Core-shell structured Fe₂O₃/CeO₂@MnO₂ microspheres with abundant surface oxygen for sensitive solid-phase microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from water

Core-shell structured Fe₂O₃/CeO₂@MnO₂ microspheres were fabricated and used as solid-phase microextraction coating for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water samples. XPS spectra demonstrated the generation of abundant surface oxygen on Fe₂O₃/CeO₂@MnO₂ microspheres, which provided binding sites for enhancement of analyte extraction. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method presented good linearity in the concentration range 0.04–100 ng mL⁻¹, with low limits of detection varying from 0.38 to 3.57 ng L⁻¹ for eight PAHs. Relative standard deviations for a single fiber and five batches of fibers were in the ranges of 4.1–8.2% and 7.1–11.4%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully used for determination of PAHs in real river water samples with recoveries ranging from 87.1 to 115.9%. The proposed method using as-prepared Fe₂O₃/CeO₂@MnO₂ microspheres as SPME coating exhibit significant potential for real sample analysis due to its excellent reproducibility, high sensitivity, and good linearity. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]