Microextraction Techniques Based on the Combination of Agitation and Extraction in the Same Device

The efficiency of a given microextraction technique relies on both thermodynamic and kinetics factors. The first one defines the maximum amount of analyte that can be extracted, whereas the latter describes the rate at which the extraction equilibrium is reached. The stirring of the sample during extraction is a well-known kinetic variable that positively affects the diffusion of the analytes between the donor and acceptor phases. Although stirring/agitation is a critical and optimizing variable in most of the microextraction techniques, only a few of them integrate stirring within the extraction device. The so-called stirring/extraction integrated microextraction techniques present a high potential, and they have been the focus of a deep research in the past decade. This article is focused on the description of the main research milestones in this development, giving a wide overview of the potential and applicability of these microextraction techniques. Keywords: extraction/agitation integrated techniques; microextraction; sample preparation