Antonio Canals

• Ph.D.
• Full Porfessor at University of Alicante

In this work, the surface nature‐dependent behaviors of magnetic deep eutectic solvents (MDESs) and magnetic low‐transition‐temperature non‐volatile mixtures (MLTTMs) are reported for the first time. It has been observed that the surface of the material where the MDES or the MLTTM is placed could considerably affect the dispersion and the magnetic...

A periodic study of the engine oil can allow to anticipate possible breakdowns that the vehicle could have. Due to the complexity of the matrix of this type of samples,...

A new fast, sensitive, and environmentally friendly analytical method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in wastewater samples using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP OES). A preconcentration step using a magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSP...

A new and environmentally friendly analytical method for simultaneous determination of As, Cd, Hg and Pb in drug samples by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) has been developed. In order to increase the sensitivity of the analysis, a multinebulizer has been used for chemical vapor generation (CVG) after a dispersive...

Introduction: Population-based fecal tests for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening have shown to reduce mortality thanks to the early detection of the disease. However, currently available fecal tests are limited in their sensitivity and specificity. Our aim is to look for volatile organic compounds in fecal samples as biomarkers for CRC detection....

A new natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES)-based analytical method for mercury speciation in water samples is presented. A NADES (i.e., decanoic acid:DL-menthol in a molar ratio of 1:2) is used as an environmentally friendly extractant for separation and preconcentration using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction before LC-UV–Vis. Under optima...

An on-line synthesis of CDots is proposed for the first time, using the flow injection analysis (FIA) technique, which was coupled, in a single system, to the analytical determination of aluminium in water samples. The nanoparticles were obtained from the carbonization of glucose and iron(III) in an acidic medium, and their photoluminescence increa...

In this work, the determination of different metals (i.e., Al, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and V) in engine lubricating oils by microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP AES) has been...

Two analytical methods based on miniaturized electrochemical sensors, voltammetric and amperometric sensors, have been developed for the determination of 6-methyl-2-thiouracil (MTU) in meat consumption samples (beef liver and foie). A multivariate approach has been considered to optimize the experimental procedure including extraction and electroch...

Analytical Nebulizers: Fundamentals and Applications presents the fundamentals of analytical nebulizers, including types, aerosol generation, characterization, and design information of various classes of nebulizers such as nanonebulizers, multinebulizers, electrosprays, and ultrasonic nebulizers. The continuous development of new analytical techni...

A novel simple, environmentally friendly and portable method to determine vitamin E in edible oils based on reversed-phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with electrochemical detection using screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) has been developed. Vitamin E was extracted from oil samples into a 4 M HCl aqueous solution and de...

A simple, sensitive and matrix-effect free analytical method for simultaneous determination of Cd, Hg and Pb in drug samples (i.e., commercial dosage tablets) by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) has been developed. According to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Chapter 232, those metals are considered elemental...

A simple, fast, sensitive and green pretreatment method for determination of Cd, Co, Hg, Ni, Pb and V in oral and parenteral drug samples using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) has been developed. According to United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), those metals must be reported in all pharmaceutical products for qualit...

A new portable and simple 3D printed device was designed for free chlorine determination in water samples. The analytical method was based on the quenching caused by free chlorine on the fluorescence emission of the carbon dots (CD) synthesized from citric acid and urea. The fluorescence was captured through the camera of a smartphone, which was co...

The advantages of the microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES) for hydride generation (HG) by means of modified Multi Mode Sample Introduction System (MSIS®) have been revealed for analysis of As and Sb in complex real samples. Two main outcomes have been achieved: i) reliable analysis and higher tolerability to less diluted matrices...

In this work a green and fast sample preparation method based on reversed-phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (RP-DLLME) was developed for the separation and preconcentration of several elements (i.e., Ag, As,...

A new concept of nebulizer (i.e., multinebulizer) has been employed for trace elements (e.g., Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) determination in marine biota sample (e.g., fish sample). To this end, an analytical methodology based on the combination of a multinebulizer with isotope dilution (ID) calibration strategy and inductively coupled plasma mass sp...

In this study, a sensitive and matrix-effect free analytical method for Cd determination in engine oils and fuel samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry has been successfully developed. The extractant solvent used for the microextraction procedure was a magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) (i.e....

A novel, simple, fast, sensitive and environmentally friendly approach is presented to determine cadmium in urine samples, combining magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSPE) for sample preparation and screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) for square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry. This association involves the miniaturization of sam...

A new, inexpensive and easy to use 3D printable device was developed for nephelometric and fluorimetric determination. Its applicability was tested for the quantification of quinine in tonic drinks and sulfate in natural water with good analytical accuracy. In this way, sulfate determination was carried out by nephelometry using a red LED, while qu...

The continuous release of anthropogenic pollutants into marine environment increases the needs for the development of analytical procedures for their accurate determination in many sample types. Sound strategies for seafood safety monitoring call for measurement systems capable of producing comparable analytical results with demonstrated quality. M...

Magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSPE) is combined with electrochemical detection by using a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles to determine lead(II). A zeolite-based magnetic composite was used as sorbent during sample preparation, thus combining the unique properties of zeolites as sorbent materials with...

A novel approach is presented to determine four bisphenols in water and urine samples, employing magnetic dispersive solid‐phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography and diode array detection. A modified zeolite‐based magnetic composite was used as an efficient sorbent, combining the advantages of magnetic materials with the remarkable pr...

A new multinebulizer has been employed for wear metal (e.g., Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb) determination in used lubricating oils. To this end, a multinebulizer-based analytical methodology has been proposed by on-line standard dilution analysis (on-line SDA) before inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) detection (multine...

This study is the first to use a new ZSM-5 zeolite-based composite decorated with iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles and modified with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant (i.e., HDTMA-ZSM-5/Fe2O3) as an efficient sorbent for magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSPE) of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in water and urine sample...

This review focuses on the combination of elemental detection techniques with liquid-phase microextraction (LPME), namely, single drop microextraction, hollow fiber based liquid-phase microextraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and related techniques. General features of different microextraction procedures, historical overview and a...

Zeolites are ordered crystalline materials with a promising performance for a wide range of applications such as catalysis, petrochemistry, environmental remediation and medicine, but scarcely evaluated in Analytical Chemistry. Their unique and fascinating properties such as high surface area, high adsorption capacity and molecular selectivity, che...

A new, fast, simple and environmentally friendly analytical method has been developed to determine six siloxanes in water samples: octamethyltrisiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecamethylpentasiloxane and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane. The analytical method consists of magnetic solid‐p...

An array of gold interdigitated microelectrodes (Au-IDA) has been modified by casting herringbone carbon nanotubes (hCNTs) producing a new electrochemical sensor suitable for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) in PBS (0.25 M, pH 7.0). The sensor showed good electrocatalytic properties for both analytes with low...

A rapid and portable analytical methodology has been developed for ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) quantification from aqueous samples using a spectrometric smartphone-based system for the first time. The method employs point-of-use approaches both for sample preparation and sample measurement, demonstrating the capability for mobile quality control of p...

The purpose of this work is to present a simple, fast, cost effective and environmental friendly magnetic dispersive solid-phase microextraction (MDSPME) method, employing a composite based on ZSM-5 zeolite decorated...

A new portable electrochemical sensor based on 4-aminobenzoic acid-modified herringbone carbon nanotubes (hCNTs-4ABA/Au-IDA) has been developed for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) in physiological fluids. AA and UA were quantified by chronoamperometry at 0.1 and 0.32 V, respectively, in phosphate buffer solut...

This paper presents a graphene oxide-based magnetic nanocomposite as a catalyst for desulfurization and also as a sorbent for removal of the total sulfur in liquid fuel matrices. The magnetic nanocomposite was prepared by decorating graphene oxide nanosheets with magnetite nanoparticles (MGO). For the desulfurization experiments, an oxidation-extra...

A novel approach is presented to determine hydrophilic phenols in olive oil samples, employing vortex-assisted reversed-phase dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (RP-DLLME) for sample preparation and screen-printed carbon electrodes for voltammetric analysis. The oxidation of oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and tyrosol w...

A new, fast, easy to handle, and environmentally friendly magnetic headspace single-drop microextraction (Mag-HS-SDME) based on a magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) as an extractant solvent is presented. A small drop of the MIL 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetraisothiocyanatocobaltate(II) ([Emim]2[Co(NCS)4]) is located on one end of a small neodymium magne...

In this work, a new and simple analytical methodology based on in-chamber chemical vapor generation has been developed for the spectrochemical analysis of commercial fuel samples. A multiple nebulizer with three nebulization units has been employed for this purpose: One unit was used for sample introduction, while the other two were used for the ne...

Complexation-mediated electromembrane extraction (EME) of highly polar basic drugs (log P < −1) was investigated for the first time with the catecholamines epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine as model analytes. The model analytes were extracted as cationic species from urine samples (pH 4), through a supported liquid membrane (SLM) comprising...

This study presents a new, user-friendly, cost-effective and portable headspace solid-phase extraction technique based on graphene oxide decorated with iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles as sorbent, located on one end of a small neodymium magnet. Hence, the new headspace solid-phase extraction technique has been called Magnetic Headspace Adsorptive...

A pesar de ser consideradas como técnicas estándar para el análisis elemental, ICP-OES e ICP-MS todavía poseen dos grandes debilidades: baja eficiencia de transporte del aerosol generado por el nebulizador e interferencias provocadas por la matriz de la muestra. En lo referente a la técnica LIBS, su principal potencial radica en las posibilidades q...

A fast, simple, economical, and environmentally friendly magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) procedure has been developed to preconcentrate 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) from water samples prior to determination by liquid chromatography-UV-Vis employing graphene oxide/Fe3O4 nanocomposite as sorbent. The nanocomposite synthesis was investigated, an...

An electrochemical sensor based on graphene oxide decorated with gold nanoparticles has been prepared for the simultaneous quantification of uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA) in urine samples. The gold interdigitated microelectrodes array (Au-IDA) has been modified using graphene oxide doped with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-GO/Au-IDA), which was...

Here we present two types of all-printable, highly stretchable, and inexpensive devices based on platinum (Pt)-decorated graphite for glucose determination in physiological fluids. Said devices are: a non-enzymatic sensor and an enzymatic biosensor, the latter showing promising results. Glucose has been quantified by measuring hydrogen peroxide (H2...

Gold interdigitated microelectrodes (Au-IDA) modified with either graphene flakes exfoliated using flavin mononucleotide (FMN) (Gr-FMN) or graphene flakes and platinum nanoparticles (Pt-Gr-FMN) have been studied in the oxidation of uric acid (UA). An electrochemical method for the detection and quantification of UA in phosphate buffer solution at p...

This study reports a new composite based on ZSM-5 zeolite decorated with iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles as a valuable sorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). A proposal is made to determine benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) as model analytes in water samples using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A two-step multi...

A new procedure for determining trace concentrations of Mo in plants combining dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry is proposed here. An automated discrete sample introduction system using a Flow Blurring® multiple nebulizer (FBMN) and a solenoid valve were used to insert an organic r...

In this study, an analytical methodology based on a combination of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with laser-induced breakdown spectrometry was evaluated for simultaneous pre-concentration, speciation and detection of Cr. The microextraction procedure was based on the injection of appropriated quantities of 1-undecanol and ethanol into a...

A microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) procedure to isolate phenolic compounds from almond skin by-products was optimized. A three-level, three-factor Box-Behnken design was used to evaluate the effect of almond skin weight, microwave power and irradiation time on total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH). Almond skin weight was t...

Nebulizers offer a wide range of applications in the field of analytical chemistry. This article is a general and comprehensive overview that addresses the most common principles of nebulization and their main and most recent applications in chemical analysis.

In this work, an analytical methodology based on Single Drop Microextraction (SDME) followed by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometry (LIBS) has been tested for trace metals determination in liquid samples. By this method, analytes in the samples were extracted into a small volume of toluene as ammonium pyrroldinedithiocarbamate (APDC) chelates. Aft...

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a promising analytical technique with well-known advantages and limitations. However, despite its growing popularity, this technique has been applied mainly to solid samples and there have been a smaller number of studies devoted to liquid samples. This lack of studies is mainly due to experimental dif...

A new and easy method has been proposed for the compensation of inorganic acid matrix effects in ICP-OES and ICP-MS. The method consists of an on-line standard addition calibration using a Flow Blurring® multinebulizer (FBMN-based system). Experimental conditions of the FBMN-based system are optimized for both ICP-OES and ICP-MS. Under optimized co...

A simple and fast method for determining the content of Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, and 20 heavy metals in biodiesel samples with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) using a two-nozzle Flow Blurring(®) multinebulizer prototype and on-line internal standard calibration, are proposed. The biodiesel samples were produced from diff...

A new Flow Blurring® multiple nebulizer (FBMN) has been used for the efficient generation of As and Se hydrides directly into the aerosol formed inside the spray chamber before detection by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The FBMN allowed the hydride generation directly into the spray chamber without using any ad...

Vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VALLME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is proposed here for the rapid determination of octanol-water partitioning coefficients (Kow). VALLME uses vortex agitation, a mild emulsification procedure, to disperse microvolumes of octanol in the aqueous phase thus increasing the i...

This study shows the application of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) investigation. Several emission spectra were obtained for 7 different mobiles from 4 different manufacturers. Using the emission spectra of the black components it was possible to see some differences among the manufa...

A novel method is reported, whereby screen-printed electrodes (SPELs) are combined with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction. In-situ ionic liquid (IL) formation was used as an extractant phase in the microextraction technique and proved to be a simple, fast and inexpensive analytical method. This approach uses miniaturized systems both in samp...

In this work, the possibility of using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometry (LIBS) combined with liquid–liquid microextraction techniques is evaluated as a simple and fast method for trace elemental analysis. Two different strategies for LIBS analysis of manganese contained in microdroplets of extraction solvent (Triton X-114) are studied: (i) anal...

Repositorio Institucional RUA: http://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/25861

A new multinebulizer, based on Flow Blurring® technology (FBMN), is evaluated for a simple, fast and direct analysis of organic samples in Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES). Organic samples are analyzed by on-line standard addition calibration using aqueous calibration standards. A Standard Sample Introduction (SSI)...

A new and efficient multiple nebulizer based on Flow Blurring® hydrodynamics (FBMN) has been employed for elemental analysis. The aerosol generated by the FBMN has been characterized and compared with a conventional pneumatic nebulizer (MicroMist®, MM). Both nebulizers have been operated with the same cyclonic spray chamber for comparison. At a sol...

The applicability of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles as a new sorbent for group pre-concentration of V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb was investigated and compared with that of magnetite nanoparticles. A solid-phase extraction (SPE) of target analytes based on sorption of their hydrophobic complexes with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) on the...

Three ionic liquid (IL)-functionalized silica materials, imidazolium, N-methylimidazolium and 1-alkyl-3-(propyl-3-sulfonate) imidazolium, were synthesised and applied in solid-phase extraction (SPE) of organic acids, amines and aldehydes, which are important compound families in atmospheric aerosol particles. 1-Alkyl-3-(propyl-3-sulfonate) imidazol...

Screen printed graphite electrodes (SPGEs) have been characterized in the room temperature ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C6MIM][PF6] by studying pertinent electrochemical parameters of the electroactive species ferrocene (Fc), 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), 1,4-diphenyl-9,10-anthraquinone (AQ), tetracyclone (TC) and benzophe...

A sensitive and selective microwave-assisted solid phase extraction procedure coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is proposed for palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) quantification in environmental and biological samples. Pd and Pt were quantitatively retained on commercial thioureido propyl functionalised silica gel packe...

IntroductionNew trends in herbicide and fungicide analysisAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsReferences

In recent years, materials science has propelled to the research forefront. Ionic liquids with unique and fascinating properties have also left their footprints to the developments of materials science during the last years. In this review we highlight some of their recent advances and provide an overview at the current status of ionic liquid-modif...

Gas chromatography with MS detection was applied for simultaneous determination of six of the most toxic organotin compounds (OTs): monobutyltin, dibutyltin, tributyltin, monophenyltin, diphenyltin, triphenyltin. Headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) in Ionic liquids (ILs) was proposed as Green alternative to the traditional one. Three di...

A fast, simple, inexpensive, sensitive, efficient and environmental friendly direct ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DUSA-DLLME) procedure has been developed to concentrate five nitroaromatic explosives from water samples prior to quantification by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). An efficient ultrasonic pr...

The utilization of non-hazardous reagents, energy efficiency and system miniaturization as principles of Green chemistry has been applied for developing an environmentally benign method for analysis of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd. Prior to flame atomic absorption determination the analytes were concentrated by microwave-assisted cloud point extraction (MWCPE...

Power ultrasound (US) and microwave (MW) dielectric heating are among the most simple, inexpensive, and effective tools in applied chemistry. These green techniques dramatically enhance heat and mass transfer, inducing faster and more selective chemical transformations. Sonochemistry has a longer history than microwave chemistry; however, in the la...

Pollution of water bodies with heavy metal ions is a major worldwide environmental problem. The objective of this study was to elucidate the mechanism in which metallic ions are adsorbed and reduced to metallic nanoparticles onto plant materials using microwave radiation. In this research, we have fabricated metallic silver and lead nanoparticles f...

Fast screening of trace amounts of the perfluorooctane sulfonate anion (PFOS) in water samples was performed following a simple, fast and efficient sample preparation procedure based on vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VALLME) prior to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. VALLME initially uses vortex agitation, a mild emulsificati...

A sensitive analytical method to concentrate and determine extensively used UV filters in cosmetic products at (ultra)trace levels in water samples is presented. The method is based on a sample treatment using dispersive solid-phase extraction (dSPE) with laboratory-made chemisorbed oleic acid-coated cobalt ferrite (CoFe(2)O(4)@oleic acid) magnetic...

A fast, simple and environmentally friendly ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (USADLLME) procedure has been developed to preconcentrate geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) from water and wine samples prior to quantification by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A two-stage multivariate optimization approach wa...

Magnetic nanosized sorbent material based on MnFe2O4 (MnNPs) was synthesized by co-precipitation. Silica coated nanoparticles (SMnNPs) were obtained and both types coated and non-coated nanoparticles were tested for solid phase exstraction of V, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd complexes with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC). The analytes...

In this work, on-line calibration methods were applied for compensation for matrix effects in Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) using three novel multiple sample introduction systems based on Flow Blurring® technology. The methods were compared with conventional calibration methods, using a Conikal nebulizer and a c...

A user-friendly and inexpensive ionic liquid-based single-drop microextraction (IL-SDME) procedure has been developed to preconcentrate trace amounts of six typical UV filters extensively used in cosmetic products (i.e., 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, isoamyl 4-methoxycinnamate, 3-(4'-methylbenzylidene)camphor, 2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylac...

In this work, capillary electrophoresis chips with electrochemical detection have been assessed as creative and selective microfluidic platforms to integrate and simplify on a microscale the traditional methods for complex natural antioxidants determination. Depending on the acid-base properties of the analytes, two approaches (class-selective elec...