Reduced graphene oxide-based magnetic composite for trace determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cosmetics by stir bar sorptive dispersive microextraction.

This work describes a sensitive and rapid analytical method for trace determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cosmetic samples. The proposed method is based on stir bar sorptive-dispersive microextraction (SBSDME). A magnetic composite made of CoFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles embedded into reduced graphene oxide sheets is used as sorbent phase. After the extraction, the target analytes are desorbed in toluene and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main parameters involved in the extraction procedure (i.e., composite amount, extraction time and desorption time) were evaluated and optimized to provide the best extraction efficiency. The method was successfully validated under the selected conditions, showing a linear range of at least up to 125 ng mL-1, instrumental and method limits of detection from 0.02 to 2.50 ng mL-1 and from 0.15 to 24.22 ng g-1, respectively, and relative standard deviations (RSD) below 10 % for all the target analytes. Standard addition combined with internal standard calibration was employed for quantification. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of ten PAHs in four cosmetic products of different matrix. Several analytes between 14 and 464 ng g-1 were found, some of them prohibited in cosmetic products. This work expands the analytical potential of SBSDME technique to other analytes and to the use of new sorbent phases, showing the great versatility of this approach depending on the characteristics of the analytes.