Silicalite as a sorbent for solid-phase extraction

A molecular sieve known as Silicalite was used as a sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) of organic analytes from aqueous samples. Silicalite contains an intricate system of channels approximately 6 Angstrom in diameter, but unlike most other molecular sieves the channels of Silicalite are able to retain organic compounds by hydrophobic attraction. Small hydrophilic compounds, such as the lower alcohols, aldehydes, esters and ketones, are well extracted by Silicalite, thus adding a valuable new capability to conventional SPE. Extensive data are presented to define the scope and limitations of Silicalite for SPE. Breakthrough curves were used for several compounds to determine their loading capacity on Silicalite.