Abstract: A fabric phase sorptive extractor (FPSE) is a sampling device where a flexible fabric is coated with at least one sol-gel derived film that includes at least two of a metal oxide portion, a siloxy portion, and an organic portion, where the gel has at least some amorphous portions. The FPSE is flexible such that it can be used in an extended form or draped over a solid surface to contact a gaseous, liquid, or solid environment and can be manipulated for placement in a container where the absorbed analyte can be removed from the FPSE for instrumental analysis. The FPSE can have specific functionalities that bind to specific analytes or can provide a general sorbent medium for extraction of a wide range of analytes, such that the sampling device can be employed for sampling analytes with biological, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, bio-analytical, clinical, forensic, toxicological, national security, public health, and/or safety implications.

Abstract: A microextraction capsule holding a sol-gel coating or monolithic bed with an affinity for one or more target analytes infused in a porous tube that can be placed in a sample matrix containing the target analytes. The microextraction capsule can include a magnetic wire to allow the capsule to be spun in the presence of the matrix to increase the rate of absorption of the target analytes. The microextraction capsule can be formed by infusing a sol solution into the porous tube and forming a metal oxide or hybrid inorganic-organic sorbent comprising gel from the sol within the pores of the porous tube or by forming a gel by sol-gel condensation with water followed by grinding the gel to a particulate gel and infusing the particles into a porous tube.

Abstract: An in-vial microextraction (IVME) device is a vial with at least a portion of the inner surface having a sol-gel coating that absorbs at least one target analyte. The sol-gel coating is a metal oxide comprising coating that is formed from a tri-and/or tetra-functional metal comprising precursor that condenses to form a gel network. The IVME device can be used to prepare a sample by the contacting of the IVME device with a solution or suspension. An analytical method is enabled where the absorbed analyte from the IVME device is subsequently desorbed with a solvent or solution or thermally desorbed and analyzed using GC-MS or LC-MS or other analytical instrument for separation and detection.

Abstract: A field kit for collecting analytical samples has one or more dynamic fabric phase sorptive extraction (DFPSE) devices and/or fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) devices and a plurality of containers for storing and transporting the DFPSEs and/or FPSEs that were used for sampling. The field kit has media for documenting information concerning the site, quantity, date, and/or other pertinent information concerning the sampling. Samples can be maintained within the kit for any required period of storage. Sampling can be done once or a plurality of times, such that an initial analysis can be carried out and analysis can be repeated using a portion of a FPSE or with a redundant FPSE that has been stored. The DFPSE device is a sampling device including a plurality of FPSEs, such that a number of different types of analytes can be sampled in different layers of the DFPSE. At least one external surface layer of the DFPSE is a barrier FPSE that restricts solids from underlying layers.

Abstract: The subject invention provides the materials and methods for synthesizing novel training devices for biological detectors, such as canines, to locate a specific material by recognizing a characteristic scent associated with the material. In an exemplary embodiment, the training devices encapsulate ate least one active odorant of certain illicit materials, such as cocaine, within a sol-gel polymer network. By manipulating the process of molecular encapsulation and polymer network synthesis, the novel training devices can reduce the influence of contaminants and dissipate the encapsulated odorant in a controlled fashion, allowing for the added benefit of improved shelf-life as compared to currently available training devices.

Abstract: A fabric phase sorptive extractor (FPSE) is a sampling device where a flexible fabric is coated with at least one sol-gel derived film that includes at least two of a metal oxide portion, a siloxy portion, and an organic portion, where the gel has at least some amorphous portions. The FPSE is flexible such that it can be used in an extended form or draped over a solid surface to contact a gaseous, liquid, or solid environment and can be manipulated for placement in a container where the absorbed analyte can be removed from the FPSE for instrumental analysis. The FPSE can have specific functionalities that bind to specific analytes or can provide a general sorbent medium for extraction of a wide range of analytes, such that the sampling device can be employed for sampling analytes with biological, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, bio-analytical, clinical, forensic, toxicological, national security, public health, and/or safety implications.

Abstract: A fabric phase sorptive extractor (FPSE) is a sampling device where a flexible fabric is coated with at least one sol-gel derived film that includes at least two of a metal oxide portion, a siloxy portion, and an organic portion, where the gel has at least some amorphous portions. The FPSE is flexible such that it can be used in an extended form or draped over a solid surface to contact a gaseous, liquid, or solid environment and can be manipulated for placement in a container where the absorbed analyte can be removed from the FPSE for instrumental analysis. The FPSE can have specific functionalities that bind to specific analytes or can provide a general sorbent medium for extraction of a wide range of analytes, such that the sampling device can be employed for sampling analytes with biological, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, bio-analytical, clinical, forensic, toxicological, national security, public health, and/or safety implications.

Abstract: A field kit for collecting analytical samples has one or more dynamic fabric phase sorptive extraction (DFPSE) devices and/or fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) devices and a plurality of containers for storing and transporting the DFPSEs and/or FPSEs that were used for sampling. The field kit has media for documenting information concerning the site, quantity, date, and/or other pertinent information concerning the sampling. Samples can be maintained within the kit for any required period of storage. Sampling can be done once or a plurality of times, such that an initial analysis can be carried out and analysis can be repeated using a portion of a FPSE or with a redundant FPSE that has been stored. The DFPSE device is a sampling device including a plurality of FPSEs, such that a number of different types of analytes can be sampled in different layers of the DFPSE. At least one external surface layer of the DFPSE is a barrier FPSE that restricts solids from underlying layers.

Abstract: A fabric phase sorptive extractor (FPSE) is a sampling device where a flexible fabric is coated with at least one sol-gel derived film that includes at least two of a metal oxide portion, a siloxy portion, and an organic portion, where the gel has at least some amorphous portions. The FPSE is flexible such that it can be used in an extended form or draped over a solid surface to contact a gaseous, liquid, or solid environment and can be manipulated for placement in a container where the absorbed analyte can be removed from the FPSE for instrumental analysis. The FPSE can have specific functionalities that bind to specific analytes or can provide a general sorbent medium for extraction of a wide range of analytes, such that the sampling device can be employed for sampling analytes with biological, environmental, food, pharmaceutical, bio-analytical, clinical, forensic, toxicological, national security, public health, and/or safety implications.

Abstract: A capillary column (10) includes a tube structure having inner walls (14) and a sol-gel substrate (16) coated on a portion of inner walls (14) to form a stationary phase coating (18) on inner walls (14). The sol solution used to prepare the sol-gel substrate (16) has at least one baseline stabilizing reagent and at least one surface deactivation reagent resulting in the sol-gel substrate (16) having at least one baseline stabilizing reagent residual and at least one surface deactivating reagent residual. A method of making the sol-gel solution is by mixing suitable sol-gel precursors to form the solution, stabilizing the solution by adding at least one baseline stabilization reagent, deactivating the solution by adding at least one surface deactivation reagent to the solution, and reacting the solution in the presence of at least one catalyst.

Abstract: A capillary column (10) includes a tube structure having inner walls (14) and a sol-gel substrate (16) coated on a portion of inner walls (14) to form a stationary phase coating (18) on inner walls (14). The sol solution used to prepare the sol-gel substrate (16) has at least one baseline stabilizing reagent and at least one surface deactivation reagent resulting in the sol-gel substrate (16) having at least one baseling stabilizing reagent residual and at least one surface deactivating reagent residual. A method of making the sol-gel solution is by mixing suitable sol-gel prescursors to form the solution, stabilizing the solution by adding at least one baseline stabilization reagent, deactivating the solution by adding at least one surface deactivation reagent to the solution, and reacting the solution in the presence of at least one catalyst.

Abstract: A sol-gel poly-THF coating was developed for high-performance capillary microextraction to facilitate ultra-trace analysis of polar and nonpolar organic compounds. Parts per quadrillion level detection limits were achieved using Poly-THF coated microextraction capillaries in conjunction with GC-FID. Sol-gel Poly-THF coatings showed extraordinarily high sorption efficiency for both polar and nonpolar compounds, and proved to be highly effective in providing simultaneous extraction of nonpolar, moderately polar, and highly polar analytes from aqueous media. Sol-gel poly-THF coated microextraction capillaries showed excellent thermal and solvent stability, making them very suitable for hyphenation with both gas-phase and liquid-phase separation techniques, including GC, HPLC, and CEC.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a capillary column including a tube structure having an inner surface and a sol-gel substrate bonded to a dendrimer substrate to form a sol-gel dendrimer matrix that bonds to a portion of the inner surface of the tube structure to form a surface-bonded stationary phase coating thereon. The present invention additionally provides for a capillary column including a tube structure having an inner surface, a stationary phase coating attached to a portion of the inner surface, and a dendrimer moiety bonded to the stationary phase coating. Further, a sol-gel dendrimer coated apparatus including a structure having a surface and a sol-gel substrate bonded to a dendrimer substrate to form a sol-gel dendrimer matrix coating the surface thereon is provided. The present invention also provides for a one-step method for making and preparing a column and a method of making the sol-gel and dendrimer solution.

Abstract: A capillary column (10) includes a tube structure having inner walls (14) and a sol-gel substrate (16) coated on a portion of inner walls (14) to form a stationary phase coating (18) on inner walls (14). The sol solution used to prepare the sol-gel substrate (16) has at least one baseline stabilizing reagent and at least one surface deactivation reagent resulting in the sol-gel substrate (16) having at least one baseline stabilizing reagent residual and at least one surface deactivating reagent residual. A method of making the sol-gel solution is by mixing suitable sol-gel precursors to form the solution, stablizing the solution by adding at least one baseline stabilization reagent, deactivating the solution by adding at least one surface deactivation reagent to the solution, and reacting the solution in the presence of at least one catalyst.