Graphene and Graphene Oxide Modified by Deep Eutectic Solvents and Ionic Liquids Supported on Silica as Adsorbents for Solid-Phase Extraction

A novel deep eutectic solvent (DES) and ionic liquid (IL)-modified graphene (G) and graphene oxide (GO) were synthesized and used as effective adsorbents for the preconcentration of three chlorophenols (CPs), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP), in environmental water samples prior to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The new materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (S-4200) and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. The prepared functionalized GO@ silica shows remarkable adsorption capacity toward CPs. When used as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbents, a superior recovery (88.49-89.70%) could be obtained compared to commercial sorbents, such as silica and aminosilica. Based on this, a method for the analysis of CPs in water samples was established by coupling SPE with HPLC. These results highlight the potential new role of DES and IL-modified GO in the preparation of analytical samples.