Following the present trends in miniaturization, a methodology that combines on-line In-Tube Solid-Phase Microextraction (IT-SPME) with Liquid Nanochromatography (nano-LC) and UV-vis diode array detection (DAD) was developed. This coupling was achieved by using two interconnected valves (i.e. conventional and micro-automatic valves) in the system of injection. As for IT-SPME, different materials, containing in some cases nanostructures or nanoparticles and in other cases polymeric adsorbent phases immobilized on capillary columns, were tested in order to improve extraction efficiencies of organic compounds; diclofenac was selected as the target analyte. Additionally, the transfer time of the sample between the two injection valves, as well as the lengths and the internal diameters of the capillary columns, was optimized. Under the selected conditions, the resulting IT-SPME-nano-LC-DAD method showed great potential to become a powerful analytical tool as it was successfully applied to the determination of diclofenac in pharmaceutical and water samples. For comparison purposes, IT-SPME coupled to Capillary Liquid Chromatography (Cap-LC) was used. The extraction yield of diclofenac reached near 80%, a high value for techniques that involve IT-SPME. Good accuracy (recoveries near 100%) and precision (4% RSD) were obtained.
