Recent advances in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction using organic solvents lighter than water. A review

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) has in the very short time since its invention in 2006 grabbed the attention of researchers and has become very popular among analytical chemists. Like other analytical methods, however, DLLME also has its drawbacks, which result mainly from requirements related to the extraction solvent and disperser solvent. To overcome these various drawbacks, researchers have recently attempted to use solvents with a density lower than that of water and to perform the extraction without using a disperser solvent and without the need for centrifugation. We offer an overview of what in our opinion are some of the most interesting solutions published recently, those which could possibly expand the applicability of DLLME. (C) 2011 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.