Molecularly imprinted stir bar sorptive extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography for trace analysis of sulfa drugs in complex samples

A novel sulfamethazine molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-coated stir bar for sorptive extraction of eight sulfa drugs from biological samples was prepared. The MIP-coating was about 20 μm thickness with the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 6.7% (n = 10). It was characterized by scanning electron microscope, infrared spectrum, thermogravimetric analysis, and solvent-resistant investigation, respectively. The non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-coating was used for comparison. The adsorptive capacity and selectivity of MIP-coating were evaluated in detail. The MIP-coating showed higher adsorption capability and selectivity than the NIP-coating. The saturated adsorption amount of the MIP-coating was 4.6 times over that of the NIP-coating in toluene. Sulfamethazine could be detected after the MIP-coated stir bar sorptive extraction even at a low concentration of 0.2 μg/L. The MIP-coating also exhibited selective adsorption ability to analogues of the template. A method for the determination of eight sulfa drugs in biological samples by MIP coated stir bar sorptive extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed. The extraction conditions, including extraction solvent, extraction time, desorption solvent, desorption time and stirring speed, were optimized. The linear ranges were 1.0–100 μg/L and 2.0–100 μg/L for eight sulfonamides, respectively. The detection limits were within the range of 0.20–0.72 μg/L. The method was successfully applied to simultaneous multi-residue analysis of eight sulfonamides in spiked pork, liver and chicken samples with the satisfactory recoveries.