Graphene membranes for microextraction
Carbon nanoparticles and specifically carbon nanotubes can be considered as an inflection point in the development of microextraction techniques on account of their excellent sorbent properties. This fact permits the reduction of the dimensions of the extraction step while maintaining or even improving the preconcentration of the target compounds on the nanosorbent. Since then, different metallic and silica-based nanoparticles have been successfully evaluated in this context. In the last two-three years, a new nanosorbent has revolutionized again microextraction techniques. Graphene (G) and its oxide (GO) present a unique planar structure which makes them different from other nanoparticles and even from allotropic forms of carbon, which confers them with outstanding electrical, mechanical and structural properties. Carbon-based nanomaterials have been extensively used for the isolation and preconcentration of organic compounds usually of aromatic nature thanks to the possibility of re...