A green hybrid microextraction for sensitive determination of bisphenol A in aqueous samples using three different sorbents: Analytical and computational studies

Abstract

A green hybrid of pipette tip micro solid phase extraction (PT-µSPE) and supported liquid extraction (SLE) was tailored and applied for sensitive determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in water and thermal paper samples using three different sorbents namely chitin, chitosan and cellulose acetate. Self-ensembled in lab, three respective hybrid podiums were setup for three sorbents with PT-µSPE platform using basic SLE principle on it. Coupled with HPLC-UV detection, the three set ups were compared for their respective performances to determine the BPA in water in terms of detection limit, recovery, precision and repeatability values. Under optimized conditions, chitin and cellulose acetate demonstrated comparable performances whereas chitosan showed better performance with detection limit up to pg/mL (0.008 ng/mL), high recovery (>90%), good precision (RSD % 3.8–7.4) and repeatability values (RSD % 2.02–3.04). In addition, computational simulations were performed to have insights on the possible sorbent-analyte interactions for all three sorbents. The method in general termed as sorbent supported pipette tip micro liquid extraction (SSPT-µLE) is a rapid, technically innovated, easily operated, cheap, green and highly efficient method for trace determination of BPA in water samples with successful applications to thermal papers also. Overall a novel and innovative analytical approach is introduced for sample preparation and established for trace determination of BPA in water and thermal paper using three different sorbents. Furthermore, the approach should also allow easy expansion to other emerging contaminants in water and other aqueous matrices including biological, pharmaceutical and environmental samples.