Abstract: Ultra performance convergence chromatography (UPC2) was used to establish a rapid analytical method to determine nine acrylate compounds in plastic food contact materials simultaneously. The samples were extracted with methanol, filtered through an organic membrane, and separated on an ACQUITY UPC2 HSS C18 SB column with gradient elution using a mobile phase consisting of supercritical carbon dioxide and acetonitrile. The photodiode array (PDA) detector was set at 210 nm. Experimental results showed that under the optimal conditions (column temperature, 40 ℃; and back pressure, 13.79 MPa), qualitative and quantitative analysis of the nine acrylates was completed within 4 min. Linear ranges were 0.2–100 mg/L for phenyl methacrylate (PNMA), benzyl methacrylate (BZMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA); 0.3–100 mg/L for methacrylic acid (MAA); 0.4–100 mg/L for butyl acrylate (BTA), hydroxyethyl methylacrylate (HEMA) and hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA); and 0.5–100 mg/L for isobutylmeth acrylate (IBMA) and benzyl acrylate (BZA). The determination coefficients (R2) of the standard curves for all acrylates were higher than 0.998 5, and recoveries obtained at high (30 mg/kg), middle (6 mg/kg) and low (0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mg/kg) spiked concentrations ranged from 89.3% to 109.7%, with relative standard deviations of 0.62% to 3.86% (n = 6). The limits of detection (RSN ≥ 3) were 0.05–0.15 mg/kg, and the limits of quantification (RSN ≥ 10) were 0.2–0.5 mg/kg. The proposed method identified the risk of acrylate residues in 30 batches of actual samples.

Key words: acrylates; ultra performance convergence chromatography; plastic; food contact materials; ultrasonic extraction