Titanium dioxide nanotubes for solid phase extraction of benzoylurea insecticides in environmental water samples, and determination by high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection

A new, simple and sensitive method was established for solid-phase extraction of benzoylurea insecticides including diflubenzuron, chlorbenzuron, triflumuron, flufenoxuron, and chlorfluazuron in water samples using TiO2 nanotubes cartridge prior to their determination by liquid chromatography. The parameters influencing the extraction were investigated and optimized. Under optimal conditions, a good linearity was found between the concentration and the peak area in the range from 0.2 to 40 mu g L-1 (r(2) > 0.99), and detection limits were in the range from 0.062 to 0.21 mu g L-1. Real water samples were used for validating the method and recoveries of spiked samples were over the range from 82.0 to 100%. The results indicated that TiO2 nanotubes repesented an attractive alternative sorbent for the enrichment and trace analysis of such pollutants.