Nylon: A novel solid-support for photoluminiscence determinations of potential enviromental contaminants

G. M. ESCANDAR, J. A. ARANCIBIA, S. A. BORTOLATO, G. N. PICCIRILLI.

Bologna

Simposio; 13º International Symposium on luminiscence spectormetry; 2008

International Symposium on Luminescence Spectrometry

In recent years our research group has been devoted to the development of new analytical methods based on the photoluminescence emissions produced from analytes of interest retained in solid surfaces. Among the solids investigated,especial attention is paid to nylon as a novel solid support. The selected analyte is immobilized on nylon employing two different procedures: (A) performing a solid-phase extraction (SPE) method using nylon membranes, (B) through an on- line immobilization of the analyte onto nylon powder contained in the cell of a flow-system. Both procedures are followed by the luminescence measurement over the solid support. Using the arrangement (A), the feasibility of using a nylon membrane for SPE procedures focused on the simultaneous determination of benzo[a]pyrene and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, two of the most carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is being investigated. This evaluation is carried out at ultra trace levels and in the presence of other PAHs interferents included in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority pollutants list. Different second-order algorithms are applied to fluorescence excitation-emission matrix data obtained after the extraction of the analytes over the nylon surface. Based on the high concentration capacity of the nylon disc (1), the sensitivity of luminescence techniques, the simplicity of the applied procedure (which avoids the use of organic solvents) and the power of chemometric analysis, the development of a promising method for the above determination is expected. On the other hand, by applying procedure (B), a novel flow-through fluorescence optosensor for the determination of thiabendazole (a widely used fungicide) was developed (2). In this case, nylon powder was probed as a novel solid support for building the optosensor. On the base of this first approach, a phosphorescent optosensor of thiabendazole is being developed and the physicochemical variables are being optimized. In all the studied systems, analytical figures of merit, the potential interferents, and the viability of determining the selected analyte in real water samples are evaluated.