Paper TF-ThP21
Characterization and Use of Porous Materials for Solid Phase Microextraction by Sputtering and CVD

Thursday, November 10, 2016, 6:00 pm, Room Hall D

This presentation will focus on both the characterization of new materials for SPME and their use in extracting analytes of interest from complex matrices. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is an important sampling tool. It consists of placing a coated fiber above a sample (headspace mode) or immersing it in a liquid such that molecules (analytes) of interest can be selectively extracted and concentrated. The captured species are then released by heating or dissolution into a chromatograph for separation and identification. It is a ‘green’ method because no additional solvent is used in this process. We have developed a new class of SPME fibers that offer extraordinary capacity and speed. They are prepared by sputtering a material under conditions that lead to a nanoporous coating on the fiber. When silicon is sputtered under these conditions, its outermost surface can be additionally oxidized, leading to a high density of silanol groups than can be subsequently silanized. For example, the fibers can be derivatized with octadecyldimethylmethoxysilane by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which creates a hydrophobic extraction medium. The performance of our 2 micron sputtered coatings has been compared to that of thicker (7 micron) commercial coatings. Our fiber consistently outperforms the commercial fiber, showing significantly higher capacity for alcohols, amines, aldehydes, and esters. Real world samples, e.g., hops and PAH from water, have also been analyzed. Different coating thicknesses have been prepared and evaluated. Sputtered coatings have been characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and wetting.