Cationic conjugated microporous polymers for efficient quinolone antibiotics extraction: Experimental and DFT study

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Quinolone antibiotics (QAs) pose risks to ecosystems and human health.
• Sensitive analytical methods are needed for effective QAs surveillance.
• Existing methods may lack sensitivity or applicability in complex matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive and accurate analytical method for detecting quinolone antibiotics (QAs).
• To utilize a novel cationic conjugated microporous polymer (iCMP) for solid-phase extraction (SPE).
• To validate the method for complex environmental and food samples.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a cationic conjugated microporous polymer (iCMP) via a post-synthetic approach.
• Development of a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method using iCMP.
• Integration of the SPE method with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).
• Adsorption mechanism investigation using experiments, DFT calculations, and material characterization.

Main Results:

• The iCMP exhibited excellent adsorption capacity and repeatability due to its dual-porosity, cationic framework, and π-conjugated backbone.
• The developed HPLC-MS/MS method achieved ultra-low limits of detection (0.0200-0.128 ng·L⁻¹ for water, 0.0250-0.105 ng·g⁻¹ for meat).
• The method demonstrated good accuracy (70.9 %-115 %) in complex sample matrices.

Conclusions:

• The iCMP-based SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method provides a sensitive and accurate approach for trace-level QAs analysis.
• This strategy is effective for monitoring QAs in diverse environmental and food samples.
• The study offers valuable tools for safeguarding ecosystems and public health from antibiotic contamination.