Characterization of calixarene‐bonded stationary phases

Calixarene‐bonded stationary phases received growing interest in HPLC as stationary phases with special retention characteristics and selectivity. The commercially available unsubstituted and p‐tert‐butyl‐substituted Caltrex^® columns have been intensively studied and characterized in our workgroup. They can be used as reversed phases, yet they support additional interactions. Especially, their steric, polar and ionic properties differ from conventional alkyl‐bonded phases. However, also the hydrophobic interaction shows differences since adsorption and partition interactions on or in a bonded layer of calixarenes are not similar to those of alkyl‐bonded layers. The relative strength of the hydrophobic properties of the stationary phases has been found depending on the methanol concentration of the mobile phase. Generally, the dependencies of their interaction strengths on mobile‐phase conditions, e.g. the change of the intensity of the hydrogen‐bonding abilities with decreasing methanol content, are not similar from phase to phase either. This probably gives calixarene‐bonded stationary phases enhanced suitability for analyses at extreme compositions of the mobile phase. An overview about the synthesis, retention and selectivity properties of Caltrex^® columns is given here.     

Mobile phase effects on the retention on polar columns with special attention to the dual hydrophilic interaction–reversed‐phase liquid chromatography mechanism,a review

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography on polar columns in aqueous–organic mobile phases has become increasingly popular for the separation of many biologically important compounds in chemical, environmental, food, toxicological, and other samples. In spite of many new applications appearing in literature, the retention mechanism is still controversial. This review addresses recent progress in understanding of the retention models in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. The main attention is focused on the role of water, both adsorbed by the column and contained in the bulk mobile phase. Further, the theoretical retention models in the isocratic and gradient elution modes are discussed. The dual hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography reversed‐phase retention mechanism on polar columns is treated in detail, especially with respect to the practical use in one‐ and two‐dimensional liquid chromatography separations.     

Dual‐mode hydrophilic interaction normal phase and reversed phase liquid chromatography of polar compounds on a single column

Adopting a stationary phase convention circumvents problematic definition of the boundary between the stationary and the mobile phase in the liquid chromatography, resulting in thermodynamically consistent and reproducible chromatographic data. Three stationary phase definition conventions provide different retention data, but equal selectivity: (i) the complete solid phase moiety; (ii) the solid porous part carrying the active interaction centers; (iii) the volume of the inner column pores. The selective uptake of water from the bulk aqueous‐organic mobile phase significantly affects the volume and the properties of polar stationary phases. Some polar stationary phases provide dual‐mode retention mechanism in aqueous‐organic mobile phases, reversed‐phase in the water‐rich range, and normal‐phase at high concentrations of the organic solvent in water. The linear solvation energy relationship model characterizes the structural contributions of the non‐selective and selective polar interactions both in the water‐rich and organic solvent‐rich mobile phases. The inner‐pore convention provides a single hold‐up volume value for the retention prediction on the dual‐mode columns over the full mobile phase range. Using the dual‐mode monolithic polymethacrylate zwitterionic micro‐columns alternatively in each mode in the first dimension of two‐dimensional liquid chromatography, in combination with a short reversed‐phase column in the second dimension, provides enhanced sample information.     

High‐performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation of polyhalogenated 4,4′‐bipyridines on polysaccharide‐based chiral stationary phases under multimodal elution

An investigation on the high‐performance liquid chromatography enantioseparation of 12 polyhalogenated 4,4′‐bipyridines on polysaccharide‐based chiral stationary phases is described. The overall study was directed toward the generation of efficient separations in order to obtain pure atropisomers that will serve as ligands for building homochiral metal organic frameworks. Four coated columns—namely, Lux Cellulose‐1, Lux Cellulose‐2, Lux Cellulose‐4, and Lux Amylose‐2—and two immobilized columns—namely, Chiralpak IC and IA—were used under normal, polar organic, and reversed‐phase elution modes. Moreover, Chiralcel OJ was considered under normal‐phase and polar organic conditions. The effect of the chiral selector and mobile phase composition on the enantioseparation, the enantiomer elution order and the beneficial effect of nonstandard solvents were studied. The effect of water in the mobile phase on the enantioselectivity and retention was investigated and retention profiles typical of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography were observed. Interesting phenomena of solvent‐induced enantiomer elution order reversal occurred under normal‐phase mode. All the considered 4,4′‐bipyridines were enantioseparated at the multimilligram level.     

Study of the selectivity,retention mechanisms and performance of alternative silica-based stationary phases for separation of ionised solutes in hydrophilic interaction chromatography

The separation of a mixture of neutral, strongly acidic and strongly basic compounds was studied in hydrophilic interaction chromatography using a bare silica phase, and bonded silica phases with diol, zwitterionic, amide and hydrophilic/hydrophobic groups. The mobile phase was acetonitrile–ammonium formate buffer at low pH. Differences in selectivity between these various columns indicate that the stationary phase cannot function merely as an inert support for a water layer into which the solutes partition from the bulk mobile phase. Attempts to fit the retention data to equations which describe either partition or adsorption mechanisms were inconclusive. Ion exchange was a significant contributor to the retention of ionised bases on all columns studied. Van Deemter plots indicated that the efficiency as a function of flow rate varied between the columns, which might be attributable in part to the presence of either monomeric or polymeric bonded phase layers.     

Preparation of a monolithic column with a mixed‐mode stationary phase of reversed‐phase/hydrophilic interaction for capillary liquid chromatography

A monolithic capillary column with a mixed‐mode stationary phase of reversed‐phase/hydrophilic interaction chromatography was prepared for capillary liquid chromatography. The monolith was created by an in‐situ copolymerization of a homemade monomer N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐acryloxyundecyl‐N‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium betaine and a crosslinker pentaerythritol triacrylate in a binary porogen agent consisting of methanol and isopropanol. The functional monomer was designed to have a highly polar zwitterionic sulfobetaine terminal group and a hydrophobic long alkyl chain moiety. The composition of the polymerization solution was systematically optimized to permit the best column performance. The columns were evaluated by using acidic, basic, polar neutral analytes, as well as a set of alkylbenzenes and Triton X100. Very good separations were obtained on the column with the mixed‐mode stationary phase. It was demonstrated that the mixed‐mode stationary phase displayed typic dual retention mechanisms of reversed‐phase/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography depending on the content of acetonitrile in the mobile phase. The method for column preparation is reproducible.     

The effect of solvation processes on amino acid‐ and peptide‐silica stationary phases

The surface excess adsorption isotherms of water, acetonitrile, and methanol from binary hydro‐organic mobile phases were investigated on nine home‐made stationary phases with chemically bonded amino acids, dipeptides, and tripeptides using the dynamic minor disturbance method. The stationary phases were modified by the following amino acids: glycine, alanine, phenylalanine, leucine, and aspartic acid. We investigated the influence of the type of immobilized amino acids, in particular their different side chains, on the solvent adsorption. The interpretation of solvation phenomena shows significant accumulation of investigated solvents on the adsorbent surface according to their hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties. Moreover, the accumulated amount was dependent on the length and type of amino acid sequences bonded to the silica surface. Stationary phases with bonded amino acids and peptides show stronger water and acetonitrile adsorption in contrast to the stationary phase modified with aminopropyl groups—a support for the synthesis. The comparison of water and acetonitrile adsorption as well as a data obtained with the two‐site adsorption model reveal and confirm the heterogeneity of chemically bonded phases. As a consequence of performed investigations, the classification of tested stationary phases for the potential usage in particular high‐performance liquid chromatography mode was also accomplished.     

Retention mechanisms in super/subcritical fluid chromatography on packed columns

Whereas the retention rules of achiral compounds are well defined in high-performance liquid chromatography, on the basis of the nature of the stationary phase, some difficulties appear in super/subcritical fluid chromatography on packed columns. This is mainly due to the supposed effect of volatility on retention behaviours in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and to the nature of carbon dioxide, which is not polar, thus SFC is classified as a normal-phase separation technique. Moreover, additional effects are not well known and described. They are mainly related to density changes of the mobile phase or to adsorption of fluid on the stationary phase causing a modification of its surface. It is admitted that pressure or temperature modifications induce variation in the eluotropic strength of the mobile phase, but effects of flow rate or column length on retention factor changes are more surprising. Nevertheless, the retention behaviour in SFC first depends on the stationary phase nature. Working with polar stationary phases induces normal-phase retention behaviour, whereas using non-polar bonded phases induces reversed-phase retention behaviour. These rules are verified for most carbon dioxide-based mobile phases in common use (CO(2)/MeOH, CO(2)/acetonitrile or CO(2)/EtOH). Moreover, the absence of water in the mobile phase favours the interactions between the compounds and the stationary phase, compared to what occurs in hydro-organic liquids. Other stationary phases such as aromatic phases and polymers display intermediate behaviours. In this paper, all these behaviours are discussed, mainly by using log k-log k plots, which allow a simple comparison of stationary phase properties. Some examples are presented to illustrate these retention properties.     

Enhanced‐fluidity liquid chromatography using mixed‐mode hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/strong cation‐exchange retention mechanisms

The potential of enhanced‐fluidity liquid chromatography, a subcritical chromatography technique, in mixed‐mode hydrophilic interaction/strong cation‐exchange separations is explored, using amino acids as analytes. The enhanced‐fluidity liquid mobile phases were prepared by adding liquefied CO₂ to methanol/water mixtures, which increases the diffusivity and decreases the viscosity of the mixture. The addition of CO₂ to methanol/water mixtures resulted in increased retention of the more polar amino acids. The “optimized” chromatographic performance (achieving baseline resolution of all amino acids in the shortest amount of time) of these methanol/water/CO₂ mixtures was compared to traditional acetonitrile/water and methanol/water liquid chromatography mobile phases. Methanol/water/CO₂ mixtures offered higher efficiencies and resolution of the ten amino acids relative to the methanol/water mobile phase, and decreased the required isocratic separation time by a factor of two relative to the acetonitrile/water mobile phase. Large differences in selectivity were also observed between the enhanced‐fluidity and traditional liquid mobile phases. A retention mechanism study was completed, that revealed the enhanced‐fluidity mobile phase separation was governed by a mixed‐mode retention mechanism of hydrophilic interaction/strong cation‐exchange. On the other hand, separations with acetonitrile/water and methanol/water mobile phases were strongly governed by only one retention mechanism, either hydrophilic interaction or strong cation exchange, respectively.     

Tetra‐proline‐modified calix[4]arene‐bonded silica stationary phase for simultaneous reversed‐phase/hydrophilic interaction mixed‐mode chromatography

A new water‐soluble tetra‐proline‐modified calix[4]arene‐bonded silica stationary phase was prepared straightforwardly by an indirect method and characterized by elemental analysis, energy dispersive Spectrometry, solid‐state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Due to the simultaneous introduction of polar tetra‐proline and nonpolar calix[4]arene, the developed column possessing a double retention mode of reverse‐phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. A series of hydrophobic and hydrophilic test samples, including nucleosides and nucleotides, amines, monosubstituted benzenes, chiral compounds, and phenols, were used to evaluate the developed stationary phase. A rapid separation capability, high separation efficiency, and selectivity were achieved based on the multiple interactions between solutes and tetra‐proline‐modified calix[4]arene‐bonded silica stationary phase. Moreover, the developed stationary phase was further used to detect and separate hexamethylenetetramine in rice flour. All the results indicated the potential merits of the developed stationary phase for simultaneous separation of complex hydrophobic and hydrophilic samples with high selectivity.     

Controllable preparation of a hydrophilic/ion‐exchange mixed‐mode stationary phase by surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization using a mixture of two functional monomers

Mixed‐mode chromatographic stationary phases require functionalization with at least two functional groups to yield multiple interactions with analytes. Departing from reported methods, a mixture of two different monomers, glycidyl methacrylate and 2‐dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate, was grafted onto the surface of silica by a one‐step surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to prepare a novel hydrophilic interaction/anion‐exchange mixed‐mode chromatographic stationary phase. The grafted amounts of functional groups were controlled via varying the ratio of monomers in the polymerization system. The influences of water content, salt concentration and pH in the mobile phase were investigated to illustrate the mixed interaction between the stationary phase and analytes. The retention of various solutes on three columns, especially acidic and basic solutes, showed an obvious dependence on the ratio of the two monomers in the polymerization system. The results indicated that the strategy proposed in this work was beneficial to develop various types of mixed‐mode chromatographic stationary phases with adjustable selectivity to meet the needs of complex samples. Finally, the column was successfully employed in the isolation of melamine in liquid milk.     

Phenyl‐bonded stationary phases—The influence of polar functional groups on retention and selectivity in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography

The chromatographic properties of four phenyl‐bonded phases with different structures were studied. The columns used were packed with a stationary phase containing a phenyl ring attached to the silica surface using different types of linkage molecules. As a basic characteristic of the bonded phases, the hydrophobicity and silanol activity (polarity) were investigated. The presence of the polar amino and amide groups in the structure of the bonded ligand strongly influences the polarity of the bonded phase. Columns were compared according to methylene selectivity using a series of benzene homologues and according to their shape and size selectivity using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The measurements were done using methanol/water and acetonitrile/water mobile phases. The presented results show that the presence of polar functional groups in the ligand structure strongly influences the chromatographic properties of the bonded phase.     

Stationary and mobile phases in hydrophilic interaction chromatography: a review

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is valuable alternative to reversed-phase liquid chromatography separations of polar, weakly acidic or basic samples. In principle, this separation mode can be characterized as normal-phase chromatography on polar columns in aqueous-organic mobile phases rich in organic solvents (usually acetonitrile). Highly organic HILIC mobile phases usually enhance ionization in the electrospray ion source of a mass spectrometer, in comparison to mobile phases with higher concentrations of water generally used in reversed-phase (RP) LC separations of polar or ionic compounds, which is another reason for increasing popularity of this technique. Various columns can be used in the HILIC mode for separations of peptides, proteins, oligosaccharides, drugs, metabolites and various natural compounds: bare silica gel, silica-based amino-, amido-, cyano-, carbamate-, diol-, polyol-, zwitterionic sulfobetaine, or poly(2-sulphoethyl aspartamide) and other polar stationary phases chemically bonded on silica gel support, but also ion exchangers or zwitterionic materials showing combined HILIC-ion interaction retention mechanism. Some stationary phases are designed to enhance the mixed-mode retention character. Many polar columns show some contributions of reversed phase (hydrophobic) separation mechanism, depending on the composition of the mobile phase, which can be tuned to suit specific separation problems. Because the separation selectivity in the HILIC mode is complementary to that in reversed-phase and other modes, combinations of the HILIC, RP and other systems are attractive for two-dimensional applications. This review deals with recent advances in the development of HILIC phase separation systems with special attention to the properties of stationary phases. The effects of the mobile phase, of sample structure and of temperature on separation are addressed, too.     

Silica modified with a thiourea derivative as a new stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography

Nowadays there are limited types of commercially available stationary phases for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and therefore new ones with unique selectivity are urgently in demand to meet the need of separations of various polar and hydrophilic analytes. The present study describes the preparation and evaluation of a new stationary phase based on thiourea derivative modified silica for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. Thiourea derivative was bonded onto the surface of silica particles via a mild addition reaction between –NH₂ and –SCN, and the result of elemental analysis together with infrared analysis and solid‐state NMR spectroscopy proved that the synthesis method was feasible. The new stationary phase succeeded in fast separations of a wide range of polar and hydrophilic analytes and exhibited excellent separation performance, especially unique selectivity. Furthermore, the effects of water content, buffer pH, and salt concentration on retention indicated that a complicated separation mechanism rather than partitioning was involved in the stationary phase and hydrogen bonding interaction between analytes and thiourea functional group could play a very important role in its selectivity. For sure, the new stationary phase is of a great potential as a new type of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic stationary phase.     

Adsorption of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate on a C18 column under micellar and high submicellar conditions in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography

Micellar liquid chromatography makes use of aqueous solutions or aqueous‐organic solutions containing a surfactant, at a concentration above its critical micelle concentration. In the mobile phase, the surfactant monomers aggregate to form micelles, whereas on the surface of the nonpolar alkyl‐bonded stationary phases they are significantly adsorbed. If the mobile phase contains a high concentration of organic solvent, micelles break down, and the amount of surfactant adsorbed on the stationary phase is reduced, giving rise to another chromatographic mode named high submicellar liquid chromatography. The presence of a thinner coating of surfactant enhances the selectivity and peak shape, especially for basic compounds. However, the risk of full desorption of surfactant is the main limitation in the high submicellar mode. This study examines the adsorption of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate under micellar and high submicellar conditions on a C₁₈ column, applying two methods. One of them uses a refractive index detector to obtain direct measurements of the adsorbed amount of sodium dodecyl sulfate, whereas the second method is based on the retention and peak shape for a set of cationic basic compounds that indirectly reveal the presence of adsorbed monomers of surfactant on the stationary phase.     

Synthesis and evaluation of a maltose‐bonded silica gel stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction chromatography and its application in Ginkgo Biloba extract separation in two‐dimensional systems

Maltose covalently bonded to silica was prepared by using carbonyl diimidazole as a cross‐linker and employed as a stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. The column efficiency and the effect of water content, buffer concentration, and pH value influenced on retention were investigated. The separation or enrichment selectivity was also studied with nucleosides, saccharides, amino acids, peptides, and glycopeptides. The results indicated that the stationary phase processed good separation efficiency and separation selectivity in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mode. Moreover, a two‐dimensional hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography× reversed‐phase liquid chromatography method with high orthogonality was developed to analyze the Ginkgo Biloba extract fractions. The development of this two‐dimensional chromatographic system would be an effective tool for the separation of complex samples of different polarities and contents.     

Retention process in reversed phase TLC systems with polar bonded stationary phases

The retention of a solute in RP chromatography is a very complex process which depends on many factors. Therefore, the study of the influence of a mobile phase modifier concentration on the retention in different reversed phase chromatographic systems is very important for understanding the rules governing retention and mechanisms of substance separation in a chromatographic process. Composition changes and the nature of mobile phases enable tuning of the separated analytes' retention over a wide range of retention parameters and optimization of the chromatographic process as well. Optimization of the chromatographic process can be achieved by several different methods; one of them is the so-called interpretative strategy. The key approach adopted in this strategy is the implementation of adequate retention models that couple the retention of solute with the composition of a mixed mobile phase. The use of chemically bonded stationary phases composed of partially non-bonded silica matrix and organic ligands bonded to its surface in everyday chromatography practice leads to questions of the correct definition of the retention model and the dominant retention mechanism in such chromatographic systems. The retention model for an accurate prediction of retention factor as a function of modifier concentration and the heterogeneity of the adsorbent surface should be taken into consideration. In this work the influence of mobile-phase composition on the retention of sixteen model substances such as phenols, quinolines, and anilines used as test analytes in different RP-TLC systems with CN-, NH2-, and Diol-silica polar bonded stationary phases has been studied. The aim of this study is to compare the performance of three valuable retention models assumed as the partition, adsorption/partition, and adsorption mechanism of retention. All the models were verified for different RP-TLC systems by three statistical criteria. The results of investigations presented in this work demonstrate that the best agreement between the experimental and calculated Rf values was obtained by the use of new-generation retention models, which assume heterogeneity of adsorbent surface. The results reported here show that heterogeneity of the adsorbent surface may be important in analysis of the elution process in liquid chromatography. Consideration of the goodness of fit for the experimental data to the examined retention models is in conformity with the adsorption mechanism of retention on all polar bonded stationary phases in most eluent systems for most investigated compounds.     

Evaluation of a silicon oxynitride hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column in saccharide and glycoside separations

The retention characteristics of a silicon oxynitride stationary phase for carbohydrate separation were studied in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode. Four saccharides including mono‐, di‐, and trisaccharides were employed to investigate the effects of water content and buffer concentration in the mobile phase on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography retention. For the tested saccharides, the silicon oxynitride column demonstrated excellent performance in terms of separation efficiency, hydrophilicity, and interesting separation selectivity for carbohydrates compared to the bare silica stationary phase. Finally, the silicon oxynitride hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column was employed in the separation of complex samples of fructooligosaccharides, saponins, and steviol glycoside from natural products. The resulting chromatograms demonstrated good separation efficiency and longer retention compared with silica, which further confirmed the advantages and potential application of silicon oxynitride stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography separation.     

木糖醇和麦芽糖醇型亲水作用色谱固定相的制备及其分离性能的评价

利用-NCO和-OH的加成反应,通过简单的两步反应将木糖醇和麦芽糖醇成功地键合于硅胶表面,制备了两种新型糖醇类亲水作用色谱固定相。流动相中乙腈含量对保留的影响曲线表明,这两种糖醇固定相具有典型的亲水作用色谱固定相性质,对极性和亲水性化合物有很强的保留作用。利用这两种固定相成功分离了水溶性维生素、水杨酸及其类似物、碱基及其相应的核苷和淫羊藿苷类似物等模型混合物,同时糖醇固定相展现了新颖的选择性,特别是相对于线形的木糖醇键合固定相,非线形的麦芽糖醇键合固定相表现出了对糖基的独特保留能力。此外,缓冲盐的pH和浓度对保留的影响表明静电作用在这两种糖醇固定相的保留机理中也发挥着一定的作用。本文所发展的糖醇类固定相具有良好的分离性能,有望在亲水作用色谱分离领域发挥潜在的应用价值。