Class-specific molecularly imprinted polymers for the selective extraction and determination of sulfonylurea herbicides in maize samples by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences, 2010-08, Vol.878 (23), p.2047-2053
• Main Authors: She, Yong-xin, Cao, Wei-qiang, Shi, Xiao-mei, Lv, Xiao-ling, Liu, Jia-jia, Wang, Rong-yan, Jin, Fen, Wang, Jing, Xiao, Hang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Extraction; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Herbicides; Herbicides - analysis; Herbicides - chemistry; High-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry; Imprinted polymers; Liquids; Maize; Mass spectrometry; Medical sciences; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Molecular Imprinting - methods; Molecularly imprinted polymers; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Polymerization; Polymers - chemistry; Solid-phase extraction; Sulfonylurea Compounds - analysis; Sulfonylurea Compounds - chemistry; Sulfonylurea herbicides; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; Zea mays - chemistry
• ISSN: 1570-0232; 1873-376X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2010.05.038

A novel method based on the molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) procedure has been developed for the simultaneous determination of concentrations of sulfonylurea herbicides such as chlorsulfuron (CS), monosulfuron (MNS), and thifensulfuron methyl (TFM) in maize samples by liquid chromatography–tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for sulfonylurea herbicides was synthesized by precipitation polymerization using chlorsulfuron as the template molecule, 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEAMA) as the functional monomer, and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) as the cross-linker. The selectivities of the chlorsulfuron template and its analogs on the molecularly imprinted polymer were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The extraction and purification procedures for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge with a molecularly imprinted polymer as the adsorbent for the selected sulfonylurea herbicides were then established. A molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of chlorsulfuron, monosulfuron, and thifensulfuron methyl was also established. The mean recoveries of these compounds in maize were in the range 75–110% and the limits of detection (LOD) of chlorsulfuron, monosulfuron, and thifensulfuron methyl were 0.02, 0.75, and 1.45 μg kg −1, respectively. It was demonstrated that the MISPE–HPLC–MS/MS method could be applied to the determination of chlorsulfuron, monosulfuron, and thifensulfuron methyl in maize samples.