Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera

Carbon nanotubes: Solid-phase extraction

Since the first report in 1991, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown great possibilities for a wide variety of processes and applications, which include their use as electrodes, sensors (gas, enzymatic, etc.), nanoprobes, electronic materials, field emitters, etc. The combination of structures, dimensions and topologies has provided physical and chemical attractive properties that are unparalleled by most known materials. Their applications have also reached the Analytical Chemistry field in which CNTs are being used as matrices in matrix assisted laser desorption ionization, stationary phases in either gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography or capillary electrochromatography, also as pseudostationary phases in capillary electrophoresis, etc. as well as new solid-phase extraction (SPE) materials. Concerning this last application the number of works has considerably increased in the last five years. This review article pretends to focus on the most important features and different applications of SPE using CNTs (including matrix solid-phase dispersion and solid-phase microextraction) covering articles published since their introduction up to now (September 2009).

Carbon nanotubes applications in separation science: a review.

Due to the intensive and multidisciplinary research carried out during the last two decades on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the scientific community understands nowadays much better the chemistry, structure and properties of these interesting materials. In fact, they have found their particular place in a wide number of application fields (nanotechnology, electronics, optics, medicine, etc.) among which Analytical Chemistry is becoming more and more important. The aim of this review is to provide an updated report of the most recent manuscripts (years 2009-2011) regarding the use of CNTs in Separation Science. In particular, the use of CNTs as solid-phase extraction and microextraction sorbents, as part of membranes as well as their use in chromatography and electrophoresis will be discussed and commented. Besides, although not as fully related to Separation Science as the previous techniques, the use of CNTs as laser desorption/ionization substrates has also been considered because of its importance in the field.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography for the simultaneous determination of 25 sulfonamide and quinolone antibiotics in water samples.

In this work, a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) procedure combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection was developed to determine 25 antibiotics in mineral and run-off waters. Optimum DLLME conditions (5 mL of water at pH=7.6, 20% (w/v) NaCl, 685 μL of CHCl₃ as extractant solvent, and 1250 μL of ACN as disperser solvent) allowed the repeatable, accurate and selective determination of 11 sulfonamides (sulfanilamide, sulfacetamide, sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfadimidin, sulfamethoxypyridazine, sulfadoxine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfisoxazole, sulfadimethoxine and sulfaquinoxaline) and 14 quinolones (pipemidic acid, marbofloxacin, fleroxacin, levofloxacin, pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin, difloxacin, moxifloxacin, oxolinic acid and flumequine). The method was validated by means of the obtention of calibration curves of the whole method as well as a recovery study at two levels of concentration. The LODs of the method were in the range 0.35-10.5 μg/L with recoveries between 78% and 117%.

Oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the dispersive solid-phase extraction of quinolone antibiotics from water samples using capillary electrophoresis and large volume sample stacking with polarity switching

In this work, a new method for the determination of eleven quinolone antibiotics (moxifloxacin, lomefloxacin, danofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, marbofloxacin, enrofloxacin, difloxacin, pefloxacin, oxolinic acid and flumequine) in different water samples using dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) and capillary zone electrophoresis with diode-array detection was developed. Oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (o-MWCNTs) were used for the first time as stationary phases for the off-line preconcentration by dSPE of the antibiotics. A 65 mM phosphate buffer at pH 8.5 was found adequate for analyte separation while large volume sample stacking with polarity switching of the analytes dissolved in water containing 10% (v/v) of acetonitrile was carried out in order to improve the sensitivity. dSPE parameters, such as sample volume and pH, o-MWCNT amount, volume and type of eluent in dSPE were optimized. Application of the developed method to the analysis of spiked Milli-Q, mineral, tap, and wastewater samples resulted in good recoveries values ranging from 62.3 to 116% with relative standard deviation values lower than 7.7% in all cases. Limits of detection were in the range of 28-94 ng/L. The proposed method is very fast, simple, repeatable, accurate and highly selective.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotic determination in bovine, ovine and caprine milk using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection with ionic liquids as mobile phase additives

This paper describes the use of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIm-BF(4)) as mobile phase additive for the analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection of a group of seven basic fluoroquinolone antibiotics (i.e. fleroxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, sarafloxacin and difloxacin) in different milk samples. EMIm-BF(4) was found superior to 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate for the separation of the analytes from chromatographic interferences of the sample matrix. The optimized method was applied to the analysis of ovine, caprine and bovine milk, in the last case in either skimmed, semi-skimmed and full-cream milk after suitable acidic deproteination followed by a solid-phase extraction procedure. Recovery values between 73% and 113% were obtained for the three types of bovine milk samples, as well as for ovine and caprine milk (RSDs below 16% in all cases), which clearly demonstrates the applicability of the method to the three types of milk irrespective of the fat content of the samples. Limits of detection were in the range of 0.5-8.1 microg/L (approximately 0.5-25.9 microg/kg), well below the maximum residue limits established for these compounds by the current European legislation. A screening study of 24 different milk samples was also developed. In none of the samples, residues of the selected antibiotics were found.

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction combined with nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis for the determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in waters

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) was combined for the first time with NACE‐UV for the selective determination of eight fluoroquinolone antibiotics (lomefloxacin, levofloxacin, marbofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sarafloxacin, enrofloxacin, danofloxacin and difloxacin) in mineral and run‐off waters. Field‐enhanced sample injection was carried out in order to improve the sensitivity, whereas pipemidic acid was used as internal standard. The BGE that provided complete separation of the eight analytes and the internal standard was composed of 3 M acetic acid, 49 mM ammonium acetate in 55:45 v/v methanol:ACN. Optimum DLLME conditions (extraction of 5 mL of water at pH 7.6 with 685 μL of CHCl3 and 1250 μL of ACN, extractant and disperser solvents, respectively) were achieved by means of experimental design methodology. Calibration curves of the whole method were obtained with correlation coefficients (R) higher than 0.994 in all cases. An accuracy and precision study was carried out at different levels of concentration, finding that there were no significant differences (Students t‐test) between real and spiked concentrations.

Analysis of pesticides residues in environmental water samples using multiwalled carbon nanotubes dispersive solid-phase extraction

In this manuscript, a dispersive SPE method based on the use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes has been developed for the determination of 15 organophosphorus pesticides residues including some of their metabolites (disulfoton sulfoxide, ethoprophos, cadusafos, dimethoate, terbufos, disulfoton, chlorpyrifos-methyl, malaoxon, fenitrothion, pirimiphos-methyl, malathion, chlorpyrifos, terbufos sulfone, disulfoton sulfone, and fensulfothion) from real environmental waters (run-off, mineral and tap water) by GC with nitrogen phosphorus detection. Factors that affect the enrichment efficiency such as sample volume, multiwalled carbon nanotubes amount, and volume of eluent were studied. The optimized method was validated in terms of matrix-matched calibration, recovery, precision, and accuracy for the three analyzed samples. In this last case, the developed Students t test demonstrated that there were no significant differences between real and spiked concentrations. Optimum dispersive SPE conditions (extraction of 200 mL of water, pH 6.0, with 130 mg of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, elution with 25 mL of dichloromethane for run-off and tap water and 30 mL for mineral water) allowed the quantitative extraction of analytes at levels lower than the maximum residues limits legislated by the European Union, with LODs between 1.16 and 93.6 ng/L. Absolute recovery values achieved were in the range of 67-107% (RSD values <10.1%).

Determination of quinolone residues in infant and young children powdered milk combining solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

The present work describes a method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of three quinolones (pipemidic acid, oxolinic acid and flumequine) and twelve fluoroquinolones (marbofloxacin, fleroxacin, pefloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, danofloxacin, lomefloxacin, difloxacin, sarafloxacin, and moxifloxacin) in different infant and young children powdered milks. After suitable deproteination of the reconstituted powdered samples, a SPE procedure was developed providing recovery values higher than 84% (RSDs lower than 13%) for all the analytes, with limits of detection between 0.04 and 0.52 μg/kg. UPLC-MS/MS analyses were carried out in less than 10 min. Sixteen infant and young children powdered milk samples of different origin, type and composition bought at Spanish markets were analyzed. Residues of the selected antibiotics were not detected in any of the analyzed samples.

Determination of estrogens in environmental water samples using 1,3‐dipentylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid as extraction solvent in dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction

In this work, the potential of a symmetric dialkyl‐substituted ionic liquid (IL), 1,3‐dipenthylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([PPIm][PF6]), as extraction solvent in dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) has been studied for the analysis of a group of three natural (estriol, 17β‐estradiol, and 17α‐estradiol) and four synthetic (17α‐ethynylestradiol, diethylstibestrol, dienestrol, and hexestrol) estrogenic compounds as well as one mycotoxin with estrogenic activity (zearalenone) in different types of water samples (Milli‐Q, mineral, and wastewater). Separation, determination, and quantification were developed by HPLC‐DAD and a fluorescence detector (FD) connected in series. Factors influencing the IL‐DLLME procedure (sample pH, amount of IL, type and volume of disperser solvent, ionic strength, and assistance of vortex agitation) were investigated and optimized by means of a step‐by‐step approach. Once the optimum extraction conditions were established (10 mL of water at pH 8, 60 mg of [PPIm][PF6], 500 μL of ACN as disperser solvent and vortex agitation for 1 min), the calibration curves of the whole method (IL‐DLLME‐HPLC‐DAD/FD) were obtained and precision and accuracy were evaluated. It was demonstrated that the developed methodology was repeatable, accurate, and selective with limits of detection in the 0.30–0.57 μg/L and 13.8–37.1 μg/L range for FD and DAD, respectively. Relative recovery values were higher than 85% for the different types of water samples and the Students t test demonstrated that there were not significant differences between the added and the found concentration.

Addition of docosahexaenoic acid, but not arachidonic acid, activates glutathione and thioredoxin antioxidant systems in murine hippocampal HT22 cells: potential implications in neuroprotection

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n‐3) is a major constituent of nerve cell membrane phospholipids. Besides a role in membrane architecture, DHA is a pleiotropic molecule involved in multiple facets of neuronal biology and also in neuroprotection. We show here that supplementation with DHA (but not arachidonic acid) to mouse hippocampal HT22 cells modulates the expression of genes encoding for antioxidant proteins associated with thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin and glutathione/glutaredoxin systems. Thus, within the thioredoxin system, DHA increased Txn1‐2, Trxrd1‐2, Prdx3, and Srxn1 gene expression. Paralleling these changes, DHA increased thioredoxin reductase activity, the main enzyme involved in thioredoxin regeneration. For the glutathione system, the most important change triggered by DHA was the upregulation of Gpx4 gene, encoding for the nuclear, cytosolic and mitochondrial isoforms of phospholipid‐hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PH‐GPx/GPx4, the main enzyme protecting cell membranes against lipid peroxidation), which was followed by a significant increase in total glutathione peroxidase and GPx4 activities. Noticeably, DHA also upregulated a new Gpx4 splicing variant that retained part of the first intronic region. Finally, we demonstrate that DHA treatment, under the same time course, protects HT22 cells from the oxitoxic exposure to amyloid beta (Aβ25–35) peptide. Altogether, our data pinpoint to a role of DHA as Indirect Antioxidant that modulates neuronal defences in neuroprotection.