Combined use of carbon nanotubes and ionic liquid to improve the determination of antidepressants in urine samples by liquid chromatography

Abstract

Antidepressants are widely used for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and therefore their monitoring in biological fluids is quite important taking into account that they can produce dangerous biochemical imbalances in toxic doses. A method for the determination of antidepressants in urine samples is presented using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection. Home-made cartridges containing 30 mg multiwall carbon nanotubes are employed for isolation of the analytes from the sample, allowing also the preconcentration of the analytes prior to the HPLC analysis. Chromatographic separation was achieved in a reversed-phase C(8) column using the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate as silanol activity suppressor, which enhances peak symmetry and chromatographic resolution. Limits of detection were 12.3 ng mL(-1) for trazodone and 90.1 ng mL(-1) for fluoxetine. The repeatability of the proposed method expressed as RSD (n = 11) varied between 3.4% (fluoxetine) and 5.0% (desipramine and mianserine). Thus, the method is suitable for the therapeutic monitoring of antidepressants in urine samples.

Application of ionic liquids as mobile phase additives and surface-bonded stationary phase in liquid chromatography

“…Furthermore, [EMIm] [BF 4 ] can suppress the influence of the pH shift on the HPLC separation. Recently Cruz-Vera and co-workers used IL as a silanol activity suppressor to improve the determination of antidepressants in urine samples by LC [33]. According to the presented results, the developed method is a useful tool for the determination and therapeutic monitoring of nine antidepressants in urine samples.…”

Application of Carbon Nanotubes in Chiral and Achiral Separations of Pharmaceuticals, Biologics and Chemicals

“…Magnetic MWCNTs and ionic liquid have been developed together for the separation of flavonoids in human urine [167]. Developing MWCNTs with an ionic liquid as silanol suppressor with SPE-HPLC system improved the chromatographic separations of antidepressants [168]. The incorporation of MWCNTs into room temperature ionic liquid, thus, is considered an effective way to enhance the separation of compounds in biological samples.…”

Carbon‐based sorbents in chromatography. New achievements

“…The LOD values were 12.3 and 90.1 ng/mL for trazodone and fluoxetine, respectively, the RSD values being 3.4-5.0%. The method was proposed for the determination of these antidepressants in urine samples (Cruz-Vera et al, 2008).…”