Ionic liquids in solid-phase extraction

Supported ionic-liquid phases (SILPs), which favorably combine the properties of ionic liquids (ILs) with the advantages of solid supports, were presented in 2009 as an alternative material for solid-phase extraction (SPE). Since then, the number of SILPs used as SPE materials has increased and the results are promising. This report covers various aspects of SILPs: (1) the procedure for their preparation, which clearly depends on the support (based on silica or polymer) where the ILs are immobilized; (2) their interaction mechanisms, which are strongly linked to the SPE protocol and the target analytes; and, (3) their fields of application with a number of selected examples. This is the first review that exclusively describes all SILPs that have been developed to date as sorbents in SPE. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.