Application of an ampholine-functionalized hybrid organic–inorganic silica material for the SPE of aromatic amines

An SPE cartridge based on an ampholine-functionalized hybrid organic–inorganic silica sorbent has been adopted for the analysis of aromatic amines including 4-aminobiphenyl, benzidine, 2-naphthylamine, p -chloroaniline, 2,4,5-trimethylaniline, and 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine. Crucial variables governing the extraction efficiency of the material such as the pH of sample, sample loading volume, solvent used for elution, and elution volume have been thoroughly optimized. The adsorption capacities for the six aromatic amines ranged from 0.17 to 1.82 μg/mg. The recoveries of aromatic amines spiked in textile samples ranged from 78.9 to 103.0%, with RSDs of 1.1–11.9% ( n = 3). Moreover, the extraction efficiency of the ampholine-functionalized hybrid organic–inorganic silica sorbent was at least comparable with that of Oasis WCX.