Polyurethane functionalized silica aerogel for in-tube solid-phase microextraction of estrogens prior to high performance liquid chromatography detection

In order to improve the extraction performance and stability of silica aerogel, the polyurethane was used to functionalize silica aerogel. A silica aerogel hybridized with polyurethane was in situ prepared on the surface of basalt fibers for in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME). When a polyetheretherketone tube filled with the modified basalt fibers was combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), an online IT-SPMEHPLC method for the detection of five estrogens in environment samples was developed. This method achieved wide linear ranges (0.1-50.0 mu g L-1 and 0.03-100.0 mu g L-1), low limits of detection (0.01 mu g L-1 and 0.03 mu g L-1), high enrichment factors (1178-3102), and acceptable relative standard deviations (n = 5, 2.1-4.9% and 3.7-6.9%) for intra-day and inter-day tests. Compared with other methods, the method exhibited some superiorities including online analysis, better sensitivity and faster test. It has been verified that the method can sensitively determine some estrogens from water samples.

Automated summary

In this study, polyurethane was used to functionalize silica aerogel, and a polyurethane hybridized silica aerogel on basalt fibers was prepared. By combining with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), an online IT-SPME-HPLC method for detecting five estrogens in environmental samples was developed. The method achieved wide linear ranges, low limits of detection, high enrichment factors, and acceptable relative standard deviations, showing advantages in terms of online analysis, sensitivity, and test speed compared to other methods.