Development of an improved heated interface for coupling solid-phase microextraction to high-performance liquid chromatography

The aim of the study described in this report has been the development and the evaluation of a new improved interface to be operated under continuous heating, for on-line coupling solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Heating is desirable to increase desorption rate and decrease carryover. The results obtained have been compared with that obtained by off-line desorption and online desorption without heating. The SPME-HPLC interface described here has an inner volume of 60 mu L, fixation for infinite points and a novel leak less sealing system. When the heating system was used, the area values were almost 10-fold higher than that obtained using the off-line mode. The obtained chromatograms showed an increasing of the area and height of chromatographic peaks and proved the excellent performance and reproducibility of the interface developed in this work. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.