Solid-Phase Microextraction: thermodynamic aspects and kinetic

Abstract

Traditional sample preparation techniques use large quantities of organic solvents, which are prejudicial to the environment and to public health. These are  usually multiple-step procedures, involving several clean-up phases, which can increase the likelihood of errors and extend analysis time. Hence, special attention has been given to the development of faster, simpler methods that do not use organic solvent. Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) has been shown to give excellent results for volatile and semivolatile compounds, which are adsorbed onto a highly selective polymeric film. SPME is a versatile, simple, fast, inexpensive and solvent free procedure, with a high enrichment factor. Only two steps are required to complete extraction, preconcentration, clean-up, and introduction of compounds into a chromatographic separation and quantitation system. A knowledge of theoretical fundamentals is essential for the development of a new technique, hence this paper considers the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of SPME, and the different parameters affecting extraction efficiency.