A novel gas lift-based SPE device and MOFs-modified adsorbent for the enrichment of pharmaceutical pollutants

Sample pretreatment prior to analysis is crucial for enhancing the quality of detection of target analytes. Herein, we propose a novel, easy-to-assemble continuous gas lift extraction device for the extraction of pharmaceutical pollutants. As a proof-of-concept, we assess the performance of the developed system through laboratory-scale experiments utilizing a homemade adsorbent. This device works by inserting an upright hollow cylindrical tube into the sample solution, with the upper end fitted with an air inlet and the lower end is equipped with a porous adsorbent. When gas is injected into the tube, the sample solution is circulated through the porous adsorbent driven by the pressure differential created by gas movement, thereby facilitating capture of target components within the sample solution. The adsorbent can be replaced based on the target molecule. We synthesize a type of porous adsorbent in the shape of a round cake, made from quartz sand that is surface-modified with a Zr-based metal–organic framework, using a solvothermal method. The experimental results indicate that the developed extraction method exhibits good performance with the limit of detections of 0.045–0.25 ng/mL, thereby demonstrating its potential for real-world applications.