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A selective cavitand-based solid-phase microextraction coating was synthesized for the determination of nitroaromatic explosives and explosive taggants at trace levels in air and soil. A quinoxaline cavitand functionalized with a carboxylic group at the upper rim was used to enhance selectivity toward analytes containing nitro groups. The fibers were characterized in terms of film thickness, morphology, thermal stability, and pH resistance. An average coating thickness of 50 (±4) μm, a thermal stability until 400 °C, and an excellent fiber-to-fiber and batch to batch repeatability with RSD lower than 4% were obtained. The capabilities of the developed coating for the selective sampling of nitroaromatic explosives were proved achieving LOD values in the low ppbv and ng kg(-1) range, respectively, for air and soil samples.

The food industry has a direct interest to bitter-tasting substances, either for the identification of negative off-flavors or for the monitoring of organoleptic quality. Polyphenols (such as catechins and epicathechins) are among the main molecular components responsible for the bitter taste of coffee/cocoa/chocolate-based products. The electrochemical detection of epicatechin through adsorptive stripping voltammetry on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-modified Pt electrodes has been investigated. The accumulation conditions were defined in order to record repeatable and reproducible electrochemical signals. Calibration plots were built in the 0.2-2.5 ppm concentration range of epicatechin in phosphate buffer solutions, pH 7. Preliminary tests in aqueous extraction solutions of biscuits containing different percentages of cocoa were performed; they confirmed, in principle, the effectiveness of the device and of the procedure proposed for the epicatechin determination by simple extraction from complex food matrice

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