Electromembrane extraction of barbiturates using tributyl phosphate as an efficient supported liquid membrane

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Forensic Science
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Supported liquid membranes (SLMs) are crucial for sample preparation.
• Electro membrane extraction (EME) offers efficient analyte transfer.
• Acidic drugs, like barbiturates, require effective extraction from complex matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discover and validate a novel SLM material for EME of acidic drugs.
• To develop and validate EME methods for barbiturate quantification in biological samples.
• To assess the potential of EME in routine toxicological analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized tributyl phosphate (TBP) as a high polarity-polarizability SLM.
• Employed electro membrane extraction (EME) for barbiturate isolation.
• Validated methods using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS).

Main Results:

• TBP demonstrated high efficiency for EME of barbiturates, driven by dipole-dipole interactions.
• Successfully extracted barbiturates from human whole blood and urine with recoveries up to 90%.
• Achieved excellent linearity (R² > 0.99), satisfactory repeatability (<12%), and low limits of detection (LOD).

Conclusions:

• TBP is an effective SLM for EME of acidic drugs, particularly barbiturates.
• EME methods are suitable for routine toxicological analysis in forensic and clinical settings.
• EME presents a promising green, efficient, and alternative sample preparation technique.