Evaluation of sulfonic acid functionalized covalent triazine framework as a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance/cation-exchange mixed-mode sorbent for extraction of benzimidazole fungicides in vegetables, fruits and juices

The functionalization of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) enhances chemical properties and expands future applications. Herein, a facile strategy for sulfoacid-functionalized COF is presented through post-modification of covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) platform. The magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) material is obtained by anchoring in situ Ni particles on CTF support (Ni/CTF-SO3H) possessing a dual retention mechanism combining hydrophilic-lipophilic-balance (HLB) and cation-exchange interaction. We established the (Ni/CTF-SO3H)-MSPE method for selectively enriching carbendazim (CBZ) and thiabendazole (TBZ) from food samples and reducing matrix effect simultaneously. The method detection limit is 1.23-7.05 µg kg-1 for CBZ and TBZ in vegetable, fruit and juice samples, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector. The recoveries of spiked CBZ and TBZ in the samples are 80.2-115.1% and RSDs 6.0-11.4%, depending on both analytes and samples. Our work provides a unique perspective in the development of functionalized COFs as a versatile HLB/cation-exchange mixed-mode SPE sorbent for extraction of basic analytes in complex matrix.