β-Cyclodextrin and its derivatives can selectively bind to various organic molecules in its cavity and provide good applications in sample preparation. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is a sensitive technique and has received increasing attention in the last decade. Herein, 3,5-dimethyl phenyl carbamoylated β-cyclodextrin bonded silica gel was used as a ssorbent in solid-phase extraction to selectively enrich forchlorfenuron and thidiazuron followed by determination with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. It showed excellent selectivity for forchlorfenuron and thidiazuron and the adsorption capacities were 40.0 and 30.0 μg/g, respectively. A rapid and sensitive method based on the modified β-cyclodextrin solid-phase extraction coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy was developed. The linear ranges were 30.0–300.0 μg/L for forchlorfenuron and thidiazuron at 1005 and 640 cm⁻¹, respectively. Both of the limits of detection were 15.0 μg/L, which were significantly lower than the maximum permitted by the National Standard. The recoveries of forchlorfenuron and thidiazuron were 78.9–87.9% for the spiked grape, kiwi, cucumber and tomato, with relative standard deviations of 8.1–13.2%. The results show that this method is sensitive, selective, and relatively time saving, and has great potential in the analysis of trace amounts of plant growth regulators in fruits and vegetables.

Sample preparation is the most time-consuming and laborious procedure during analysis. The rapid and effective extraction of solid and semi-solid samples is much more difficult than that of gas and liquid samples. In the present review, various extraction methods for solid and semi-solid samples such as supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, etc. are summarized based on the principles of field and field synergy effects. The expected trends of field-assisted extraction methods are discussed and proposed to encourage further development on the rapid and effective extraction for solid and semi-solid samples.

The development and application of an imazethapyr molecularly imprinted polymer-based solid-phase microextraction coating were investigated. A novel molecularly imprinted polymer coating with imazethapyr as template was firstly prepared by a one-step in situ polymerization method, and demonstrated specific selectivity to imidazolinone herbicides in complicated samples. The structural characteristics and extraction performance of the imazethapyr molecularly imprinted polymer coating were studied. The molecularly imprinted polymer coating was homogeneous, dense, and heat and solvent resistant. Adsorption capacity experiments showed that the molecularly imprinted polymer coating could selectively extract imazethapyr and its structural analogs, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 2.5 times as much as that of the nonimprinted polymer coating. A method for the determination of five imidazolinones by imazethapyr molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase microextraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed. The linear range was 0.50–50 μg/L for imazameth, imazamox, imazapyr acid, and imazethapyr, and 1.0–100 μg/L for imazaquin acid, and the detection limits were within the range of 0.070–0.29 μg/L. The method was applied to simultaneous and multiresidual determinations of trace imidazolinones in rice, peanut, and soil samples with satisfactory recoveries of 60.6–99.5, 79.1–123, and 61.3–116%, respectively, and relative standard deviations of 0.40–10%, which indicated that this method was suitable for the trace analysis of imidazolinones in complex food and environmental samples.

An in situ embedded synthesis strategy was developed for the preparation of a MoO₃/polypyrrole intercalative sampling adsorbent for the separation and analysis of trace volatile formaldehyde in aquatic products. Structural and morphological characteristics of the MoO₃/polypyrrole intercalative adsorbent were investigated by a series of characterization methods. The MoO₃/polypyrrole sampling adsorbent possessed a higher sampling capacity and selectivity for polar formaldehyde than commonly used commercial adsorbent Tenax TA. Finally, the MoO₃/polypyrrole adsorbent was packed in the thermal desorption tube that was directly coupled to gas chromatography with mass spectrometry for the analysis of trace volatile formaldehyde in aquatic products. Trace volatile formaldehyde from real aquatic products could be selectively sampled and quantified to be 0.43–6.6 mg/kg. The detection limit was achieved as 0.004 μg/L by this method. Good recoveries for spiked aquatic products were achieved in range of 75.0–108% with relative standard deviations of 1.2–9.0%.

Monoamine acidic metabolites in biological samples are essential biomarkers for the diagnosis of neurological disorders. In this work, acrylamide-functionalized graphene adsorbent was successfully synthesized by a chemical functionalization method and was packed in a homemade polyether ether ketone micro column as a micro-solid-phase extraction unit. This micro-solid-phase extraction unit was directly coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography to form an online system for the separation and analysis of three monoamine acidic metabolites including homovanillic acid, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid in human urine and plasma. The online system showed high stability, permeability, and adsorption capacity toward target metabolites. The saturated extraction amount of this online system was 213.1, 107.0, and 153.4 ng for homovanillic acid, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, respectively. Excellent detection limits were achieved in the range of 0.08–0.25 μg/L with good linearity and reproducibility. It was interesting that three targets in urine and plasma could be actually quantified to be 0.94–3.93 μg/L in plasma and 7.15–19.38 μg/L in urine. Good recoveries were achieved as 84.8–101.4% for urine and 77.8–95.1% for plasma with the intra- and interday relative standard deviations less than 9.3 and 10.3%, respectively. This method shows great potential for online analysis of trace monoamine acidic metabolites in biological samples.

A method of microwave-assisted extraction coupled with countercurrent chromatography using evaporative light scattering detection was successfully developed for the separation and purification of steroidal saponins from Paris polyphylla. The main extraction conditions including microwave power, liquid/solid ratio, irradiation time, and extraction temperature were optimized using an orthogonal array design method. A suitable two-phase solvent system consisting of n-heptane/n-butanol/acetonitrile/water (10:19:6:20, v/v/v/v) was employed in the separation and purification of the extracts of P. polyphylla. A total of 7.1 mg polyphyllin VII, 4.3 mg gracillin, 9.2 mg dioscin, and 10.2 mg polyphyllin I were obtained from 1.5 g P. polyphylla in less than 300 min, the purities of which determined by HPLC were 96.7, 97.3, 98.7, and 98.6%, respectively. The identification and characterization of these compounds were performed by LC–ESI-MS and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that the proposed method is feasible, economical and efficient for the extraction, separation and purification of effective compounds from natural products.

As a famous Chinese herb having good inhibitory effects on numerous human cancers both in vitro and in vivo, Scutellaria barbata D. Don attracts extensive attention worldwide. In this work, four flavonoids named scutellarin, baicalin, luteolin, and apigenin were simply and rapidly prepared from S. barbata by microwave-assisted extraction coupled to countercurrent chromatography. Extraction conditions including irradiation time, extraction temperature, liquid/solid ratio, and microwave power were optimized using an orthogonal array design method. The extract of S. barbata was separated and purified with a two-phase solvent system composed of hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/acetic acid/water (1:5:1.5:1:4, v/v/v/v/v) and 4.5 mg of scutellarin, 4.6 mg of baicalin, 1.1 mg of luteolin, 2.1 mg of apigenin were obtained from 2.0 g original sample in a single run. The purities of scutellarin, baicalin, luteolin, and apigenin determined by HPLC were 93.6, 97.3, 97.6, and 98.4%, respectively. The targeted compounds were identified by LC with MS and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The total time including extraction, separation, and purification was <300 min. Compared to traditional methods, microwave-assisted extraction coupled to countercurrent chromatography method is more simple and rapid for the extraction, separation, and purification of flavonoid compounds from natural products.

Nanoscale anatase titania was embedded within the porous chromium terephthalate MIL-101 under low-temperature hydrothermal treatment. The metal–organic framework shell acting as host matrix can effectively prevent the titania nanoparticles from aggregating and enable a good dispersion of these nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction spectra, transmission electron micrography and X-ray photoelectron spectra clearly showed successful impregnation of the nano-sized anatase titania within the body of MIL-101. The resulting TiO₂/MIL-101 nanocomposite was considered as bifunctional material with abundant adsorptive domains and catalytic domains, and was packed in a quartz tube as a convenient trapping and photocatalytic reactor for hazardous volatile pollutants. The composite showed great potential for adsorptive and photocatalytic degradation of these volatile pollutants, such as formaldehyde and o-xylene, which were online monitored by thermal desorption gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.

A novel metal-ion-mediated complex-imprinted-polymer-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber used to specifically recognize thiabendazole (TBZ) in citrus and soil samples was developed. The complex-imprinted polymer was introduced as a novel SPME coating using a “complex template” constructed with Cu(II) ions and TBZ. The recognition and enrichment properties of the coating in water were significantly improved based on the metal ion coordination interaction rather than relying on hydrogen bonding interactions that are commonly applied for the molecularly imprinting technique. Several parameters controlling the extraction performance of the complex-imprinted-polymer-coated fiber were investigated including extraction solvent, pH value, extraction time, metal ion species, etc. Furthermore, SPME coupled with HPLC was developed for detection of TBZ, and the methods resulted in good linearity in the range of 10.0–150.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 2.4 ng/mL. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of TBZ in spiked soil, orange, and lemon with recoveries of 80.0–86.9% and RSDs of 2.0–8.1%. This research provides an example to prepare a desirable water-compatible and specifically selective SPME coating to extract target molecules from aqueous samples by introducing metal ions as the mediator.

A novel magnetic SPE method based on magnetic cobalt ferrite filled carbon nanotubes (MFCNTs) coupled with GC with electron capture detection was developed to determine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in tea and honey samples. The MFCNTs were prepared through the capillarity of carbon nanotubes for drawing mixed cobalt and iron nitrates solution into their inner cavity followed by heating to 550°C under Ar to form the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. SEM images provided visible evidence of the filled cobalt ferrite nanoparticles in the multiwalled nanotubes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated no adhesion of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and metal salts on the outer surface of the MFCNTs. Eight OCPs were extracted with the MFCNTs. The enrichment factors were in the range of 52–68 for eight OCPs. The LODs for the eight OCPs were in the range of 1.3–3.6 ng/L. The recoveries of the OCPs for honey and tea samples were 83.2–128.7 and 72.6–111.0%, respectively. The RSDs for these samples were below 6.8%. The new method is particularly suited to extract nonpolar and weakly polar analytes from a complex matrix and could potentially be extended to other target analytes.

An online system that can perform dynamic microextraction, on-coating derivatization and desorption, and subsequent GC–MS analysis with a large-volume injection was developed. A derivatization cell as the conjunction of the online system was developed for the online extraction and derivatization. To evaluate the feasibility of the online system, methyltestosterone molecularly imprinted polymer filaments (MIPFs) were prepared for the selective online extraction of five androgenic steroids, namely, methyltestosterone, testosterone, epitestosterone, nandrolone, and metandienone. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of testosterone and epitestosterone were 0.09 and 0.12 μg/L, respectively, which were under the minimum required performance limits between 2 and 10 μg/L from the World Anti-Doping Agency. The detection limits of the other three androgenic steroids were varied from 0.04 to 0.18 μg/L. Finally, the MIPFs–GC–MS method was applied for the determination of androgenic steroids in urine, and satisfactory recovery (78.0–96.9%) and reproducibility (3.2–8.9%) were obtained. The proposed online coupling system offers an attractive alternative for hyphenation to GC instruments and could also be extended to other adsorptive materials.

Based on a special homemade interface, the molecularly imprinted stir bar sorptive extraction was coupled to high performance liquid chromatography for the online desorption and analysis. During desorption, the analytes desorbed from stir bar were delivered to a sample loop and then was introduced into liquid chromatography for further analysis. The online desorption and introduction processes were real-time monitored by the ultraviolet detector of the liquid chromatography system. In this way, the method sensitivity and reproducibility was improved for the introduction timing of the desorption solvent with greatest concentration of the target analytes was accurately controlled. To demonstrate the feasibility of the method, terbuthylazine imprinted stir bar was synthesized and used for the analysis of nine triazines in rice. Under the optimized conditions, limits of detection of 0.02–0.11 μg/L and precision within 4.3–7.2% were achieved. The new method was compared with other two traditional offline desorption procedures, i.e. ultrasonic-assisted desorption and static thermal desorption. The comparison results showed that the proposed method is accurate, precise, fast, and suitable for the trace analysis of complex samples.

A method of microwave-assisted extraction coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography was established for separation and purification of isopimpinellin, pimpinellin and phellopterin from Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. The conditions of MAE including the extraction solvent, size of sample, solid/liquid ratio, extraction temperature and extraction time were optimized by a mono-factor test. That is, 2.0 g dried powder of T. asiatica (L.) Lam of 0.30-0.15 mm size was extracted with 20 mL (solid/liquid ratio of 1:10, g/mL) methanol under 50 °C for 1 min. The crude extract was separated and purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography with hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (5:5:5.5:4.5, v/v/v/v) solvent system. 0.85 mg/g of isopimpinellin, 2.55 mg/g of pimpinellin and 0.95 mg/g of phellopterin were obtained from original sample in one-step within 240 min, the purity determined by high performance liquid chromatography was 95.0%, 99.1% and 96.4%, respectively. Their chemical structures were further identified by mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that microwave-assisted extraction coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography was a feasible, economical and efficient technique for rapid extraction, separation and purification of effective compounds from natural products.

A rapid and efficient method for the separation and purification of fucoxanthin from edible brown algae by microwave-assisted extraction coupled with high-speed countercurrent chromatography was developed. The algae were first extracted using microwave-assisted extraction, then the dried extract was dissolved and directly introduced into the high-speed countercurrent chromatography system with a two-phase solvent system consisting of hexane-ethyl acetate-ethanol-water (5:5:6:4, v/v/v/v). The isolation was done in less than 75 min, and a total of 0.83 mg, 1.09 mg, and 0.20 mg fucoxanthin were obtained from 25.0 g fresh Laminaria japonica Aresch, 1.5 g dry Undaria pinnatifida (Harv) Sur, and 15.0 g dry Sargassum fusiforme (Harv) Setch, respectively. The purity of fucoxanthin determined by HPLC was over 90% and its structure was further identified by LC-ESI-MS and ¹H-NMR.

A consecutive preparation method based upon accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was presented and aesculin was obtained from Cortex fraxinus. The extraction condition of ASE was optimized with response surface methodology; some significant parameters such as the solvent system and its stability, the amount of loading sample in HSCCC were also investigated. The original sample was first extracted with methanol at 105°C and 104 bar for 7 min using ASE, then the extracts were consecutively introduced into the HSCCC system and separated and purified with the same ethyl acetate/n-butanol/water (7:3:10, v/v/v) solvent system for five times without further exchange and equilibrium. About 3.1 ± 0.2 mg/g in each time and total of 15.4 mg/g aesculin with purity over 95% was isolated from Cortex fraxinus. The results demonstrated that the consecutive preparation method was time and solvent saving and high throughput, it was suitable for isolation of aesculin from Cortex fraxinus, and also has good potential on the separation and purification of effective compounds from natural product.

The preparation, characteristics and application of a sorptive stir bar coated with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) using triadimefon as the template molecule are described here. Raw glass capillary was coated with MIP through chemical bonding. The synthesis method was effective and reproducible with the batch-to-batch RSD within 7.8%. Scanning electron micrographs of the stir bar revealed a highly porous coating with average thickness of 15 μm. The synthesized stir bar was proved to be highly stable in most of the solvent for use. Extraction performance showed the fabricated stir bar has excellent molecular recognition abilities for triadimefon and the structure-related compounds, such as triadimenol, diniconazole, flutriafol, hexaconazole, tebuconazole, paclobutrazol and uniconazole, and thus can be applied for simultaneous determination of these triazole fungicides from complex samples by coupling with high-performance liquid chromatography. The variables that influence extraction were optimized with 10.0 μg/L standard solutions of triazole fungicides, and the analytical method was established for the determination of triazole fungicides in soil. The detection limits were in the range of 0.14–0.34 μg/L, and the recoveries were from 86.7 to 114.6% for spiked soil sample.

The multiple bulk copolymerization method, which was developed in our previous works, was further investigated with prometryn, tetracycline, and propranolol as templates for the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coatings on silicon fibers for solid-phase microextraction. The preparation conditions (e.g., the solvent, monomer, crosslinker, component proportions, polymerization time, and number of coating procedures) were investigated systemically in an effort to enhance the coating thickness, surface morphology, and reproducibility. The methodology was examined, and some common specialties were explored in the preparation of three MIP-coated fibers. Even after the coating procedure was repeated 10 times, the prometryn, tetracycline, and propranolol MIP-coated fibers were prepared reproducibly with coating-thickness relative standard deviations of 2.6, 3.0, and 5.1%, respectively; they were highly homogeneous, and a compact morphological structure was obtained. The extraction capacities of prometryn, tetracycline, and propranolol with corresponding MIP-coated fibers were approximately 10.4, 3.9, and 3.3 times as much as those with the nonimprinted polymer (NIP)-coated fibers, respectively, and the selectivity factors of prometryn, tetracycline, and propranolol MIP coatings for the template molecules and structural analogues were 2.2–10.4, 2.2–3.9, and 1.3–3.3, respectively, in comparison with the corresponding NIP coatings. In comparison with commercial polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene coatings that were approximately 3 times thicker, the extracted amounts of prometryn, tetracycline, and propranolol were 4.2, 12.3, and 7.7 times higher with prometryn, tetracycline, and propranolol MIP coatings, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011

Introduction – Dehydrocavidine is a major component of Corydalis saxicola Bunting with sedative, analgesic, anticonvulsive and antibacterial activities. Conventional methods have disadvantages in extracting, separating and purifying dehydrocavidine from C. saxicola. Hence, an efficient method should be established.

Objective – To develop a suitable preparative method in order to isolate dehydrocavidine from a complex C. saxicola extract by preparative HSCCC.

Methodology – The methanol extract of C. saxicola was prepared by optimised microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The analytical HSCCC was used for the exploration of suitable solvent systems and the preparative HSCCC was used for larger scale separation and purification. Dehydrocavidine was analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and further identified by ESI-MS and 1H NMR.

Results – The optimised MAE experimental conditions were as follows: extraction temperature, 60°C; ratio of liquid to solid, 20; extraction time, 15 min; and microwave power, 700 W. In less than 4 h, 42.1 mg of dehydrocavidine (98.9% purity) was obtained from 900 mg crude extract in a one-step separation, using a two-phase solvent system composed of chloroform–methanol–0.3 m hydrochloric acid (4 : 0.5 : 2, v/v/v).

Conclusion – Microwave-assisted extraction coupled with high-speed counter-current chromatography is a powerful tool for extraction, separation and purification of dehydrocavidine from C. saxicola. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.