A paper-based polystyrene/nylon Janus platform for the microextraction of UV filters in water samples as proof-of-concept

Abstract

A new mix-mode cellulose-based sorptive phase is described that combines two different polymeric domains (i.e., nylon and polystyrene), thus providing simultaneous hydrophilic and hydrophobic features as a result. By analogy with Janus materials, the new paper-based sorptive phase has been named paper-based polystyrene/nylon Janus-platform (P-Ps/Ny-JP). The main advantages of the proposed P-Ps/Ny-JP are the sustainability, simplicity in synthesis, and low cost of this extraction device. The main parameters affecting the synthesis (i.e., coating procedure and polymers proportion) have been studied, and the resulting material has been characterized via scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. As a proof-of-concept, the simultaneous extraction of fourteen UV filters of a wide range of polarity, with log P values ranging from − 0.234 to 16.129, from water samples and their determination by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) has been performed. The proposed methodology enables the determination of these chemicals with limits of detection from 12 to 71 ng L−1, and the precision, expressed as a relative standard deviation, was below 15%. The extraction device was applied to the analysis of real water samples likely to contain UV filters (i.e., two private swimming pool water and one seawater) and the recovery values were in the range 73–121%. Graphical abstract

Evolution of Green Sample Preparation: Fostering a Sustainable Tomorrow in Analytical Sciences

“…For example, they usually have low selectivity and possess low loading capacities, which can be resolved by their hybridization with other green materials . Some of the most used natural-based sorbents are biopolymers namely cellulose, chitosan, lignin, and others. , In this scenario, a cellulosic paper device coated with different polymers (Nylon or polyamide) has been reported for the modulation of its surface polarity and, hence, modulating its selectivity toward target drugs of abuse, antibiotics, or UV filters in biological and environmental samples. Detailed information about the procedures can be found in the corresponding references. ,, …”

“…Detailed information about the procedures can be found in the corresponding references. 91,92,94 Regarding inorganic ion extraction, it is worth mentioning the contribution from Adhikari and co-workers in 2023. 119 They have applied poly(caffeic acid) granular sorbent in (d)-SPE for isolating rare earth metals, thorium, and uranium in well water and produced water samples.…”

“…Furthermore, all of them can be used at the microscale and the sorbent can be reused in most cases. Cárdenas’ group has reported several contributions of paper-based devices for analyzing complex samples from the WAC perspective. − They usually use accessible materials and syntheses, making it possible to operate in low-resource laboratories. For instance, they have developed a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) paper-based sorptive phase by polymerization-free method .…”

“…A) Experimental setup for semiautomatic PT-μSPE coupled to autosyringe pump; B) Optical images of SPE microcartridge combined with capillary CE separation and its assembly in the final CE-UV cassette. Reprinted from Chemosphere, 276, Tsai, P. C.; Pundi, A.; Brindhadevi, K.; Ponnusamy, V. K. Novel Semi-Automated Graphene Nanosheets Based Pipette-Tip Assisted Micro-Solid Phase Extraction as Eco-Friendly Technique for the Rapid Detection of Emerging Environmental Pollutant in Waters, 130031 (ref . Copyright 2021, with permission from Elsevier.…”

Single-fibre coating and additive manufacturing of multifunctional papers

“…1,2 To date, the wettability of paper has been controlled mainly by changing the surface chemistry or the nanoscale surface texture. Changes in surface chemistry can be achieved by coating with hydrophobic polymers such as polystyrene, 3 using sustainable resources such as vegetable oils, [4][5][6] or by plasma etching. 7 Superhydrophobic papers are obtained by tuning the bre roughness.…”