Liquid–phase microextraction: A review of reviews

Sample preparation is an important step in chemical analysis. It is generally done to deal with problems associated with the nature of the matrix, low analyte concentrations in real samples or analyte features incompatible with the instrumentation. Classical methods of extraction consume large volumes of hazardous solvents and other reagents and are not in line with the recent emergence of green analytical chemistry. Liquid-phase microextraction is a miniaturized version of classical liquid–liquid extraction and is characterized by the minimum consumption of solvents. Over time, liquid-phase microextraction has gone through many developments, from basic procedures to more advanced modifications. These have consistently been the subject of many review articles. In this article, we attempt to summarize the review articles published on different versions of LPME and its different aspects and areas of application. Special focus has been given to DLLME, which is the most widely used form of LPME.