Application of derivatized magnetic materials to the separation and the preconcentration of pollutants in water samples

A triazine-based conjugated microporous polymer composite for magnetic solid phase extraction of 5-nitroimidazoles coupled with UPLC-MS/MS for quantification

A triazine-based conjugated microporous polymer composite for magnetic solid phase extraction of 5-nitroimidazoles coupled with UPLC-MS/MS for quantification.

Magnetic microsphere-based portable solid phase extraction device for on-site pre-concentration of organics from large-volume water samples

In this research a new magnetic material called M88 was fully synthetized and characterized for the extraction of pharmaceutical and personal care products in water samples. In addition, a portable prototype of magnetic solidphase extraction (MSPE) device was developed for the onsite preconcentration. The MSPE coupling with high performance liquid chromatography-Diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 11 PPCPs (mefenamic acid, chloroamphenicol, ketoprofen, clofibric acid, indometacin, acetylsalicylic acid, bisphenol A, phenylphenol, gemfibrozil, triclosan, and ibuprofen) in environmental water samples. Experimental parameters affecting the extraction efficiencies, such as the amount of M88, desorption solvent, extraction time, and solution pH and sample volume were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection (LODs, S/N = 3) for the selected PPCPs were found to be in the range of 0.7-9.4 ng/L, with good linear correlation coefficients. It is also shown that the extraction efficiency of M88 was comparable to that of the commercial Oasis HLB and was evidently higher than that of the C18 cartridge. The optimised method was further verified by performing spiking experiments in water samples from Taihu Lake, with good recovery and reproducibility for all the compounds.

Magnetic graphene oxide modified by imidazole-based ionic liquids for the magnetic-based solid-phase extraction of polysaccharides from brown alga

Magnetic graphene oxide was modified by four imidazole-based ionic liquids to synthesize materials for the extraction of polysaccharides by magnetic solid-phase extraction. Fucoidan and laminarin were chosen as the representative polysaccharides owing to their excellent pharmaceutical value and availability. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize the synthesized materials. Single-factor experiments showed that the extraction efficiency of polysaccharides was affected by the amount of ionic liquids for modification, solid-liquid ratio of brown alga and ethanol, the stirring time of brown alga and ionic liquid-modified magnetic graphene oxide materials, and amount of 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole chloride modified magnetic graphene oxide materials added to the brown alga sample solution. The results indicated that 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole chloride modified magnetic graphene oxide possessed better extraction ability than graphene oxide, magnetic graphene oxide, and other three ionic-liquid-modified magnetic graphene oxide materials. The highest extraction recoveries of fucoidan and laminarin extracted by 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole chloride modified magnetic graphene oxide were 93.3 and 87.2%, respectively. In addition, solid materials could be separated and reused easily owing to their magnetic properties.

Application of Carbon Nanotubes in Chiral and Achiral Separations of Pharmaceuticals, Biologics and Chemicals

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess unique mechanical, physical, electrical and absorbability properties coupled with their nanometer dimensional scale that renders them extremely valuable for applications in many fields including nanotechnology and chromatographic separation. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview about the applications of CNTs in chiral and achiral separations of pharmaceuticals, biologics and chemicals. Chiral single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been directly applied for the enantioseparation of pharmaceuticals and biologicals by using them as stationary or pseudostationary phases in chromatographic separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE) and gas chromatography (GC). Achiral MWCNTs have been used for achiral separations as efficient sorbent objects in solid-phase extraction techniques of biochemicals and drugs. Achiral SWCNTs have been applied in achiral separation of biological samples. Achiral SWCNTs and MWCNTs have been also successfully used to separate achiral mixtures of pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Collectively, functionalized CNTs have been indirectly applied in separation science by enhancing the enantioseparation of different chiral selectors whereas non-functionalized CNTs have shown efficient capabilities for chiral separations by using techniques such as encapsulation or immobilization in polymer monolithic columns.

Selective determination of sulfonamides from environmental water based on magnetic surface molecularly imprinting technology

In the study, a simple and selective method based on magnetic separation technology is presented for the extraction of sulfonamides (SAs) from environmental water, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In this method, magnetic surface molecularly imprinted polymers (Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@MIPs) with super-paramagnetic property and high selectivity toward SAs were developed as magnetic adsorbents. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@MIPs were then applied to the selective extraction of SAs from environmental water. The extraction and enrichment were accomplished simultaneously in a single step by simply stirring the mixture of adsorbents and water samples. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@MIPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics were employed to study the adsorption mechanism of the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@MIPs. And the matrix effect of the method was evaluated. Calibration curves obtained by analyzing matrix-matched standards show excellent linear relationship (R = 0.9994-0.9999) in the concentration range of 10-1000 ng L^-1, and the limits of detection are in the range of 1.4-2.8 ng L^-1. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day obtained are in the range of 2.8 to 7.8 and 3.1 to 7.9%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine SAs in six environmental water samples, and SAs were detectable in four of them with the concentration from 10.5 to 120.2 ng L^-1.

Facile Synthesis of Magnetic Covalent Organic Framework with Three-Dimensional Bouquet-Like Structure for Enhanced Extraction of Organic Targets

A facile strategy for the fabrication of novel bouquet-shaped magnetic porous nanocomposite via grafting a covalent organic framework (COF, TpPa-1) onto the surface-modified Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) was reported. The magnetic TpPa-1 (a COF synthesized from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and p-phenylenediamine (Pa-1)) contains clusters of core-shell magnetic nanoparticles and interconnected porous TpPa-1 nanofibers. Thus, it possesses larger specific surface area, higher porosity, and supermagnetism, making it an ideal sorbent for enrichment of trace analytes. Its performance was evaluated by the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from environmental samples prior to high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. The results indicated that the magnetic TpPa-1 possessed superior enrichment capacity of such organic compounds.

Magnetic graphene solid-phase extraction in the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

Magnetic graphene nanocomposite was fabricated and applied to the extraction of PAHs in water, followed by GC-MS. The method showed a good linearity. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) were in a range between 0.02–14.3 ng L⁻¹.

Silica nanoparticle based techniques for extraction, detection, and degradation of pesticides

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) find applications in the fields of drug delivery, catalysis, immobilization and sensing. Their synthesis can be mediated in a facile manner and they display broad range compatibility and stability. Their existence in the form of spheres, wires and sheets renders them suitable for varied purposes. This review summarizes the use of silica nanostructures in developing techniques for extraction, detection and degradation of pesticides. Silica nanostructures on account of their sorbent properties, porous nature and increased surface area allow effective extraction of pesticides. They can be modified (with ionic liquids, silanes or amines), coated with molecularly imprinted polymers or magnetized to improve the extraction of pesticides. Moreover, they can be altered to increase their sensitivity and stability. In addition to the analysis of pesticides by sophisticated techniques such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography or Gas chromatography, silica nanoparticles related simple detection methods are also proving to be effective. Electrochemical and optical detection based on enzymes (acetylcholinesterase and organophosphate hydrolase) or antibodies have been developed. Pesticide sensors dependent on fluorescence, chemiluminescence or Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopic responses are also SiNP based. Moreover, degradative enzymes (organophosphate hydrolases, carboxyesterases and laccases) and bacterial cells that produce recombinant enzymes have been immobilized on SiNPs for mediating pesticide degradation. After immobilization, these systems show increased stability and improved degradation. SiNP are significant in developing systems for effective extraction, detection and degradation of pesticides. SiNPs on account of their chemically inert nature and amenability to surface modifications makes them popular tools for fabricating devices for 'on-site' applications.

Current investigations into magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications

It is generally recognized that nanoparticles possess unique physicochemical properties that are largely different from those of conventional materials, specifically the electromagnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). These properties have attracted many researchers to launch investigations into their potential biomedical applications, which have been reviewed in this article. First, common types of MNPs were briefly introduced. Then, the biomedical applications of MNPs were reviewed in seven parts: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cancer therapy, the delivery of drugs and genes, bone and dental repair, tissue engineering, biosensors, and in other aspects, which indicated that MNPs possess great potentials for many kinds of biomedical applications due to their unique properties. Although lots of achievements have been obtained, there is still a lot of work to do. New synthesis techniques and methods are still needed to develop the MNPs with satisfactory biocompatibility. More effective methods need to be exploited to prepare MNPs-based composites with fine microstructures and high biomedical performances. Other promising research points include the development of more appropriate techniques of experiments both in vitro and in vivo to detect and analyze the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of MNPs and understand the possible influencing mechanism of the two properties. More comprehensive investigations into the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of composites containing MNPs with "core-shell" structure and deeper understanding and further study into the properties of MNPs to reveal their new biomedical applications, are also described in the conclusion and perspectives part.

Competitive fluorescence assay for specific recognition of atrazine by magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer based on Fe3O4-chitosan

A novel fluorescence sensing strategy for determination of atrazine in tap water involving direct competition between atrazine and 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinyl) aminofluorescein (5-DTAF), and which exploits magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP), has been developed. The MMIP, based on Fe3O4-chitosan nanoparticles, was synthesized to recognize specific binding sites of atrazine. The recognition capability and selectivity of the MMIP for atrazine and other triazine herbicides was investigated. Under optimal conditions, the competitive reaction between 5-DTAF and atrazine was performed to permit quantitation. Fluorescence intensity changes at 515 nm was linearly related to the logarithm of the atrazine concentration for the range 2.32-185.4 μM. The detection limit for atrazine was 0.86μM (S/N=3) and recoveries were 77.6-115% in spiked tap water samples.

New Trend for Acceleration Solid Phase Extraction Process Based on Using Magnetic Nano-adsorbents along with Surface Functionalization through Microwave Assisted Solvent-free Technique

The use of a microwave assisted solvent-free technique for silica coating of iron magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4-MNPs) and their functionalization with three aliphatic diamines: 1,2-ethylenediamine (1,2EDA), 1,5-pentanediamine (1,5PDA) and 1.8-octanediamine (1,8-ODA), were successfully achieved in a very short time. Only 60 min were needed for the nano-adsorbent modification as compared with more than 1000 min using conventional methods under reflux conditions. Their surface characteristics (observed by TEM, XRD and FT-IR), in addition to Cu(II) adsorption capacities (1.805, 1.928 and 2.116 mmol g(-1)) and time of equilibration (5 s) were almost the same. Thus, the time required to accomplish the solid phase extraction process is greatly reduced. On the other hand, the phenomenon of the fast equilibration kinetics was successfully extended on using the functionalized aliphatic diamines magnetic nano-adsorbents as precursors for further microwave treatment. Three selective magnetic nano-adsorbents (Fe3O4-MNPs-SiO2-1,2EDA-3FSA, Fe3O4-MNPs-SiO2-1,5PDA-3FSA and Fe3O4-MNPs-SiO2-1,8ODA-3FSA) were obtained via the reaction with 3-formayl salicylic acid (3FSA) as a selective reagent for Fe(III). At 5 s contact time, they exhibited maximum Fe(III) uptake equal to 4.512, 4.987 and 5.367 mmol g(-1), respectively. Furthermore, modeling of values of metal uptake capacity obtained at different shaking time intervals supports pseudo-second order kinetics.

Facile preparation of acid-resistant magnetite particles for removal of Sb(Ⅲ) from strong acidic solution

A new facile coating strategy based on the hydrophobicity of methyl groups was developed to prevent nano-sized magnetite particles from strong acid corrosion. In this method, three steps of hydrolysis led to three layers of protection shell coating Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Filled with hydrophobic methyl groups, the middle layer mainly prevented the magnetic core from strong acid corrosion. These magnetite particles managed to resist 1 M HCl solution and 2.5 M H₂SO₄ solution. The acid resistant ability was higher than those reported previously. After further modification with amino-methylene-phosphonic groups, these magnetite particles successfully adsorbed Sb(III) in strong acid solution. This new strategy can also be applied to protect other materials from strong acid corrosion.

Application of a Zn(ii) based metal–organic framework as an efficient solid-phase extraction sorbent for preconcentration of plasticizer compounds

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent, a Zn(ii) based metal–organic framework, was prepared via a simple, solventless, green and a low-cost mechanosynthesis process.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction based on ferroferric oxide nanoparticles doubly coated with chitosan and β-cyclodextrin in layer-by-layer mode for the separation of ibuprofen

Chitosan and β-cyclodextrin doubly coated with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was prepared and applied as magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbent to separate ibuprofen.

Magnetic scavengers as carriers of analytes for flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow mass spectrometry (FAPA-MS)

In this paper, a procedure for the preconcentration and transport of mixtures of acids, bases, and drug components to a mass spectrometer using magnetic scavengers is presented. Flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow mass spectrometry (FAPA-MS) was used as an analytical method for identification of the compounds by thermal desorption from the scavengers. The proposed procedure is fast and cheap, and does not involve time-consuming purification steps. The developed methodology can be applied for trapping harmful substances in minute quantities, to transport them to specialized, remotely located laboratories.