Magnetic phytic acid-modified kapok fiber biochar as a novel sorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction of antidepressants in biofluids

Background Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antidepressants is essential for monitoring patient medication to avoid drug toxicity, complications, or nonadherence. Chromatographic techniques with high sensitivity and reproducibility are the main detection method for antidepressants. Effective pretreatment of biological sample processes is necessary prior to instrumental analysis. Magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) has received much attention for its advantages of simple operation, rapidity, cost-effectiveness and low organic solvent consumption. Therefore, the development of a suitable and green magnetic sorbent for the detection of antidepressants in plasma and urine is apparently necessary. (88) Results A magnetic phytic acid-modified kapok fiber biochar sorbent (Fe 3 O 4 /PAKFBC) was successfully synthesized by pyrolytic impregnation and physical milling methods. Fe 3 O 4 /PAKFBC exhibited a large specific surface area (214 m 2  g −1 ) and a rich pore structure (5–10 nm). The extraction equilibrium, using 10 mg Fe 3 O 4 /PAKFBC, can be completed in about 1 min. The density functional theory (DFT) results showed that the adsorption mechanism of Fe 3 O 4 /PAKFBC on the six antidepressants mainly included electrostatic interactions, van der Waals interactions, π-π interactions and weak hydrogen bonding. Examination using the greenness assessment tools showed that the developed method exhibited excellent greenness. By combining with liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (LC-UV), a quantitative method with good linearity (R 2  > 0.993) and relative recoveries (92.4–107.7%) and negligible matrix effect (−11.5–6.0%) was developed. The Fe 3 O 4 /PAKFBC successfully detected six antidepressants in plasma and urine samples, requiring no pH adjustment with buffer salts. (142) Significance The environmental sustainability of the proposed methods was affirmed by six greenness evaluation tools, all indicating exceptional eco-friendliness. The Fe 3 O 4 /PAKFBC demonstrated outstanding greenness in both its creation and analytical application, proving highly effective in real sample applications and showcasing potential for broader use. This study contributes to a deeper and broader understanding of the microscopic adsorption mechanism, which can help in the optimization and development of more green sorbents. (69).