Low-cost Scholl-coupling microporous polymer as an efficient solid-phase microextraction coating for the detection of light aromatic compounds

Abstract A cost-effective microporous polymer was synthesized using cheap monomer and catalyst via one-step Scholl-coupling reaction, and its chemical, morphological characteristics and pore structure were investigated. The as-synthesized polymer with large surface area and narrow pore distribution (centered in 1.2 nm) was prepared as a fiber coating for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Headspace SPME was used for the extraction of the light aromatic compounds, e.g. benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m -xylene, naphthalene and acenaphthene. The parameters influencing the extraction and desorption efficiencies, such as extraction temperature and time, salt concentration, desorption temperature and time were investigated and optimized. The results showed that the home-made fiber had superior extraction efficiencies compared with the commercial PDMS fiber. Under the optimized conditions, low detection limits (0.01–1.3 ng/L), wide linear ranges (from 50 to 20000 ng/L to 1–20000 ng/L), good repeatability (4.2–9.3%, n = 6) and reproducibility (0.30–11%, n = 3) were achieved. Moreover, the practical applicability of the coating and proposed method was evaluated by determining the target light aromatic compounds in environmental water samples with satisfied recoveries (83.2%–116%).