Magnetic Polydopamine Modified with Choline-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent for the Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction of Sulfonylurea Herbicides in Water Samples

A novel magnetic solid-phase extraction technique coupled to ultraperformance liquid chromatography has been developed for separation and preconcentration of four sulfonylurea herbicides (sulfosulfuron, bensulfuron-methyl, pyrazosulfuron-ethyl and halosulfuro-methyl) in aqueous samples. The key point of this method was the application of a novel magnetic nanomaterial that composed of a low eutectic solvent as a shell coated on the magnetic core modified by polydopamine. The extensive active sites outside the low eutectic solvent can effectively adsorb the target herbicide in the extraction process. The obtained magnetic adsorbent was characterized with fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The influence parameters relevant to this method were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, good linearities could be obtained within the range of 1.0-200 mu g L-1 for all analytes, with correlation coefficients >= 0.9908. The limit of detections of the method was between 0.0074 and 0.0100 mu g L-1 and the relative standard deviations were 1.1-3.6%. The enrichment factor is 66.6. In the final experiment, the proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of sulfonylurea herbicides residue in environment and drinking-water samples, and the obtained recoveries were between 70.6% and 109.4%.

Automated summary

A novel magnetic solid-phase extraction technique coupled to ultraperformance liquid chromatography has been developed for separation and preconcentration of four sulfonylurea herbicides in aqueous samples. The method showed good linearities within the range of 1.0-200 μg L-1, with enrichment factor of 66.6. It was successfully applied to analyze herbicides residue in environment and drinking-water samples, obtaining recoveries between 70.6% and 109.4%.