Niobium(V) oxide coated on thin glass–ceramic rod as a solid phase microextraction fiber

The efficiency of niobium(V) oxide as a sorbent phase for solid phase microextraction (SPME) was investigated. The thin glass–ceramic rod was coated with niobium(V) oxide using chemical vapor deposition and Nb2O5 as a chemical precursor. Optimum conditions for the preparation and conditioning of the fibers are presented. The fibers were used for the extraction of a mixture of alcohols and a mixture of phenols from the headspace samples. The results obtained proved the suitability of niobium(V) oxide as a new SPME fiber. The calibration graphs for alcohols and phenols in a concentration range of 50–1000 μg l−1 were linear (r > 0.995) and the detection limits were below 0.8 μg l−1 level. The repeatability for one fiber (n = 6) under similar conditions was between 3 and 10.4%. The fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n = 6) was between 5 and 15%.