Title:Novel Salt-Assisted Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Technique for Environmental,
Food, and Biological Samples Analysis Applications: A Review
Volume: 18
Issue: 5
Author(s): Raghavendra Rao Pasupuleti, Swapnil Gurrani, Pei-Chien Tsai and Vinoth Kumar Ponnusamy*
Affiliation:
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Nano and Green Analytical Lab, Kaohsiung Medical University
(KMU), Kaohsiung City-807, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University
(KMU), Kaohsiung City-807, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
(KMUH), Kaohsiung City-807, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU),
Kaohsiung City-804, Taiwan
Keywords:
Sample preparation, salt-assisted liquid-liquid extraction, environmental, biological samples, food samples, analysis.
Abstract: Background: Sample preparation has gained significant recognition in the chemical
analysis workflow. Substantial efforts have been made to simplify the comprehensive process of
sample preparation that is focused on green sample preparation methodology, including the miniaturization
of extraction method, elimination of the sample pre-treatment as well as the posttreatment
steps, elimination of toxic as well as hazardous organic solvent consumption, reduction in
sample volume requirements, reduction of the extraction time, maximization of the extraction efficiency
and possible automation.
Methods: Among various microextraction processes, liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) is most
abundantly used in the extraction of the target analytes. The salting-out phenomenon has been introduced
into the LPME procedure and has been raised as a new technique called the ‘Salt-Assisted
Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (SALLME)’. The principle is based on decreasing the solubility of
the less polar solvent or analyte with an increase in the concentration of the salt in an aqueous solution
leading to two-phase separation.
Results: SALLME is mainly based on the salting-out phase separation phenomenon. It is important
to optimize the SALLME experimental parameters, such as solvent volume, salt amount, and extraction
time, to achieve the maximum extraction capacity of the target analytes from the sample matrices.
Conclusion: SALLME proved to be a simple, rapid, and cost-effective sample preparation technique
for the efficient extraction and preconcentration of organic and inorganic contaminants from
various sample matrices, including environmental, biological, and food samples. SALLME exhibits
higher extraction efficiency and recovery and is compatible with multiple analytical instruments. This
review provides an overview of developments in SALLME technique and its applications to date.
