Coated glass capillaries as SPME (solid-phase microextraction) devices for DART mass spectrometry

What is it about?

Solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) provides high‐throughput sample cleanup and pre‐concentration. Here we demonstrate coated glass capillaries (CGCs) as SPME devices for specific applications in direct analysis in real time (DART) mass spectrometry, referred to as “CGC‐DART”, for rapid screening of environmental contaminants at low parts‐per‐trillion detection limits and with accurate identification of analytes.

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Why is it important?

A one‐step extraction process in minutes by dipping the coated glass capillaries (CGC) in solutions containing the analytes (e.g. environmental pollutants), and then placing the CGC in a DART source for analysis. CGCs are disposable and relatively inexpensive in comparison with SPME devices, and can be prepared with hydrophobic, hydrophilic or mixed‐mode materials similar to SPME. CGCs were prepared by adsorption coating with incubation of capillaries in saturated solutions of octadecylamine or covalent activation of silanes.