A novel solid-phase extraction device for the pneumatic cycle pharmaceuticals residues adsorption: A proof of concept study

In this study, a pneumatic cycle device, herein called the air-operated solid-phase extraction (AO-SPE), was designed for the enrichment of pharmaceutical residues. The device consisted of two parts: an air circulation system and an adsorption system. The continuous air flow ensured that the water sample flowed past the adsorbent, completing the adsorption process. One significant advantage of this device is that the air circulation system can generate pneumatic cycle adsorption with the continuous air flow, increasing the interaction between the adsorbent and the target analytes. Additionally, the entire device is easy to install and dismantle, and the adsorbent can be easily replaced, making the AO-SPE suitable for various types of adsorbents materials tailored to specific target analytes. The smart design is aimed at extracting trace analytes in the large-volume water samples. As a proof-of-concept, the AO-SPE was applied to enrich non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in soil. A Ce-based metal organic framework composite was prepared and applied to verify the applicability of AO-SPE, exhibiting the enrichment factor of up to 538. The results showed that AO-SPE exhibited a maneuverable approach with high efficiency and sensitivity for analyzing large-volume samples, indicating a great potential for extracting of trace analytes.