C18-modified halloysite as a novel sorbent in matrix solid-phase dispersion for the extraction of bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol from human placenta

In the current study, the C18-modified halloysite was fabricated via silylation reaction and subsequently used as sorbent in matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for the extraction of bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol from human placenta, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The as-prepared sorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Varied parameters such as methanol concentration in wash solvent, pH and salt concentration in elution solvent, elution volume, and mass ratio of sample to sorbent were optimized. The adsorption capacities of bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol on the developed C18-modified halloysite were 6.3 and 14.2 mg g −1 , respectively, higher than those on the commercial C18 silica gel. Under the optimal condition, the average recoveries of bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol by MSPD varied from 91.0 to 106.0%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 10.6% for human placenta samples. The limits of detection in the human placenta were 0.2 μg kg −1 for bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol. The simple C18-modified halloysite-based MSPD method holds great potential for the determination of trace bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol in the human placenta and other tissues of pregnant women with high sensitivity, accuracy, and reliability. Graphical abstract