Enhancing enrichment ability of ZIF-8 mixed matrix membrane microextraction by reverse micelle strategy for analysis of multiple ionizable bioactive components in biological samples

Recent research aimed at the design of mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) to be used for microextraction emphasized on membrane extraction phase with high surface area and porosity. This study explored the influence that surfactants have on MMM extraction efficiency for the first time. The zeolitic imidazolate framework 8-based MMM (ZIF-8-MMM) was synthesized by in situ self-assembly of ZIF-8 on the inner wall of a hollow fiber membrane with the aim of fabricating a microextraction device. By prompting the encapsulation of ionizable analytes in the polar core of reverse micelles, the presence of surfactants in extraction solvent assisted the dissolution of analytes in the fiber membrane lumen and enhanced their adsorption onto ZIF-8. Notably, hereby a microextraction method based on the novel ZIF-8-MMM–reverse micelle (ZIF-8-MMM-RM) system was developed and employed for the extraction and quantitation of two alkaloids (berberine and jatrorrhizine) and two flavonoids (wogonin and wogonoside) in biological samples. The main factors affecting microextraction performance, identity of the extraction solvent, surfactant concentration, sample solution pH and extraction time, were investigated in detail. The method showed good linearity (r² > 0.99) and repeatability (RSD < 10%), low limits of detection (0.10–0.31 ng mL⁻¹) and high relative recoveries (90.03–98.84%). The enrichment factor values ranged between 48.47 and 54.96. Reverse micelle formation prompted by surfactant addition was demonstrated to effectively assist the extraction of multiple ionizable analytes from biological samples, resulting in a marked improvement of ZIF-8-MMM extraction performance.