Microfluidic Precolumn Derivatization of Environmental Phenols with Coumarin-6-Sulfonyl Chloride and HPLC Separation.

A simple, fast, sensitive and versatile method for the analysis of phenols in water is proposed using microfluidic precolumn derivatization with the fluorogenic label coumarin-6-sulfonyl chloride (C6SCl) and HPLC separation on monolithic columns. Phenols react with C6SCl within 3.0 min in the microreactor at ambient temperature to produce phenol-coumarin sulphonamides derivatives which were separated in reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography followed by postcolumn ring-opening and fluorescence detection at λexc = 360 nm and λem = 460 nm. The optimum conditions for the derivatization, separation and ring-opening reaction have been established. The calibration curves were linear for the studied phenols in the range of 0.75-12.5 mg L(-1). The application of the method to environmental samples was demonstrated by analyzing tap and fountain water samples spiked with the phenolic compounds.