Separation and Preconcentration of Atrazine on Magnetic Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes before Determination in Food and Water Samples by High-Performance LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD)

This work focuses upon the easy and efficient synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) decorated with magnetite used in the vortex-assisted magnetic solid-phase microextraction (VA-m-mu-SPE) of atrazine in water and food samples. The nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectroscopy. Parameters that influenced VA-m-mu-SPE (pH, mMWCNT mass, extraction time, eluent type and volume, and sample volume) were optimized. The presented technique provided a preconcentration factor of 10-fold with limits of detection and quantification of 2.1 mu g L-1 and 6.4 mu g L-1, respectively, and a linear range from 12.5 to 250 mu g L-1. VA-m-mu-SPE has been applied in the preconcentration and determination of atrazine in the natural waters. In addition, atrazine was determined in ginger and fennel.