Liquid-liquid microextraction with green solvents and in microfluidic systems in sample preparation of food and beverage

Abstract

Separation and pre-concentration steps are common in analytical procedures aimed at determining species at low concentrations in complex matrices, including foods. In these samples, sample preparation is a critical step. Conventional approaches, such as liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction, usually consume high volumes of organic solvents, are time-consuming, and generate large amounts of waste. Therefore, more sustainable, practical, and low-cost analytical procedures are necessary to ensure the characteristics (sensory, nutritional, and health) of foods. This project proposes to develop analytical strategies based on microextraction, exploring green solvents, magnetic nanoparticles, and microfluidic devices for the preparation of food samples: (i) microextraction with two-phase aqueous systems for the determination of bioactive compounds; (ii) liquid-liquid microextraction with hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents for the determination of fat-soluble vitamins and (iii) microextraction with magnetic deep eutectic solvents in microfluidic devices for the determination of bisphenol with fluorometric detection or by digital image photometry. The performance of the developed procedures will be critically evaluated and compared with reference procedures. The strategies will contribute to food quality control in a practical, fast, and sustainable way, complying with the principles of Green Chemistry.