A Robust Cyclofructan-Based Polymer Facilitates High-Effciency In-Tube Solid-Phase-Microextraction of Polycyclic...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants known for their toxicity.
• Accurate detection of PAHs at trace levels is crucial for environmental monitoring and risk assessment.
• Existing methods for PAH extraction and analysis can be time-consuming and may lack sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel fiber-in-tube solid-phase microextraction (fiber-IT-SPME) method for the online analysis of PAHs.
• To synthesize and characterize a new tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile-cyclofructan 6 cross-linked polymer (TFN-CF6-CP) coating for enhanced PAH adsorption.
• To couple the developed fiber-IT-SPME method with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for sensitive and efficient PAH determination in water samples.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of TFN-CF6-CP coating via in situ cross-linking polymerization on glass fiber surfaces.
• Application of the TFN-CF6-CP coated fibers in a fiber-in-tube solid-phase microextraction (fiber-IT-SPME) setup.
• Online coupling of the fiber-IT-SPME system with HPLC for automated PAHs analysis.

Main Results:

• The TFN-CF6-CP coating exhibited superior adsorption capacity for PAHs due to its unique structure and interaction mechanisms.
• Optimized conditions yielded low detection limits (0.013–0.037 µg L⁻¹) and high enrichment factors (895–1946).
• The method demonstrated excellent reproducibility (RSD ≤ 10.8%) and durability, suitable for routine water sample analysis.

Conclusions:

• The novel TFN-CF6-CP coated fiber-IT-SPME method provides a highly sensitive, efficient, and reproducible approach for online PAH determination.
• The developed material and method show significant potential for the pretreatment and detection of PAHs in various aqueous environmental samples.
• This advancement contributes to improved environmental monitoring capabilities for toxic contaminants.