Síntese de polímeros de impressão molecular magnéticos para extração seletiva de nicotina e cotinina em urina seguido de análise por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas

Abstract

In this study, a magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) was synthesized, characterized and used in the selective extraction of nicotine and cotinine from urine samples followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation method using FeCl3.6H2O, FeCl2.4H2O and ammonia. After, the particles were silanized/stabilized with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and functionalized with 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (MPS). The MIP has been prepared on the magnetic nanoparticles by the precipitation polymerization method, using nicotine, methacrylic acid, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 4,4′-Azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) and acetonitrile as template, functional monomer, cross-linker, initiator and solvent, respectively. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and thermogravimetry. All the characterization results confirmed the nature of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles, as well as their subsequent treatments with TEOS, MPS and the MIP synthesis. The particles were used to extract nicotine and cotinine from urine samples in a dispersive solid phase extraction procedure employing an external magnet to separate the particles from the sample. The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS. Selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode was used and three ions in a group at m/z 162, 84, 133, and m/z 176, 147, 98 were used to monitor nicotine and cotinine, respectively. The analytical range was 0.1 to 3.0 mg L-1 (r > 0.99), with a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.1 mg L-1 for both analytes. The intra- and interday precision (as RSD) were less than 20% for the LOQ and less than 15% for other points; and intra- and inter day accuracies (as relative error) were within ± 9%. The method was employed to analyze nicotine and cotinine in four smokers' urine samples. The cotinine concentrations ranged from 0.19 to 0.28 mg L-1, whereas the nicotine was detected in concentrations lower than LOQ. Thus, the method was suitable for tobacco exposure monitoring, once the cotinine can be considered the most suitable biomarker for this purpose.