Deep eutectic solvent-based ferrofluid for highly efficient preconcentration and determination of metronidazole by...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Metronidazole is a widely used antibiotic with potential environmental contamination concerns.
• Accurate and sensitive detection methods are crucial for monitoring metronidazole in water samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an environmentally friendly and efficient sample pretreatment technique for metronidazole determination.
• To couple this technique with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) for sensitive analysis.

Main Methods:

• A ferrofluid-based liquid-liquid microextraction technique was developed.
• Magnetic separation was utilized, eliminating the need for centrifugation.
• Response surface methodology was employed for optimizing extraction parameters (pH, NaCl, ferrofluid volume, vortex duration).

Main Results:

• The method achieved a low detection limit of 0.116 ng/mL.
• A wide linear range of 0.5–700 ng/mL was established under optimal conditions.
• High spiking recoveries (94.3–97.3%) and good precision (RSD ≤3.7%) were obtained in water samples.

Conclusions:

• The ferrofluid-based microextraction coupled with HPLC-UV is an effective, convenient, and sensitive method for metronidazole determination in water.
• The technique's magnetic separation and lack of centrifugation offer significant advantages for sample preparation.