Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds that due to their low solubility in water frequently require the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) in order to achieve concentrations within attainable detection limits for analysis. In order to concentrate and detect POPs containing aromatic rings polystyrene-poly(dimethylsiloxane)  block copolymers (PS-PDMS) have shown increased selectivity and larger partition coefficients (K).  This is likely due π-π interactions between the aromatic styrene in the polymer and the aromatic regions of the POPs. The PAHs examined in this experiment were Naphthalene, Anthracene, Pyrene, and Coronene. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to monitor concentrations of PAHs in order to determine partition coefficients. The experimentally determined log K for PDMS and the PAHs examined were approximately 3, while the experimentally determined log K for the block copolymers and PAHs ranged from 4-5 for a polymer 23% polystyrene and 77% polydimethylsiloxane. The experimental log K for polystyrene with the PAHs ranged from 3-4 showing that having PDMS present in the copolymer increased partitioning. This difference in log K values indicates that the experimental polymer will be 10-100 times better at partitioning PAHs then either of the polymers on their own.

Solid phase microextraction with polystyrene- poly(dimethylsiloxane) block copolymers

249th National Meeting (2015)

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