low pH, cation-exchange at high pH).

Main Results:

• The amphoteric sorbent demonstrated switchable ion-exchange retention mechanisms based on pH.
• Successful application of the sorbent for SPE of acidic, basic, and amphoteric analytes from various water samples.
• Achieved high recoveries (57-88%) for analytes in river and wastewater samples under optimized conditions.

Conclusions:

• The novel amphoteric SPE sorbent offers dual-functionality, allowing for selective fractionation of acids and bases.
• This material provides significant selectivity advantages over existing SPE sorbents.
• The findings pave the way for a new generation of multifunctional sorbents for complex chemical separations.