Multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the determination of Cephalexin in aqueous solution

Surface hydrophobicity is one of the most important chemical properties of carbon nanotubes which causes a wide range of materials and compounds adsorption on the surface of these nano structures. In this work, by considering this characteristic of carbon nanotubes, their ability inadsorption of cephalexin at the trace level from aqueous solution has been tested. Samples were strongly adsorbed by carbon nanotubes and satisfying recovery was obtained. Analyses of samples were carried out by help of high performance liquid chromatography and UV. To find out the retention capabilities of cephalexin on carbon nanotubes, constant amount of analyte was added to different volumes up to 100ml and removed by sorbent. The preconcentration of cephalexin on carbon nanotubes followed by high performance liquid chromatography allows the detection of 0.15-0.2 μg/ml of cephalexin. Recoveries of spiked sample analysis in optimum situation ranged from 95.2% to 96.8%.

Keywords:

Carbon nanotubes , Solid-phase extraction , High performance liquid chromatography , Cephalexin