Solid phase headspace microextraction of tricyclic antidepressants using a directly prepared nanocomposite consisting of graphene, CTAB and polyaniline

We report on the direct electrochemical preparation of a nanocomposite composed of graphene, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and polyaniline, and its application to headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) of the tricyclic antidepressant drugs (TCAs) imipramine, desipramine and clomipramine. The new nanocomposite coating offers good mechanical and thermal stability and high extraction efficiency due to its large specific surface. The SPME conditions such as temperature, concentration of NaOH and extraction time were optimized with the aid of Box-Behnken design through response surface methodology. The TCAs were thermally desorbed and analyzed by GC. The limits of detections range from 0.10 to 0.35 ng mL(-1), and the calibration plots are linear within the 0.30-400 ng mL(-1) concentration range. The method was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of TCAs in plasma, urine, milk and hair samples.