Polypyrrole hollow fiber for solid phase extraction

Analyst. 2012 Apr 21;137(8):1846-52. doi: 10.1039/c2an16266k. Epub 2012 Mar 8.

Abstract

We have developed a solid-phase extraction method based on conductive polypyrrole (PPy) hollow fibers which were fabricated by electrospinning and in situ polymerization. The electrospun poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers were employed as templates for the in situ surface polymerization of PPy under mechanical stirring or ultrasonication to obtain burr-shaped or smooth fiber shells, respectively. Hollow PPy fibers, achieved by removing the PCL templates, were the ideal sorbents for solid phase extraction of polar compounds due to their inherent multi-functionalities. By using the hollow PPy fibers, two important neuroendocrine markers of behavioural disorders, 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid and homovanillic acid, were successfully extracted. Under the optimized conditions, the absolute recoveries of the above two neuroendocrine markers were 90.7% and 92.4%, respectively, in human plasma. Due to its simplicity, selectivity and sensitivity, the method may be applied to quantitatively analyse the concentrations of polar species in complex matrix samples.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Homovanillic Acid / isolation & purification
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / isolation & purification
  • Limit of Detection
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Polyesters / chemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Pyrroles / chemistry*
  • Solid Phase Extraction / methods*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Substances

  • Polyesters
  • Polymers
  • Pyrroles
  • polycaprolactone
  • polypyrrole
  • Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
  • Homovanillic Acid