Hydrophobic interaction electrokinetic chromatography for the separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using non-aqueous matrices

Capillary electrophoresis methodology is developed to provide a rapid, inexpensive and robust technique for screening polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water using additive complexation. A series of conventional RPLC ion-pairing agents are investigated in three different totally non-aqueous separation solvents, and the relative role of hydrophobic interaction versus electrostatic association is evaluated. Methanol is found to provide optimal selectivity when coupled with the tetrahexylammonium cation providing total analysis times of approximately 15 min for the analysis of thirteen 2–7-ring PAH pollutants. Solid-phase microextraction is demonstrated to be an effective sample preparation technique for extraction/preconcentration of PAHs from water into methanol run buffer prior to injection.