Comparison of the solid-phase extraction efficiency of a bounded and an included cyclodextrin-silica microporous composite for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons determination in water samples.

Solid-phase extraction is one of the most important techniques for sample purification and concentration. A wide variety of solid phases have been used for sample preparation over time. In this work, the efficiency of a new kind of solid-phase extraction adsorbent, which is a microporous material made from modified cyclodextrin bounded to a silica network, is evaluated through an analytical method which combines solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography to determine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples.

Low-Cost Synthesis of Bimodal Mesoporous Silica-Based Materials by Pseudomorphic Transformation.

Nanoparticulate bimodal porous silica-based materials have been prepared through a surfactant-assisted procedure by using a simple template and starting from inexpensive sodium silicate as silicon source. Different procedural variables, such as pH or the nature and concentration of the surfactant, have been explored to optimize the preparative protocol, which allows, in turn, improved understanding of the formation process. The final bulk materials (called UVM-10 or M-UVM-10) are formed by pseudomorphic transformation of fresh silica-based xerogels under mild basic conditions.