Polymer-coated fibrous extraction medium for sample preparation coupled to microcolumn liquid-phase separations.

Abstract

Polymer-coated fibrous material has been introduced as the extraction medium for a miniaturized sample preparation method being coupled with microcolumn liquid chromatography. The preconcentration and the subsequent liquid chromatographic separation of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) drugs, amitriptyline, imipramine, nortriptyline and desipramine, was carried out with the hyphenated system. Several basic experimental parameters, such as extraction and separation conditions, were investigated along with the applicability of the method for the analysis of biological fluids. The results clearly showed that the on-line coupled system could be a powerful tool for the analysis of complex mixtures in biological matrix without a large solvent consumption and specially designed instruments. The lowest limit of quantification was quite acceptable for the analysis of TCAs in clinical and forensic situations.