Example 1
A 50 ng/mL solution of the internal standards containing EMPA, IMPA, PMPA, CMPA, MMPA was prepared in HPLC grade water. Four SPME fibers were evaluated for selectivity with the internal sample solution. The fibers evaluated were 100 μm PDMS, 60 μm PDMS/DVB, 50 μm CW/TPR, and 85 μm PA. Each fiber was given a 5 minute adsorption time in 3 mL of the internal standard solution, followed immediately by dynamic injection (desorption into the flowing stream of mobile phase) using a Supelco® SPME/HPLC interface. Peaks were observed in accordance with all of the IS transitions and retention times. The CW/TPR fiber provided the most intense response, followed by the PDMS, the PDMS/DVB, and finally the PA fiber. The CW/TPR fiber also provided the most balanced response for all the acids investigated. The PDMS fiber provided peak area responses that were skewed towards the earlier eluting, more hydrophobic side-chained acids (PMPA, MMPA, and CMPA) suggesting that they exhibited greater partitioning into the hydrophobic PDMS phase. The PDMS/DVB response was similar to the PDMS but slightly less intense, and the PA fiber response was low.