High throughput screening of phenoxy carboxylic acids with dispersive solid phase extraction followed by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry.

A high throughput, low environmental impact methodology for rapid determination of phenoxy carboxylic acids (PCAs) in water samples was developed by combing dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) using velvet-like graphitic carbon nitride (V-g-C3N4) and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). Due to the large surface area and good dispersity of V-g-C3N4, the DSPE of PCAs in water was completed within 20 s, and the elution of PCAs was accomplished in 20 s as well using methanol. The eluents were then analyzed and quantified using DART ionization source coupled to a high resolution mass spectrometer, where an internal standard was added in the samples. The limit of detection ranged from 0.5 ng L-1 to 2 ng L-1 on the basis of 50 mL water sample; the recovery 79.9-119.1%; and the relative standard deviation 0.23%-9.82% (≥5 replicates). With the ease of use and speed of DART-MS, the whole protocol can complete within mere minutes, including sample preparation, extraction, elution, detection and quantitation. The methodology developed here is simple, fast, sensitive, quantitative, requiring little sample preparation and consuming significantly less toxic organic solvent, which can be used for high throughput screening of PCAs and potentially other contaminants in water.