Cloud point extraction for simultaneous determination of 12 phenolic compounds by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive method based on cloud point extraction was developed for the separation and preconcentration of 12 phenolic compounds (hydroquinone, resorcinol, catechol, phenol, β-naphthol, bisphenol A, α-naphthol, 4-tert-butylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol, nonylphenol, octylphenol, and 4-n-nonylphenol) from environmental water samples for subsequent analysis by high performance liquid chromatography. The nonionic surfactant Tergitol 15-S-7 was chosen as the extractant. The analytes were detected using a fluorescence detector. Gradient elution was performed with a mobile phase mixture of acetonitrile and water at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min− 1. Various experimental parameters affecting the analytical performance were optimized in detail. Under the optimum conditions, the correlation coefficients were all above 0.997 and the limit of detection range for the analytes was 0.03 to 8.5 μg L− 1. The proposed approach was successfully applied to the determination of 12 analytes in environment water samples with good recoveries (88.7%–106%).