Chromatographic Identification of Cyclohexane Chlorination Products by an Additive Scheme for the Prediction of Retention Indices

Identification of the products of free-radical chlorination of cyclohexane seems to be a complex analytical problem due to the following principal reasons: (1) the available reference information (both standard mass spectra and gas chromatographic retention indices, RI) is strongly restricted to the data for only few simplest congeners, (2) mass spectra of isomeric chlorinated derivatives are practically indistinguishable, and (3) the number of isomers increases with the growing number of chlorine atoms in the molecule until six. To solve this problem, the modified additive scheme for precalculation of the RIs of chlorinated cyclohexanes on standard non-polar polydimethyl siloxane stationary phases was proposed and used. This approach is based on the data for congeners with fewer number of chlorine atoms in the molecule; the principal feature is its applicability to a diastereomers. The final set of both experimental and precalculated RI values permits us to identify unambiguously more than 20 products of cyclohexane chlorination in reaction mixtures. Different modes of the quality control of evaluated retention indices are discussed.     

Temperature-programmed gas chromatography linear retention indices of all C4-C30 monomethylalkanes on methylsilicone OV-1 stationary phase. Contribution towards a better understanding of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath

Monomethylated alkanes have been proposed to be contained in exhaled breath, their concentration pattern serving for identification of lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma and rejection of foreign tissue after heart transplant rejection. Improving the accuracy of identification for monomethylated alkanes will enhance work on their biochemical background which presently is unknown. The programmed temperature linear retention indices of all 196 C(4)-C(30) monomethylalkanes on OV-1 stationary phase were measured with an average repeatability of +/-0.07 index units (i.u.). The mixture of C(9)-C(30) monomethylalkanes was prepared by methylene insertion reaction to C(8)-C(29)n-alkanes mixture. The preliminary identification of monomethylalkanes was performed on the basis of the dependence of homomorphy factors on the number of carbon atoms of individual homologous series of monomethylalkanes (retention indices extrapolated with s=0.15 i.u.). The prediction of retention of isomers with new position of methyl group beginning at higher carbon atoms number, as well as for second, third, fourth, etc., member of homologous series allowed the dependence H(P)=f(C(n)) for first, second, third, etc., members of beginning homologous of monomethylalkane series (retention indices extrapolated with s=0.17 i.u.). The identification was confirmed by mass spectrometry. All gas chromatographic unseparated monomethylalkane isomers with methyl-group near the middle of molecule carbon chain were resoluted by mass spectrometric deconvolution. Obtained regular dependences H(P)=f(C(n)) allow precise retention prediction of monomethylalkanes C(30).     

Identification of the chlorination products of aliphatic ketones by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The differences in the gas chromatographic retention indices of the chlorination products of aliphatic ketones and parent carbonyl compounds (ΔRI) are constant, and their numeric values depend on the number and position of chlorine atoms in the molecule. A simplest version of an additive scheme for the evaluation of retention indexes is developed to identify the chloro derivatives of carbonyl compounds. The order of the chromatographic elution of diastereomeric α,α′-dichloro-k-alkanones (k > 2) is found.     

Gas chromatographic identification of chlorination products of aliphatic ketones

Chlorinated derivatives of aliphatic ketones are a class of organic compounds poorly characterized by both mass spectra and chromatographic retention indices up to present. It is caused by objective difficulties of isolation of individual products from reaction mixtures formed in the result of non-selective chlorination of parent carbonyl compounds. Nevertheless the differences of GC retention indices for structurally analogous chlorination products of different ketones and initial substrates indicate the constancy depending on the number and position of chlorine atoms in the molecules. This feature permits us to use the simplest kind of additive schemes in identification of such chlorinated derivatives, including diastereomeric α,α'-dichloro-k-alkanones (k>2). Hence, the identification of chlorination products of aliphatic ketones becomes possible for any compounds of this class without using mass spectrometric data only in the result of accurate measurement of their GC retention indices.     

烷烃同系物气相色谱保留指数的分子拓扑研究

定义了分子中原子的平衡电负性,并用原子的平衡电负性对分子图进行着色,在距离矩阵的基础上结合分子中各原子的支化度构建了一种新的拓扑指数N1,N2和N3。该拓扑指数对分子结构实现惟一性表征,具有优良的结构选择性。将拓扑指数N1,N2和N3与烷烃在固定相角鲨烷(柱温50　℃)及SE-30(柱温80　℃)上的气相色谱保留指数进行多元线性回归,结果表明烷烃的气相色谱保留指数可分别定量描述为I(Squalane)=23.97842N1-3.86562N2+0.787379N3+42.33061,I(SE-30)=23.83937N1-3.5687N2+0.939876N3+22.11952。用上述回归方程对烷烃的气相色谱保留指数进行预测,结果表明预测值与实验值的平均相对误差均为1.31%,预测结果误差在实验误差范围内。     

GC/MS characterization of monosubstituted hydrazones of glyoxylic acid ethyl ester

Electron ionization mass spectra and gas chromatographic retention indices of a series of newly synthesized N-monosubstituted (alkyl, aryl, allyl) hydrazones of glyoxylic acid ethyl ester RNHN=CHCO₂C₂H₅ were considered. It was shown the hydrazones were partially converted into isomeric (ethoxycarbonyl)methyl diimides during their GC separation (mostly in the heated injector port of the gas chromatograph). The retention indices of these diimides are lower than those of initial hydrazones by 268 ± 26 i.u. The most remarkable feature of these isomers appeared to be the high identity of their mass spectra because of similar rearrangements in molecular ions.     

Reproducibility of retention indices measurement of alkylbenzenes on crosslinked methyl silicone phase fused silica capillaries

Summary Reproducibility of the Kovats retention indices of alkylbenzenes was studied on conventional “PONA” fused-silica capillary columns coated with crosslinked dimethyl silicone phase, with a film thickness of 0.5 μm. The data were compared with those obtained on conventional OV-101 columns. The tested PONA columns showed reproducible chromatographic properties, capacity ratios and high efficiencies. Having a standard deviation of s=0.03 i.u. of the retention indices on a single column, the column-to-columns differences were found to be up to 0.3 i.u. Higher indices were determined for crosslinked columns, the difference being in most cases about one i.u.     

Chromatographic and chromatospectral characteristic of dicarboxylic acid monoesters

Monoalkyl esters of benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic (phthalic) acid have not been reliably characterized by analytical parameters for their chromatographic and chromatospectral identification. Mass spectra of a series of monoalkyl phthalates (R = C₁–C₈) are discussed; their gas chromatographic retention indices on the RTX-5 polydimethylsiloxane stationary phase (5% phenyl groups) are determined. A linear dependence of indices on the number of carbon atoms in n-alkyl fragments of molecules and a correlation between the indices of any monoalkyl phthalates and corresponding diesters were used for the control of the data obtained. Using the last correlation, we found that most part of index values of mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate given in literature is wrong and, therefore, the results of identification of this compound in various samples must be revised. It was found that simplest monoalkyl phthalates are unstable during gas chromatographic separation, which may result in distortions of their mass spectra. To compare with monoalkyl phthalates, a similar series of monoesters of (Z)-butenedioic (maleic) acid was characterized. Retention indices of monoalkyl phthalates in reversed phase HPLC were determined and discussed.     

Use of a Simple Additive Scheme to Predict the GC Retention Indices of Aromatic Compounds with Different Structures

A simple algorithm is proposed for prediction of linear retention indices, RI, of organic compounds with different structures. The algorithm is based on the hypothesis that any structural moiety of a molecule contributes to gas chromatographic retention to a different extent, depending on its molecular environment. For a given moiety the mean structural increment (MSI) is calculated from the difference between the retention indices of two molecules, one containing it and one not, in different compound families. The mean of these values is the MSI for the corresponding moiety. The correlation between predicted and experimental values affords r ² = 0.992 and the mean relative error is 1.65% for n = 92 compounds.     

Application of target factor analysis of gas chromatography. Reproduction,prediction and classification

Summary Using the method of target factor analysis (TFA) described by Malinowski and Howery a computer program has been developed to study different sets of gas chromatographic retention data. Physico-chemical, topological and uniqueness parameters have been found to be basic factors to describe solute behaviour problems. Factor analytical solutions have been used to reproduce the data matrices and to make predictions based on best sets of basic factors. The mean absolute error in the reproduction step is between 1.72 retention index units (i.u.) for a relatively simple matrix consisting of retention indices of alcohols and 7.36 i.u. for a combined data matrix of alcohol, aldehyde and ketone retention indices. TFA has also been used to classify solutes based on their retention behaviour. Alkanes have been classified from cycloalkanes, alkanes from alkenes, and alcohols from aldehydes and ketones using only their retention data and a special kind of uniqueness vector.     

Gas chromatographic retention indices for alkenes on OV-101 and squalane capillary columns

Summary Gas chromatographic retention indices for 47 C₅ to C₈ alkenes on OV-101 dimethylsilicone at 50 and 70 °C were determined within a standard deviation of 0.3i.u. Data obtained on OV-101 are compared with those measured on squalane. The comparison of the retention index and dl/dT values from both columns is presented as linear regression equations with correlation coefficients greater than 0.98.     

Chromato-mass-spectrometric identification using partition coefficients in the system of hexane-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol

An additional characteristic of organic compounds, the partition coefficients in the heterophase solvent system n-hexane-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, is shown to be useful for refining the results of chromatographic and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric identification. This opportunity is the most important for compounds that were not yet characterized by either mass spectra or chromatographic retention indices.     

Gas-chromatographic identification of fluorine-containing organic compounds

The gas-chromatographic retention of a series of fluoroalkylarenes on the standard nonpolar polydimethylsiloxane stationary phase OV-101 was characterized, and the retention indices of these compounds were determined. It was found that large negative values of the homological increments of these constants can serve as a sign of fluorine derivatives that contain no less than three fluorine atoms per molecule. The retention indices on polar inorganic sorbents, the silica gels Silipor 75 and Silipor 600, were chosen as the second chromatographic parameter. On these sorbents (unlike partition separation), the nonadditivity effect of the retention indices of polyfunctional organic compounds with respect to their simpler structural analogs was found for the first time. It was found that a mutual correlation between indices for this combination of a phase and a sorbent was lower than that for the combinations of phases with different polarities; this fact is responsible for the higher information content of this combination for the identification of compounds from this class.     

Sensitivity of the methylbenzenes and chlorobenzenes retention index to column temperature, stationary phase polarity, and-number and chemical nature of substituents

Retention indices of methylbenzenes and chlorobenzenes on two fused silica capillary columns, HP-5 (diphenylsiloxane 5% diphenyldimethylsiloxane) and ZB-WAX (polyethylene glycol), have been calculated at various isothermal temperatures and compared with literature data. The retention index temperature effect was studied for each solute, finding greater retention index the higher the column temperature. A comparison between the straight line fit and the fit to the recently proposed equation I = A + B/T +C ln T was carried out. The effect of the stationary phase polarity on the retention index was checked. In general, a greater retention index was found for the more polar stationary phase. The retention indices of the chlorobenzenes are greater than the retention indices of the methylbenzenes, irrespective of the stationary phase and the column temperature. In addition, the influence of the methyl/chlorine substitution on the benzene molecule was investigated at each temperature. The retention indices increased as the number of substituents (methyl/chlorine) increased. The retention index increments of methyl and chloro derivatives are also discussed, which permits to compare the effect of both, methyl or chlorine, chemical functions, for a fixed substituent number in the benzene molecule.     

Chromato-mass-spectrometric identification of compounds with a branched carbon skeleton. Criteria for identifying tert-butyl groups in the structure of molecules

The previously proposed method of the integrated interpretation of mass-spectrometric and chromatographic data is applied to compounds with a branched carbon skeleton, namely, hydrocarbons containing tert-butyl groups. We estimate the increments of chromatographic retention indices for a hypothetical (CH₃)₃C → CH₃ transformation and determine the factors affecting their value. Several simple mass spectral characteristics are recommended to reveal tert-butyl groups in the structure of analyte molecules; however, one of the most informative criterion is to estimate the total number of carbon skeleton branches based on the homological increments of retention indices. The work shows high efficiency of the identification method proposed when the analytical and reference data are scarce.     

Gas chromatographic retention indices for C6 alkanols on OV-101 and Carbowax 20M capillary columns

Summary Gas chromatographic retention indices for 16 C₆ alkanols measured on capillary columns coated with OV-101 methylsilicone and Carbowax 20M propylethyleneglycol liquid phases at 80° and 90°C were determined. The respective standard deviation values were 0.5 and 0.8 i.u. The correlation between the retention indices measured on non-polar and polar stationary phases and the boiling points of the alkanols was studied.     

Gas chromatography of low molecular weight halocarbons on macroporous silica modified by a thin liquid phase film

Summary The use of the silica adsorbent Silochrom C-80 modified by a thin liquid stationary phase film is proposed for the gas chromatographic analysis of low molecular weight halocarbons. Such modified adsorbents are characterized by good retention of the volatile halocarbons and high selectivity with respect to halocarbons. The thermodynamic sorption characteristics of alkanes, chloroalkanes and chloromethanes on Silochrom modified by three liquid phases (Apiezon L, methylsilicone and polyethylene glycol 20M) and on Chromaton N with thick films of the same phases were studied. The heats of sorption (−ΔH) and free sorption energy changes (−ΔF) of these substances and the increments −Δ(ΔH) and −Δ(ΔF) per chlorine atom in the chloralkane molecule compared with n-alkanes with the same number of carbon atoms were determined. The “chlorine” retention indices of low molecular weight volatile halocarbons on three sorbents were determined to identify them in aqueous solutions using the electron-capture detector. The analysis of drinking water by this technique is demonstrated.     

Structure-retention and mobile phase-retention relationships for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of several hydroxythioxanthone derivatives in binary acetonitrile-water mixtures

The reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) behavior of some newly synthesized hydroxythioxanthone derivatives using binary acetonitrile-water mixtures as mobile phase has been examined. First, the variation in the retention time of each molecule as a function of mobile phase properties was studied by Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic equations. Then, the influences of molecular structure of the hydroxythioxanthone derivatives on their retention time in various mobile phase mixtures were investigated by quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) analysis. Finally, a unified model containing both the molecular structure parameters and mobile phase properties was developed to describe the chromatographic behavior of the systems studied. Among the solvent properties, polarity/polarizability parameter (π^*) and hydrogen-bond basicity (β), and among the solute properties, the most positive local charge (MPC), the sum of positive charges on hydrogen atoms contributing in hydrogen bonding (SPCH) and lipophilicity index (log P) were identified as controlling factors in the RP-HPLC behavior of hydroxythioxanthone derivatives in actonitrile-water binary solvents.     

Overloading control of gas chromatographic systems

Increasing the interlaboratory reproducibility of gas chromatographic retention indices requires avoiding measurements distorted by overloading effects. Several criteria of evaluating the limits of the mass overloading of gas chromatographic systems are compared and reconsidered. The criteria mostly appropriate for practical purposes are based on (i) the dependences of factors of peak broadening (ratio of peak height and its width) vs. amount of analyte injected into the chromatographic column and (ii) the dependence of parameters characterizing the peak distortion (asymmetry factor) vs. the amount of analyte. Both these criteria provide mutually comparable evaluations of the overloading limits for analytes of different polarity. At the same time, the dependence of retention indices vs. amounts of analyte injected in the chromatographic column cannot be recommended for overloading control, because the parameters of the corresponding linear regressions indicate temperature dependence. The interpretation of certain gas chromatographic anomalies requires the correct evaluation of overloading limits. For example, the unusual temperature dependence of retention indices of polar analytes on non‐polar stationary phases and the dependence of retention indices on ratio of amounts of target analytes and reference compounds.