碱金属和碱土金属离子在反相高效液相色谱柱上的保留机理

发现以酒石酸和吡啶二甲酸等羧酸水溶液作淋洗剂时，钠，铵，钾，镁和钙等碱金属及碱土金属离子在ＯＤＳ反相高效液相色谱柱上有明显的保留，而且相互之间能达到一定程度的分离。单独用分配或疏水作用等反相高效液相色谱的保留机理难以解释其保留行为。为此，作者提出了动态包固定相机理，即认为羧酸根阴离子因其疏水性在ＯＤＳ固定相有保留，在固定相表面形成具有羧酸基阳离子交换树脂功能的动态包覆固定相。     

Preparation and evaluation of n-octadecylphosphonic acid-modified magnesia-zirconia stationary phases for reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Three n-octadecylphosphonic acid-modified magnesia-zirconia reversed stationary phases (C₁₈PZM) are prepared via the strong Lewis base interactions between organophosphonate and magnesia-zirconia composite. And two of them are end-capped by using trimethylchlorosilane as end-capping agent in different procedures. Stability studies at extreme high pH conditions (pH 9-12) show that both the non-endcapped and endcapped columns are quite stable at pH 12 mobile phase. The reversed-phase liquid chromatographic behavior of three C₁₈PZM stationary phases are comparatively investigated in detail using a variety of basic compounds as probes. The retention of basic compounds on the three phases is studied over a wide range of pHs. And the possible retention mechanisms of basic compounds on the three stationary phases are discussed. The results show that the basic solutes retain by a hydrophobic and cation-exchange interaction mixed mechanism on three stationary phases when they are operated in eluents at pH values near to the pK_a of the Brönsted conjugate acid form of the analyte, suggesting that inherent zirconol groups on ZM are not expected to interact with bases via cation-exchange interaction at lower pH. Nonetheless, the non-endcapped phase differs markedly from the edncapped ones in retention and selectivity of basic solutes using eluents at pH 4.1, implying a complex retention mechanism at this pH. The cation-exchange sites under such conditions are more likely due to the adsorbed Lewis base anionic buffer constituents (acetate) on accessible ZM surface sites than the chemisorbed phosphonate. Although the three phases exhibit very similar chromatographic behavior with eluents at pH 10.1, and show in general satisfactory separation of basic compounds and alkaloids studied, the performance for a specific analyte, however, differs largely from column to column.     

Simultaneous separation of common mono- and divalent cations on a calcinated silica gel column by ion chromatography with indirect photometric detection and aromatic monoamines-oxalic acid,containing crown ethers,used as eluent

The application of unmodified silica gel (Super Micro Bead Silica Gel B-5, SMBSG B-5) as a cation-exchange stationary phase in ion chromatography with indirect photometric detection (IC-IPD) for the separation of common mono- and divalent cations (Li+, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) was carried out using various aromatic monoamines [tyramine [4-(2-aminoethyl)phenol], benzylamine, phenylethylamine, 2-methylpyridine and 2,6-dimethylpyridine] as eluents. When using these amines as eluents, the peak resolution between these mono- and divalent cations was not quite satisfactory and the peak shapes of NH4+ and K+ were largely destroyed on the SMBSG B-5 silica gel column. Hence, the application of SMBSG B-5 silica gel calcinated at 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 degrees C for 5 h in the IC-IPD was carried out. The peak shapes of the monovalent cations were greatly improved with increasing calcination temperature and, as a result, symmetrical peaks of these mono- and divalent cations were obtained on the SMBSG B-5 silica gel calcinated at 1000 degrees C as the stationary phase. In contrast, the peak resolution between these mono- and divalent cations was not improved. Therefore, crown ethers [18-crown-6 (1,4,7,10,13,15-hexaoxacyclooctadecane), 15-crown-5 (1,4,7,10,13-pentaoxacyclopentadecane)] were added to the eluent for the complete separation of these mono- and divalent cations. Excellent simultaneous separation and highly sensitive detection at 275 nm were achieved in 25 min on a column (150x4.6 mm I.D.) packed with SMBSG B-5 silica gel calcinated at 1000 degrees C by elution with 0.75 mM tyramine-0.25 mM oxalic acid at pH 5.0 containing either 1.0 mM 18-crown-6 or 10 mM 15-crown-5.     

厚朴酚键合硅胶液相色谱固定相的制备、表征与性能评价

通过γ-巯丙基三甲氧基硅烷(KH-590)的作用, 将具有抗菌功能的中草药厚朴的主要药用成分厚朴酚键合在硅胶表面上, 制备了厚朴酚键合硅胶液相色谱固定相. 采用红外光谱、元素分析和热重分析对该固定相进行了表征. 以苯同系物、5种吡啶、6种苯胺和8种芳香羧酸类化合物为溶质探针, 初步考察了该新型固定相的基本色谱性能, 研究了其对这些化合物的保留机理. 结果表明, 该固定相的反相色谱性能类似于十八烷基键合硅胶固定相(ODS), 分离原理与疏水性作用有关; 另外, 该固定相包含有别于疏水性作用的氢键作用、π-π电荷转移作用和偶极-偶极等作用, 多种作用力使其在分离某些可电离的碱性和酸性化合物时表现出更好的选择性和分离效果. 厚朴酚配体的多种作用位点对快速分离极性芳香化合物有重要贡献.     

Retention modelling of electrostatic and adsorption effects of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids in ion-exclusion chromatography

The retention mechanism of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids in ion-exclusion chromatography has been investigated with consideration of simultaneous electrostatic repulsion effects and hydrophobic adsorption effects. A mathematical relationship between the retention factor of the analyte and the mobile-phase composition (sulfuric acid concentration and percentage of methanol), the type of analyte (pK_a and hydrophobicity) and some physical characteristics of the stationary phase has been derived. Thirteen carboxylic acids (comprising mono- and divalent, aliphatic and aromatic acids) were chosen and used to acquire retention data on three different cation-exchange stationary phases (in which the sulfonate functional groups are bound to polystyrene–divinylbenzene, polymethacrylate or silica) using 14 mobile-phase compositions of varying pH and percent methanol. These retention data were used to derive the parameters necessary to solve the retention model using non-linear regression. In this way, a quantitative measure of the effects of adsorption phenomena on analyte retention were obtained. The model was then used to optimise the separation of nine carboxylic acids.     

Successive non-suppressed ion chromatography of common cations and anions using dual columns with single eluent

A successive non-suppressed ion chromatography (IC) system for the determination of common cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) and anions (Cl-, Br-, NO3-, SO4(2-)) was developed, using two separation columns and a single eluent. 5-Sulfoisophthalic acid eluent was very suitable for such separations with a commercially available cation-exchange column for the mono- and di-valent cations and with an ODS column coated with cetyltrimethylammonium for the anions. Both cations and anions were detected with conductimetrically high sensitivity without any suppressor. After injecting an aliquot of sample solution, the solvent front from the cation-exchange column, including most of the anionic species, was firstly accumulated into the additional 2 ml accumulation loop for 60 s, while the cation IC was performed. Subsequently, the accumulated fraction was introduced into the anion-exchange column and chromatographed. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) of retention times and conductimetric area responses for common cations were within 6% and within 4%, respectively. The linear relationships between molar concentration and detector response ranged from 0.01 to 1.00 mM with r2 of 0.9994 for Na+, 0.9992 for K+, 0.9993 for Mg2+, and 0.9988 for Ca2+. The successive anion IC through the accumulating process was also quantitative, with 95% recovery or over for each analyte. The linear ranges were between 0.01 and 1.00 mM with r2 of 0.9996 for Cl-, 0.9997 for Br-, 0.9993 for NO3-, and 0.9984 for SO4(2-). The method was applied to the determination of common cations and anions in several mineral waters and a hot spring water.     

阳离子交换色谱中色谱柱温度对碱金属与碱土金属离子保留的影响

研究了非抑制型阳离子交换色谱中色谱柱温度(25~50℃)对碱金属离子(Li+、Na+、K+、Rb+)和碱土金属离子(Mg2+、Ca2+、Sr2+)以及NH4+保留的影响。在Shim-pack IC-C1磺酸型阳离子交换柱上,以硝酸为流动相分离碱金属离子,以乙二胺或乙二胺-草酸(柠檬酸)为流动相分离碱土金属离子,随着色谱柱温度的升高,碱金属和碱土金属离子的保留时间均增长,其范特霍夫曲线具有良好的线性关系,斜率为负值,表明在此条件下碱金属和碱土金属离子的保留为吸热过程。在Shim-pack IC-SC1羧酸型阳离子交换柱上,以硫酸为流动相同时分离碱金属和碱土金属离子,随着色谱柱温度的升高,Mg2+、Ca2+的保留时间增长,而K+、Rb+的保留时间缩短,Li+、Na+、NH4+的保留时间基本不变。在此条件下,Mg2+、Ca2+、K+和Rb+的范特霍夫曲线具有良好的线性关系,其中Mg2+和Ca2+的曲线斜率为负值,K+和Rb+的曲线斜率为正值,表明Mg2+和Ca2+的保留表现为吸热过程,K+和Rb+的保留表现为放热过程。研究表明在不同固定相和流动相条件下,色谱柱温度对碱金属和碱土金属离子保留行为的影响不同。     

Evaluation and application of liquid chromatographic columns coated with 'intelligent' ligands: (I) acylcarnitine column

Unique stationary phases of octadecylsilica (ODS) coated with acylcarnitines have been developed for liquid chromatographic columns. The ODS column coated with acylcarnitine was readily prepared by recycling the solution containing acylcarnitine through an ODS column in a closed loop. Acylcarnitine was adsorbed on the ODS surfaces by hydrophobic interaction between the acyl group of acylcarnitine and the octadecyl group of the ODS phases. The ODS column coated with stearoylcarnitine (CN-18 column) was the most stable among the four columns coated with acylcarnitines of various acyl chain lengths (decanoylcarnitine, lauroylcarnitine, myristoylcarnitine, and stearoylcarnitine) under the condition of delivery of the mobile phase, indicating that adsorption of acylcarnitine on the ODS surfaces depended on the length of acyl chains. The CN-18 column was usable for delivering the mobile phase contained less than 20% (v/v) acetonitrile, retaining almost the same separation efficiency as the intact ODS column. The retention behavior of ionic solutes on the CN-18 column could be explained by both ionic and electrostatic interactions between the solutes and the stationary phase. The CN-18 column enabled efficient separation of inorganic anions, nicotinic acids, amino acids, and nucleotides. The chiral ODS column coated with enantiomer of stearoylcarnitine, L-stearoylcarnitine (L-CN-18 column) could achieve direct enantiomeric separation of DL-tryptophan, alpha-methyl-DL-tryptophan and DL-3-indolelactic acid using 100% water as the mobile phase. The L-CN-18 column could also separate enantiomers of amino acids and alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids by ligand-exchange chromatographic mode using a mobile phase containing copper(II) ion. The chiral recognition is discussed for enantiomeric separation on the L-CN-18 column.     

Polyoxyethylene as the stationary phase in ion chromatography

The present article reviews the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyoxyethylene (POE) as the stationary phase for the separation of inorganic anions in ion chromatography and discusses about the retention mechanisms involved in the separation of anions on the novel stationary phases. PEG permanently coated on a hydrophobic stationary phase retained anions in the partition mode and allowed us to use high-concentration eluents because the retention of anions increased with increasing eluent concentration for most of the eluents. This situation was convenient to determine trace anions contained in seawater samples without any disturbance due to matrices. Chemically bonded POE stationary phases retained not only anions but also cations. Anions were retained in the ion-exchange mode, although POE chains possess no ion exchange sites. The retention behavior suggested that eluent cations could be trapped among multiple POE chains via ion-dipole interaction, and that the trapped cations worked as the anion-exchange sites. Anions could be separated using crown ether, i.e., cyclic POE, as the eluent additive with a hydrophobic stationary phase, where analyte anions were retained via electrostatic interaction with the eluent cation trapped on the crown ether.     

离子排斥色谱用于厌氧消化处理水中脂肪族羧酸的分析（英文）

The analysis of seven aliphatic carboxylic acids(formic,acetic,propionic,iso-butyric,n-butyric,iso-valeric and n-valeric acid) in anaerobic digestion process waters for biogas production was examined by ion-exclusion chromatography with dilute acidic eluents(benzoic acid,perfluorobutyric acid(PFBA) and sulfuric acid) and non-suppressed conductivity/ultraviolet(UV) detection.The columns used were a styrene/divinylbenzene-based strongly acidic cation-exchange resin column(TSKgel SCX) and a polymethacrylate-based weakly acidic cation-exchange resin column(TSKgel Super IC-A/C).Good separation was performed on the TSKgel SCX in shorter retention times.For the TSKgel Super IC-A/C,peak shape of the acids was sharp and symmetrical in spite of longer retention times.In addition,the mutual separation of the acids was good except for iso-and n-butyric acids.The better separation and good detection was achieved by using the two columns(TSKgel SCX and TSKgel Super IC-A/C connected in series),lower concentrations of PFBA and sulfuric acid as eluents,non-suppressed conductivity detection and UV detection at 210 nm.This analysis was applied to anaerobic digestion process waters.The chromatograms with conductivity detection were relatively simpler compared with those of UV detection.The use of two columns with different selectivities for the aliphatic carboxylic acids and the two detection modes was effective for the determination and identification of the analytes in anaerobic digestion process waters containing complex matrices.     

Application of silica-based hyper-crosslinked sulfonate-modified reversed stationary phases for separating highly hydrophilic basic compounds

The separation and determination of hydrophilic basic compounds are of great importance in many fields including clinical and biological research, pharmaceutical development and forensic analysis. However, the most widely used analytical separation technique in these disciplines, reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), usually does not provide sufficient retention for several important classes of highly hydrophilic basic compounds including catecholamines, many drug metabolites and many drugs of abuse. Commonly eluents having little or no organic modifier and/or strong ion pairing agents must be used to achieve sufficient retention and separation. Use of highly aqueous eluents can lead to column failure by dewetting, resulting in poor retention, low selectivity and irreproducibility and slow recovery of performance. The use of a strong ion pairing agent to increase retention renders the separation incompatible with mass spectrometric detection and complicates preparative separations. This paper describes the successful applications of a novel type of silica-based, hyper-crosslinked, sulfonate-modified reversed stationary phase, denoted as (-)SO(3)-HC-C(8)-L, for the separation of highly hydrophilic cations and related compounds by a hydrophobically assisted cation-exchange mechanism. Compared to conventional reversed-phases, the (-)SO(3)-HC-C(8)-L phase showed significantly improved retention and separation selectivity for hydrophilic amines. Concurrently, due to the presence of both cation-exchange and reversed-phase retention mechanisms and the high acid stability of hyper-crosslinked phases, the separation can be optimized by changing the type or concentration of ionic additive or organic modifier, and by varying the column temperature. In addition, gradients generated by programming the concentration of either the ionic additive or the organic modifier can be applied to reduce the analysis time without compromising resolution. Furthermore, remarkably different chromatographic selectivities, especially toward cationic solutes, were observed upon comparing the (-)SO(3)-HC-C(8)-L phase with conventional reversed-phases. We believe that the combination of these two types of stationary phases will be very useful in two-dimensional liquid chromatography.     

Evaluation and application of liquid chromatographic columns coated with 'intelligent' ligands. II. Phospholipid column

The stationary phases of octadecylsilica (ODS) coated with phospholipid have been developed as a model of artificial lipid membranes for liquid chromatographic columns. An ODS column coated with phospholipid can be readily prepared by recycling a solution containing L-alpha-dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) through an ODS column in a closed loop. DPPC becomes absorbed on the ODS surfaces by hydrophobic interaction between the acyl group of DPPC and the octadecyl group of the ODS surfaces. The DPPC column was usable when a mobile phase containing 30% (v/v) acetonitrile was delivered without detachment of the DPPC from the ODS surfaces. The retention behavior of ionic solutes on the DPPC column suggested that the retention was based on both ionic and electrostatic interactions between the solutes and the stationary phase. The retention factors on the DPPC column correlated well with the partition coefficients in liposome systems for alpha-adrenoceptor agonists and beta-blockers, indicating that the partition of solutes between the coated phase and buffer was similar to that in the liposome/water system. The DPPC column can be used in screening studies to predict the binding properties of drugs onto lipid membranes.     

High-capacity cation-exchange column for enhanced resolution of adjacent peaks of cations in ion chromatography

One of the advantages of ion chromatography [Anal Chem. 47 (1975) 1801] as compared to other analytical techniques is that several ions may be analyzed simultaneously. One of the most important contributions of cation-exchange chromatography is its sensitivity to ammonium ion, which is difficult to analyze by other techniques [J. Weiss, in: E.L. Johnson (Ed.), Handbook of Ion Chromatography, Dionex, Sunnyvale, CA, USA]. The determination of low concentrations of ammonium ion in the presence of high concentrations of sodium poses a challenge in cation-exchange chromatography [J. Weiss, Ion Chromatography, VCH, 2nd Edition, Weinheim, 1995], as both cations have similar selectivities for the common stationary phases containing either sulfonate or carboxylate functional groups. The task was to develop a new cation-exchange stationary phase (for diverse concentration ratios of adjacent peaks) to overcome limitations experienced in previous trails. Various cation-exchange capacities and column body formats were investigated to optimize this application and others. The advantages and disadvantages of two carboxylic acid columns of different cation-exchange capacities and different column formats will be discussed.     

Simultaneous ion chromatographic separation of anions and cations on poly(aspartic acid) functionalized silica

Poly(aspartic acid)-silica (PolyCAT A), originally designed for the cation-exchange chromatography of proteins, is proposed for the simultaneous ion chromatographic separation of inorganic anions and cations. This is possible owing to the zwitterion-exchange properties of this stationary phase, which are attributed to the presence of both protonated aminopropyl and dissociated carboxylic groups in poly(aspartic acid) attached to the silica. The retention of alkali metal (Li+, Na+, K+), alkaline earth metal (Mg2+, Ca2+), ammonium and inorganic anions (Cl-, H2PO4-, Br-, NO2-, I-, IO3-, NO3-, ClO4-, SCN-) was tested in aqueous solutions of sulfuric, perchloric, sulfosalicylic, citric, oxalic, maleic and aspartic acids with conductimetric detection. The effect of eluent pH, together with the concentration and characteristics of the eluting ions, were studied. Under optimum conditions (0.3 mmol dm(-3) H2SO4-0.2 mmol dm(-3) Li2SO4 eluent), the simultaneous separation of three anions (Cl-, H2PO4-, NO3-) and four cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), on a PolyCAT A column (200 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microm film thickness) was achieved in 9 min.     

亲水作用色谱柱与阳离子交换树脂柱结合分离无机离子（英文）

A combination of hydrophilic interaction chromatographic(HILIC) column and a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin(WCX) column was used for simultaneous separation of inorganic anions and cations by ion chromatography(IC).Firstly,the capability of HILIC column for the separation of analyte ions was evaluated under acidic eluent conditions.The columns used were SeQuant ZIC-HILIC(ZIC-HILIC) with a sulfobetaine-zwitterion stationary phase(ZIC-HILIC) and Acclaim HILIC-10 with a diol stationary phase(HILIC-10).When using tartaric acid as the eluent,the HILIC columns indicated strong retentions for anions,based on ion-pair interaction.Especially,HILIC-10 could strongly retain anions compared with ZIC-HILIC.The selectivity for analyte anions of HILIC-10 with 5 mmol/L tartaric acid eluent was in the order of I-> NO-3 > Br-> Cl-> H2PO-4.However,since HILIC-10 could not separate analyte cations,a WCX column(TSKgel Super IC-A/C) was connected after the HILIC column in series.The combination column system of HILIC and WCX columns could successfully separate ten ions(Na+,NH+4,K+,Mg2+,Ca2+,H2PO-4,Cl-,Br-,NO-3 and I-) with elution of 4 mmol/L tartaric acid plus 8 mmol/L 18-crown-6.The relative standard deviations(RSDs) of analyte ions by the system were in the ranges of 0.02%-0.05% in retention times and 0.18%-5.3% in peak areas through three-time successive injections.The limits of detection at signal-to-noise ratio of 3 were 0.24-0.30 μmol/L for the cations and 0.31-1.2 μmol/L for the anions.This system was applied for the simultaneous determination of the cations and the anions in a vegetable juice sample with satisfactory results.     

Why robust background electrolytes containing multivalent ionic species can fail in capillary zone electrophoresis

Previous models for the retention behaviour of carboxylic acids in ion-exclusion chromatography are applicable only when the degree of ionisation of the analyte is constant over the entire chromatographic peak. When solutions of sulfuric acid are used as eluents, this condition applies only when the eluent concentration is considerably higher than that of the analyte. Since it is common for dilute solutions of sulfuric acid to be used as eluents, a retention model which accounts for unbuffered eluents has been developed. This model also considers the effects on retention of hydrophobic adsorption of the undissociated and dissociated forms of the analyte onto the stationary phase substrate, as well as the effects of organic solvents added to the eluent. The derivation of this model is presented and it has been evaluated using a comprehensive set of retention data obtained using three different sulfonated stationary phases over a range of eluent conditions. The adsorption coefficients calculated from the model are in accordance with expected trends and showed that both the undissociated and dissociated forms of the analyte acids were retained by hydrophobic adsorption effects, although this adsorption was much stronger for the undissociated analytes.     

Retention of Ionized Solutes in Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

The mechanism of retention in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography is affected by both solute-eluent interactions and the nature of the stationary phase. The hydrophobic expulsion of ionized solutes plays a major role in affecting solute behavior in the water-rich range of hydroorganic eluents. In the water-lean range of eluent composition, there is little hydrophobic expulsion, and specific interactions between the solute and surface can be observed. The nature of the surface affects the retention of a variety of ionized species, both large cations and anions. Octadecylsilane (ODS) bonded phases can exhibit two different binding sites: one exhibiting a weak interaction and the second a strong specific interaction with a solute. Styrenedivinylbenzene polymeric surfaces exhibit the potential for weak dispersion interactions, and in addition pi-bonding interactions with a solute. A variety of solutes have been injected in a water: methanol eluent system in order to assess solute-surface effects on reversed-phase supports.     

High performance liquid chromatography of aromatic carboxylic acids on p-tert-butyl-calix[8]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase

A new p-tert-butyl-calix[8]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase (CABS) was used for the separation of some aromatic carboxylic acids by HPLC. The chromatographic behaviour of the solutes on CABS was studied in comparison with conventional ODS. The results show that the calix[8]arene-bonded phase exhibits a stronger retention and better selectivity than ODS for the aromatic carboxylic acids. The different elution order of the analytes was also observed on both packings, which show the existence of distinct retention mechanisms. According to chromatographic data, it can be concluded that the high selectivity of CABS for aromatic carboxylic acids ascribes to various interactions between CABS and the analytes, such as hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding interaction, π-π interaction and inclusion interaction.     

Determination of sodium and ammonium ions in disproportionate concentration ratios by ion chromatography

In ion chromatography, samples of very different ammonium-to-sodium concentration ratios are difficult to quantify since these two cations have similar selectivities for stationary phases containing commonly used sulfonate or carboxylate cation-exchange functional groups. The IonPac CS15 cation-exchange column, with carboxylate and phosphonate functional groups as well as a crown ether group, was developed to address this limitation. Selectivity for the common inorganic cations on this column is different from that of conventional cation-exchange columns in that the separation between sodium and ammonium ions has been greatly increased, allowing for determinations of low levels of one in the presence of high levels of the other with an isocratic eluent. For larger than 4000:1 sodium-to-ammonium concentration ratios, an eluent step change or gradient elution is needed. For moderate ratios, combinations of this column with a carboxylate column, containing no crown ether group, can be used at room temperature with an isocratic eluent containing no organic solvent.     

Simultaneous ion-exclusion chromatography and cation-exchange chromatography of anions and cations in environmental water samples on a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin by elution with pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid

A non-suppressed conductivity detection ion chromatographic method using a weakly acidic cation-exchange column (Tosoh TSKgel OApak-A) was developed for the simultaneous separation and determination of common inorganic anions (Cl-, NO3- and SO4(2-)) and cations (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+). A satisfactory separation of these anions and cations on the weakly acidic cation-exchange column was achieved in 25 min by elution with a mixture of 1.6 mmol L-1 pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid and 8.0 mmol L-1 18-crown-6 at flow rate of 1.0 mL min-1. On this weakly acidic cation-exchange resin, anions were retained by an ion-exclusion mechanism and cations by a cation-exchange mechanism. The linear range of the peak area calibration curves for all analytes were up to two orders of magnitude. The detection limits calculated at S/N = 3 ranged from 0.25 to 1.9 mumol L-1 for anions and cations. The ion-exclusion chromatography-cation-exchange chromatography method developed in this work was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of major inorganic anions and cations in rainwater, tap water and snow water samples.