Synthesis of a molecularly imprinted polymer and its application for microextraction by packed sorbent for the determination of fluoroquinolone related compounds in water Original Research Article

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been synthesized by precipitation polymerization using ciprofloxacin (CIP) as template for the analysis of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs). This MIP material was packed as sorbent in a device for microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) combined with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) for the analysis of selected FQs drugs including CIP, norfloxacin (NOR) and ofloxacin (OFLO) in municipal wastewater samples. In comparison to the new MIP-MEPS procedure, the target compounds were also determined by solid-phase extraction (MISPE) using the new molecular imprinted polymer material to validate the new MIP-MEPS method. The ability of the MIP for molecular recognition of CIP, NOR and OFLO was proved in presence of structurally different environmental relevant substances such as quinolones (Qs), flumequine (FLU), di(methyl)phthalate (DMP), technical 4-nonylphenol (NP), caffeine, Galaxolide®, Tonalid®, di(butyl)phthalate (DBP), Triclosan, bisphenol-A (BPA), carbamazepine, di(ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), estradiol and octocrylene. The analysis of wastewater samples revealed the high selectivity of the synthesized polymer which was able to recognize and retain the target analytes by both extraction methods, the offline SPE with MIP material and the semi-automated MEPS packed with MIP material.