Abstract: For the first time, a diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) device using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as the binding agent and nylon membrane (NM) as the diffusive layer (NM-MIP-DGT) has been developed for sampling 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in water. The MIP was prepared by precipitation polymerization with methacrylic acid as monomer and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate as cross-linker. The diffusion coefficient of 4-CP through NM was obtained to be 0.788 -¦ 0.040 μ cm2 s-1 by diffusion cell method. The ratio was 1.01 ± 0.05 (mean ± standard deviation) for the concentration of 4-CP sampled by NM-MIP-DGT and analyzed by HPLC method to the total concentration of 4-CP in the synthetic solution where free 4-CP species dominated. The results showed that NM-MIP-DGT could sample 4-CP in synthetic solution accurately. The performance of NM-MIP-DGT for sampling 4-CP was independent of pH in the range of 3 - 7 and ionic strength in the range of 0.0001 - 0.1 mol L-1 NaCl solution. The concentration of free form of 4-CP sampled by NM-MIP-DGT decreased with the increasing concentration of dissolved organic carbon in different water samples due to the electrostatic interaction of natural organic compounds with 4-CP. 1.8 mg L-1 of the free form of 4-CP was determined by HPLC which was sampled by NM-MIP-DGT in an intermediate untreated industrial effluent. The NM-MIP-DGT can be a potential passive tool for sampling the free form of 4-CP in water
Template and target information: 4-chlorophenol, 4-CP, p-chlorophenol
Author keywords: Diffusive gradients in thin films, 4-Chlorophenol, Nylon membrane, molecularly imprinted polymer