Conductive polymers as new media for solid-phase extraction: Isolation of chlorophenols from water sample

Three different conductive polymers, poly-N-methylaniline (PNMA), polyaniline and polydiphenylamine were synthesised and used as sorbents for the solid-phase extraction of some phenolic compounds from water. The separation and determination was, subsequently, performed by gas chromatography-electron-capture and flame ionization detection. Among these easy-made polymers, PNMA gave better recovery for the extraction of the studied analytes. The capability of the PNMA to extract other non-polar compounds such as chloro- and methylbenzene, decane, decanol, cyclohexane and cyclohexanol was also studied. The polymer showed some sort of selectivity towards aromatic compounds than aliphatic. Preconcentration of sample volumes up to 11 at pH 2 using 120 mg of PNMA led to acceptable recoveries for phenolic compounds, except for phenol. Recovery of phenol for 100 ml of water was 72%. Limits of detection for chlorophenols when 250 ml river water was preconcentrated were between 1 and 40 ng l(-1), analyzed by GC-electron -capture detection. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.