Headspace gas chromatographic determination of 1,4-dioxane with adsorption preconcentration on silica modified with λ-carrageenan

Abstract

Organosilica materials containing λ-carrageenan on their surface are synthesized. The conditions for the immobilization of the polysaccharide, such as phase contact time and pH and concentration of solutions, are optimized. It is shown that the chemisorption of the polysaccharide passes through ion exchange multipoint immobilization, which provides a high hydrolytic stability of the prepared organosilica. The rate of washing of λ-carrageenan to the solution does not exceed 0.5%. The physical and chemical characteristics of the new material are studied. In particular, it is shown that the material is completely stable up to 200°C and reversibly desorbs water at 120°C; it well adsorbs 1,4-dioxane from the gas phase and desorbs it under heating to 70°C. This ensures the use of the prepared carrageenan-containing material as an adsorbent for a solid-phase cartridge designed for the adsorption preconcentration of 1,4-dioxane in its headspace gas chromatographic determination in samples of nonionic surfactants. The developed procedure ensures the determination of 1,4-dioxane by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector in the concentration range 0.012–3.750 mg/L with a limit of detection of 0.0014 mg/L. Preconcentration lowers the limit of detection in the determination of 1,4-dioxane by 50 times.