In this paper, an effective graphene-based SPE clean-up procedure coupled with GC–MS was developed for the determination of organophosphorus pesticide residues in apple juices. The apple juice samples were diluted with water and could be loaded onto the cartridge directly. Several parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were investigated, including the type of elution, washing solution, and sample pH. Under the optimized conditions, excellent limits of quantitation for the target analytes were found to be 0.15–1.18 ng/mL, and the average recoveries of the analytes at two spiked levels for real-sample analysis ranged from 69.8 to 106.2% with RSDs less than 7.3%. Furthermore, the graphene-based cartridges exhibited superior reusability for juice sample analysis. The proposed method is sensitive, simple, and cost saving, and provides a detection platform for the monitoring of pesticide residues.

Graphene has great potentials for the use in sample preparation due to its ultra high specific surface area, superior chemical stability, and excellent thermal stability. In our work, a novel graphene-based SPE disk was developed for separation and preconcentration of trace polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental water samples. Based on the strong π–π stacking interaction between the analytes and graphene, the analytes extracted by graphene were eluted by cyclohexane and then determined by GC-MS. Under the optimized conditions, high flow rate (30 mL/min) and sensitivity (0.84–13 ng/L) were achieved. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of real environmental water samples with recoveries ranging from 72.8 to 106.2%. Furthermore, the property of anticlogging and reusability was also improved. This work reveals great potentials of graphene-based SPE disk in environmental analytical.

The determination of organochlorine pesticides in water samples, which are harmful to humans, is very important for environmental risk assessment. Based on the excellent adsorption properties of graphene, an SPE coupled with GC–MS method for the monitoring of organochlorines (four hexachlorcyclohexanes and four dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes) was developed. Owing to the hydrophobic interaction and π–π stacking interaction between the analytes and graphene, the analytes quantitatively adsorbed onto the graphene-based SPE cartridge were eluted by ethyl acetate for analysis. Several parameters influencing the analytical performance, such as the kind of elution, sample volume, reusability of the cartridge, have been investigated in detail. Under the optimal conditions, detection of limits of 1.95–9.38 ng/L, recoveries of 83.9–107.3% at two spiked concentration levels (0.1 and 10 ng/mL) and RSDs in the range of 2.9–7.4% for real water samples were obtained for all the analytes. This work reveals the great potential of graphene in sample preparation procedures.

A simple, rapid and accurate ion-exclusion chromatographic method coupled with a UV detector for the determination of uric acid in human urine samples has been developed. The separation was carried out on an ion-exclusion column using only pure water as mobile phase. The detection wavelength was 254 nm and urine sample was injected directly without any pretreatment. Furthermore, the retention behavior of uric acid on the ion-exclusion column was researched when pure water and 1 mmol·L⁻¹ HCl were used as mobile phase, respectively. The stability of uric acid was also further investigated within 28 days. In this method, the linear range of the calibration curve for uric acid was 0.25–100 mg·L⁻¹, and the detection limit calculated at S/N=3 was 0.02 mg·L⁻¹. The proposed ion-exclusion chromatographic method has been used for the determination of uric acid in human urine.

An ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method, using tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as ion-pair reagent, has been developed for the analysis of cyanuric acid (CA) in milk powder and swimming pool water. It was found that the effect of the concentrations of ion-pair reagent on the retention of cyanuric acid was different for standard solution and different real samples. The separation was carried out on a reversed-phase C₁₈ column with 85:15 (V/V) water-acetonitrile (ACN) containing different concentration of TBAB as mobile phase for different samples. The linear range of the calibration curve for CA was 0.1–100 mg·L⁻¹. The detection limits calculated at S/N=3 was 0.11 mg·L⁻¹ for the analysis of milk powder and 0.31 mg·L⁻¹ for the analysis of swimming pool water, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of CA in milk powder and swimming pool water.

An anion-exchange chromatography method combined solid phase extraction (SPE) was developed for the simultaneous analysis of glycolate acid (GL), monochloroacetic acid (MCA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCA) in synthetical betaine products. The analytes and unknown anionic impurities were well separated on a Metrosep A supp5 anion-exchange column (150 mm×4 mm) with 2.0 mmol/L Na₂CO₃+2.0 mmol/L NaHCO₃ solution as eluent. Suppressed conductivity detection was used. A strong cation exchange (SCX) solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge was used to reduce the concentration of matrix betaine and a Cleanert IC-Ag pretreatment cartridge was used to remove high Cl⁻ concentration. The detection limits of GL, MCA and DCA were 0.09, 0.017 and 0.05 µg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the retention times and peak areas were less than 0.09% and 0.49%, respectively. The recoveries of the three analytes were between 90.6% and 100.8%. The analytical results showed that GL and DCA were present in high concentration and no MCA was found when the proposed ion chromatography method was applied to three synthetical betaine samples. The proposed method is simple, sensitive and timesaving, and is also suitable for routine analysis in quality control of synthetical betaine products.

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were modified orderly with carboxyl groups and amino groups. The MWNT/gold nanoparticle composites were formed when the amino-functionalized MWNT was interacted with gold colloids. The functionalized MWNT was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The amino-functionalized MWNT allows further attaching gold nanoparticles through electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged gold nanoparticles and amino groups on the surface of the MWNT. The composite of gold nanoprticles and amino-functionalized MWNT was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. This method decorating carbon nanotubes can be used to identify the location of functional groups, i.e. defect sites on carbon nanotubes.

A polymethacrylate-based strong cation-exchange capillary monolithic column was prepared by in-situ copolymerization for the fast separation of proteins. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was used as monomer, ethylenedimethacrylate (EDMA) as cross link agent and the mixture of 1-propanol, 1,4-butanediol and water as porogen solvent. The monolith was sulfonated using 1 mol/L Na₂SO₃ based on a ring opening of epoxides. The influences of the contents of the porogen solvent and GMA and the various concentration ratios of 1-propanol to 1,4-butanediol in the polymerization mixture on the morphology, porosity, globule size, stability and column efficiency were investigated. The morphology and pore size distribution of the monolith were characterized by SEM and mercury intrusion porosimetry, respectively. Using only 1.5 cm length of this monolithic capillary column, four kinds of proteins, trypsin, cytochrome C, lysozyme (egg white) and egg albumin, were successfully separated from each other in 5 min at a high flow rate of 110 mm/s.