Evaluation of deep eutectic solvents in the synthesis of molecularly imprinted fibers for the solid-phase microextraction of triazines in soil samples

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 2024-03, Vol.416 (6), p.1337-1347
• Main Authors: Monnier, Alexia, Díaz-Álvarez, Myriam, Turiel, Esther, Martín-Esteban, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABC Highlights: authored by Rising Stars and Top Experts; Analytical Chemistry; Atrazine; Biochemistry; Capillaries; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; chemical species; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; deethylatrazine; Ethylene glycol; Fibers; Food Science; Formic acid; Fused silica; Glycol dimethacrylates; Green chemistry; Herbicides; hydrophilicity; Hydrophobicity; Imprinted polymers; Laboratory Medicine; Menthol; Methacrylic acid; molecular imprinting; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Organic solvents; Paper in Forefront; Polymers; propazine; Sample preparation; Silica; Simazine; soil; Solid phase methods; solid phase microextraction; Solid phases; Solvents; Synthesis; Toluene
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05164-5

Nowadays, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are well established and are considered excellent materials for performing selective extractions. However, with the progressive implementation of the principles of green chemistry, it is necessary to find greener alternatives for both the synthesis and further use of MIPs in sample preparation. Accordingly, in the present work, different deep eutectic solvents (DES, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic), as an alternative to conventional organic solvents (i.e., toluene), were evaluated as porogens for the synthesis of imprinted fibers (monoliths), using fused silica capillaries as molds, for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). From this study, the polymer prepared with propazine (dummy template), methacrylic acid (monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (cross-linker), and a formic acid:L-menthol (1:1) DES (porogen) showed the best performance for selective rebinding of triazines. After optimization of the different variables involved in SPME, the new imprinted fibers were successfully applied to the extraction of target analytes (desisopropylatrazine, desethylatrazine, simazine, and atrazine) from soil sample extracts, providing relative recoveries ranging from 75.7 to 120.1%, reaching limits of detection within the range of 6.2–15.7 ng g −1 , depending upon the analyte. Graphical Abstract