In-situ grafting temperature-responsive hydrogel as a bifunctional solid-phase microextraction coating for tunable extraction of biomacromolecules

A temperature-responsive solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating was prepared via in-situ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. By controlling the temperature of solution below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the coating, it can switch between hydrophilic and hydrophobic, thus providing a convenient approach for the selective extraction of analytes with different polarities. The average extraction amount of temperature-responsive coating for polar analytes is about 1.5-fold to that of non-polar ones below LCST, and vice versa. Effective extraction of three biomacromolecules was also obtained by controlling the temperature below or above LCST. The adsorption capacity of the coating for the hydrophilic biomacromolecules at 15 degrees C is 1.5-2 folds that of 50 degrees C, whereas the adsorption capacity of the coating to BSA at 50 degrees C is about 3 folds that of 15 degrees C. This approach holds great promise for SPME because it provides a simple strategy to prepare bifunctional coatings for various applications. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A temperature-responsive solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating was prepared by in-situ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method, which can switch between hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties at different temperatures for selective extraction of analytes with different polarities. The coating showed different extraction amounts for polar and non-polar analytes below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and effective extraction of biomacromolecules was achieved by controlling the temperature. This approach holds great promise for SPME applications as it provides a simple strategy to prepare bifunctional coatings.