Exploiting the Versatility of Ionic Liquids in Separation Science: Determination of Low-Volatility Aliphatic Hydrocarbons and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled to Gas Chromatography

An experimental and computational study on the material dispersion of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids

The material dispersion of the [Ckmim][BF4] (k = 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10) family of ionic liquids is measured at several temperatures over a broad spectral range from 300 nm to 1550 nm. The experimental curves are fitted to a modified three-resonance Sellmeier model to understand the effects of temperature and alkyl chain length on the dispersion behaviour. From the parameters of the fitting, we analyze the influence that the different constituents of these ionic liquids have on the dispersion behaviour. In addition, a semi-empirical approach combining simulated electronic polarizabilities and experimental densities for predicting the material dispersion is successfully tested by using a direct comparison with the experimental results. The limitations of this method are analyzed in terms of the molecular structure of the ionic liquids. The results of this work aim to increase our knowledge about how the molecular structure of an ionic liquid influences its material dispersion. Understanding this influence is fundamental to producing ionic liquids with tailored optical properties.

An ionic liquid doped electrochemical copolymer coating of indole and 3-methylthiophene for the solid-phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Poly(indole-co-3-methylthiophene)-ionic liquid (P(In–3-MeT)/IL) composite film was electrodeposited on a stainless steel wire for SPME.

Green chromatography determination of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel

This work proposes a green, simple and rapid chromatographic methodology for separation and determination of a group of 13 fatty acids methyl esters (FAMEs) by using a capillary gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The method was successfully applied for the determination of FAMEs in biodiesel samples from commercial and waste cooking oils, synthesized by homogeneous catalysis. Detection and quantification limits were in the μg L(-1) level. Direct injection of sample solution was compared with solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction procedures, giving similar results. The lower analysis time represent considerable improvement compared with other papers. The described methodology is especially suitable for process control applications. The samples analysed showed total contents of FAMEs higher than 96.5%, which verifies the European regulations.

Recent advances of ionic liquids and polymeric ionic liquids in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography

Ionic liquids (ILs) and polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) with unique and fascinating properties have drawn considerable interest for their use in separation science, especially in chromatographic techniques. In this article, significant contributions of ILs and PILs in the improvement of capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography are described, and a specific overview of the most relevant examples of their applications in the last five years is also given. Accordingly, some general conclusions and future perspectives in these areas are discussed.

Ionic liquids in microextraction techniques

The tremendous potential of room temperature ionic liquids as an alternative to environmentally harmful ordinary organic solvents is well recognized. Due to their unique properties, such as low volatility, tunable viscosity and miscibility, and electrolytic conductivity, ionic liquids have attracted extensive attention and gained popularity in many areas of analytical chemistry including modern sample preparation techniques. In this review the advantages and limitations of application of ionic liquids as solvents/sorbents for microextraction are critically discussed. Topics covered include solid-phase microextraction, single drop microextraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and hollow-fiber liquid-phase microextraction. The compatibility of the ionic liquid-based microextraction with different analytical techniques such as gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, electrothermal or flame atomic absorption spectrometry and some others is also discussed. Finally, the main practical applications on this topic are summarized.

Developing qualitative extraction profiles of coffee aromas utilizing polymeric ionic liquid sorbent coatings in headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Two solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sorbent coatings based on polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) have been utilized for the analysis of complex coffee aroma samples. The PIL-based SPME coatings examined, namely, poly(1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-3-hexadecylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide) [poly(VBHDIm(+) NTf(2)(-))], with ~14-μm thickness, and poly(1-vinyl-3-hexylimidazolium chloride) [poly(ViHIm(+)Cl(-))], with ~8-μm thickness, were employed for the headspace determination of up to 49 analytes from four different coffee beans: two French roast coffees of different brands, Sumatra coffee, and decaffeinated Sumatra coffee. The analysis was conducted using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. For comparative purposes, the commercial polyacrylate (PA, 85-μm film thickness) SPME coating was utilized under the same extraction conditions. The three SPME coatings tested behaved quite differently as a function of the families of compounds extracted. Thus, the poly(VBHDIm(+) NTf(2)(-) ) coating was extremely selective for aldehydes while also exhibiting good extraction efficiencies for acids. The poly-(ViHIm(+) Cl(-)) coating exhibited superior performance for aromatic alcohols, and the PA coating worked better for heterocyclic aromatics. Both PIL-based SPME sorbent coatings demonstrated exceptional selectivity and extraction efficiency when dealing with complex coffee aromas in spite of their small film thicknesses.