Modifying conventional high-performance liquid chromatography systems to achieve fast separations with Fused-Core columns: a case study

The theoretical increase in performance from the use of high efficiency columns with conventional HPLC equipment is generally not observed due to the design limitations of such equipment, particularly with respect to extra-column dispersion (ECD). This study examines the impact of ECD from a Waters Alliance 2695 system on the performance of 2.7 μm HALO C(18) Fused-Core superficially porous particle columns of various dimensions. The Alliance system was re-configured in different ways to reduce extra-column volume (ECV) and the ECD determined in each case as a function of flow rate up to a maximum of 2 mL/min. The results obtained showed a progressive decrease in ECD as the ECV was reduced, irrespective of the flow rate employed. However, this decrease in ECD was less than theoretically expected for the lower ECV configurations. The inability to reduce the actual extra-column dispersion further was attributed to additional dispersion associated with the design/volume of the auto-injector. This was confirmed by making sample injections with a low dispersion manual injection valve, instead of auto-injection, for the two lowest ECV configurations studied. In each case, the measured and predicted ECD values were in good agreement. The auto-injector module is an integral part of the Alliance 2695 instrument and cannot be easily modified. However, even with autosampler injection, for a 3mm ID × 100 mm Fused-Core column approximately 70% of the maximum plate count (～84% of the resolution or more) could still be obtained in isocratic separations for solutes with k ≥ ～4.5 when using the lowest ECV configuration. This study also highlights some of the problems inherent in trying to measure accurately the true extra-column dispersion of a chromatographic system and compares the results obtained to those theoretically predicted. Using this same lowest volume instrument configuration, two real-world pharmaceutical methods were scaled to separations that are ～3-3.5-fold faster, while still maintaining comparable data quality (resolution and signal-to-noise ratios).     

Counting performance and resolution of an HPLC radioactivity monitor

Summary Preliminary investigations clearly demonstrate the potential application of a solid scintillator to count beta emitters in the effluent streams from HPLC systems. Counting efficiencies of 6% for³H; 70% for¹⁴C; 10% for³²P; 72% for¹²⁵I were obtained. Spectra resolution permits practical application of simultaneous radionucleide monitoring.     

Alternate HPLC method for the analysis of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide in [18F]fluorodeoxythymidine (FLT)

Tetrabutylammonium hydroxide is a common reagent used in the synthesis of [¹⁸F]Fluorodeoxythymidine (FLT) for positron emission tomography imaging. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for the analysis of [¹⁸F]FLT was released in 2015 incorporating a HPLC method for the analysis of tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. We describe alternate HPLC conditions that mitigate the challenges in fulfilling the system suitability requirements such as signal to noise and symmetry factor that are specified in the monograph. Our method was validated by analyzing tetrabutylammonium hydroxide at a range of concentrations to determine the linearity (R²?=?0.994), accuracy (≤9.2%) and precision (≤3.2%). Our method does not affect the analysis of [¹⁸F]FLT and it complies with all requirements in the BP monograph.     

The FeII-FeIV and FeIII-FeV manifolds in an expanded world of Gif chemistry

The Gif systems for the selective functionalization of saturated hydrocarbons based on the reactions of Superoxide with Fe^II and of hydrogen peroxide with Fe^III are described. Both systems are relatively efficient, but not nearly so efficient as the electrochemical system developed in collaboration with Prof. G. Balavoine and Dr. Aurore Gref (Université de Paris-Sud-Orsay, France). All of the systems afford mainly ketones. This is an unusual selectivity, which implies a non-radical mechanism. It has been proven for the Fe^III-H₂O₂ system that the activation of the Fe^III is independent of the formation of ketone, which involves a hydroperoxide (derived from oxygen) as an intermediate. This intermediate controls the formation of ketone and of secondary alcohol. The addition of a number of trapping reagents such as BrCCl₃ diverts the reaction from oxygenation to bromide formation. Although BrCCl₃ is indeed a good trap for carbon radicals, the pattern of selectivity across a range of saturated hydrocarbons is completely different for Gif chemistry when compared with normal radical bromination. The chemistry is explained in terms of an Fe^V oxenoid species that inserts itself into secondary C-H bonds (a compromise between bond strength and steric hindrance). This gives an Fe^V intermediateA with an iron-carbon bond, which is probably rapidly reduced to the Fe^III state by hydrogen peroxide. Then oxygen is inserted into the Fe^III-C bond. Hydrolysis affords the isolateable intermediate hydroperoxide (intermediateB). A system based ontert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) is described. This is similar to the above Gif systems, but the kinetic isotope effect is very different and the selectivity for adamantane substitution is different. However, Fe^III is activated by TBHP to an Fe^V oxenoid which, after reaction with a hydrocarbon, reacts with oxygen to give a hydroperoxide. So the pattern of intermediatesA andB is maintained with TBHP. Radical chemistry is involved in some of the reactions that involve ionic coupling to saturated hydrocarbons. The importance of the Fe^II-Fe^IV manifold in providing a mechanism that permits the selective functionalization of saturated hydrocarbons by ionic trapping with chloride, azide, and other anions is made manifest. Comparison is made with the Fe^III-Fe^V manifold where ionic trapping is never seen. Traditional Fenton chemistry (hydroxyl radical formation) is not operative here, but the trapping does involve the formation of carbon radicals. These react very efficiently with anions bonded to Fe^III.D. R. H. Barton is a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry in 1969. Since 1994, he is a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 595–604, April, 1995.We thank all our colleagues cited in the various References for their contributions to this fascinating subject. We also thank Prof. Minisci for his helpful comments. This work was supported by Quest Intl. and by the Welch Foundation.     

Glutaraldehyde - “Pure and Impure.” A Spectroscopic Investigation of Two Commercial Glutaraldehyde Solutions and Their Reaction Products with Amino Acids

Abstract

The composition of two glutaraldehyde solutions with different grades of purity was studied by HPLC, UV, J-H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The reactions between various amino acids and the two glutaraldehyde solutions were investigated by UV spectrophotometry. The impurities in the most impure glutaraldehyde solution could be characterized with UV giving a 235 nm absorption, with HPLC as two peaks with retention times 3.36 and 5.78 min and with ¹³C NMR as small signals in the 102.7-94.9 ppm area. It is proposed that the two glutaraldehyde solutions give different reaction products with amino acids.     

Chromatographic Analysis of Trans Resveratrol in Italian Wines: Comparisons between FL, UV and MS Detection

Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) is a phytoalexin that belongs to the group of stilbenes, known to occur in grapes and consequently in grape products. Its presence in wine is an important qualitative parameter because of the several beneficial effects on human health. The aim of this work is the development of a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination of trans resveratrol in wines, and comparisons between the results obtained by different detection techniques: UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Resveratrol is analysed on a C-18 column using gradient elution. The method permits direct injection of sample, revealing to be time-saving, overcoming the need of sample pre-treatment steps. Detection limits were 154.8 ng mL⁻¹ by HPLC-UV, 118.0 ng mL⁻¹ by HPLC-FL and 48.0 ng mL⁻¹ by HPLC-MS. Trans resveratrol has been then quantified in a group of 52 wines derived from different Italian regions, cultivars and winemaking technologies by HPLC-UV.     

Preparation,purification, and analysis of alkylated cyclodextrins

Methods of alkylation of α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins have been optimized with regard to the parameters of reaction, degree of alkylation and yields. The analysis of the reaction mixtures and of the isolated single species has been performed by high temperature GC and HPLC. The phase systems of the preferably applied HPLC have been carefully adjusted by variation of both the stationary and mobile phases to the very different hydrophobicities of the various alkylated CD species which have been synthesized. Several partially or fully alkylated CD species were isolated from preparative scale HPLC separations in high purity.     

Magnesium and calcium surfactants Ternary phase diagrams of magnesium and calcium dodecylsulphate with decanol and water

The isothermal ternary phase diagrams for the systems magnesium dodecylsulphate-decanol-water at 40 °C and calcium dodecylsulphate-decanol-water at 50 °C are determined by water deuteron NMR and polarizing microscopic studies. In the magnesium system, three liquid crystalline phases (lamellar and normal and reverse hexagonal) and two isotropic (normal and reverse) solution phases are characterized and their ranges of existence are obtained. The calcium system yields the same liquid crystalline phases, but only the lamellar liquid crystalline phase is investigated in detail. The important observations made are: (i) The lamellar liquid crystalline phase for the magnesium and calcium systems can incorporate, respectively, a maximum of 22.5 and 14.3 mole water per mole surfactant ion against 139 mole water for the corresponding sodium system. (ii) The reverse hexagonal liquid crystalline phase is formed for both the magnesium and calcium systems while no such liquid crystalline phase exists for the corresponding sodium system. (iii) The²H NMR quadrupole splittings obtained in the liquid crystalline phases for C₈SO ₄ ^– and C₁₂SO ₄ ^– surfactant systems with different counterions (Ca²⁺,Mg²⁺,Be²⁺,Na⁺) reveal that surfactant hydration is almost independent of alkyl chain length and counterions.     

Liquid chromatographic analysis of the anticancer alkaloid luotonin A and some new derivatives in human serum samples

The quantitation of the natural cytotoxic and anti‐inflammatory alkaloid luotonin A and five recently synthesized derivatives is described, constituting the first report of a HPLC method for the analysis of these compounds in human serum samples. The conditions for the chromatographic separation were optimized and the method was validated for the analysis of these compounds in biological samples according to international guidelines. An RP‐HPLC method with fluorimetric detection and a C₁₈ stationary phase was applied. Different ACN/water mobile phases were assayed, including 0–4% of a mobile phase modifier such as tetrahydrofuran, dioxane or tert‐butyl methyl ether. Isocratic and gradient elution conditions are compared. The influence of pH on the efficiency and resolution of the separation was also considered. The developed method was applied to the determination of luotonins in pooled human serum samples by gradient elution RP‐HPLC using a simple cleanup procedure. The proposed chromatographic method exhibits satisfactory analytical figures of merit, with LOD from 1.0×10^?10 to 2.0×10^?10 M, intraday and interday precision below 6% except for the concentration level closest to LOD, and good agreement between experimental and theoretical concentrations. Therefore, the developed method is suitable, reliable, rapid, and simple.     

Determination Co2+ in vitamin B12 based on enhancement of 2-(4-substituted-phenyl)-4,5-di(2-furyl) imidazole and H2O2 chemiluminescence reaction

In this paper, three kinds of imidazole derivatives, 2-(4-methylphenyl)-4,5-di(2-furyl) imidazole (MDFI), 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-4,5-di(2-furyl) imidazole (NDFI), and 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-4,5-di(2-furyl) imidazole (t-BDFI) were synthesized. In an alkaline medium, the chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of imidazole derivatives with H₂O₂ has been investigated. It was also found that MDFI/H₂O₂ and t-BDFI/H₂O₂ systems gave strong CL. When Co²⁺ was added into the two CL systems, the CL intensity was remarkably enhanced. In the optimum conditions, the CL intensity is linearly related to the logarithm of concentration of Co²⁺. The linear ranges are 5 × 10⁻⁹–2.5 × 10⁻⁷ mol/L for MDFI/H₂O₂ system and 5 × 10⁻⁹–2.5 × 10⁻⁷ mol/L for t-BDFI/H₂O₂ system, and the corresponding detection limits are 1.2 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L and 1.1 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L, respectively. The method was applied to the determination of Co²⁺ in vitamin B₁₂ injection. Furthermore, the CL mechanism was also discussed.     

Sequential injection analysis implementing multiple standard additions for As speciation by liquid chromatography and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (SIA-HPLC-AFS)

An analytical procedure for multiple standard additions of arsenic species using sequential injection analysis (SIA) is proposed for their quantification in seafood extracts. SIA presented flexibility for generating multiple specie standards at the ng mL⁻¹ concentration level by adding different volumes of As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic (MMA) and dimethylarsinic (DMA) to the sample. The mixed sample plus standard solutions were delivered from SIA to fill the HPLC injection loop. Subsequently, As species were separated by HPLC and analyzed by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The proposed system comprised two independently controlled modules, with the HPLC loop acting as the intermediary device. The analytical frequency was enhanced by combining the actions of both modules. While the added sample was flowing through the chromatographic column towards the detection system, the SIA program started performing the standard additions to another sample. The proposed method was applied to spoiled seafood extracts. Detection limits based on 3σ for As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA were 0.023, 0.39, 0.45 and 1.0 ng mL⁻¹, respectively.     

Self-constructed stable liquid crystal alignment in a monomer-liquid crystal mixture system

Here, we demonstrate excellent liquid crystal (LC) vertical alignment without using an alignment layer printing process by introducing octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) into the LC mixture. Further, we investigated the alignment mechanism by analysing the surfaces of the substrates. The optimum concentration of OTS was found to be about 0.03 wt%, which is 1/100 of that in the previously reported polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)–LC system. Moreover, the OTS–LC system exhibited a more stable LC alignment compared with the POSS–LC system. These differences may arise from the different strengths of surface–dopant interactions; that is, the covalent bond in the OTS–LC system and the van der Waals interactions in the POSS–LC system. We also demonstrated that the method can be used in a capillary tube, which may serve as a new method facilitating the application of LCs with curved surfaces.     

An SCFab initio investigation of the “through-water” interaction of the phosphate anion with the Na+ cation

SCFab initio computations in the supermolecule approach were carried out for the study of the hydration scheme of the dihydrogen phosphate anion, of the sodium cation and for the investigation of the direct and the through-water interaction of these two charged species. It is found that the energy balances of the direct phosphate-Na⁺ binding, involving their prior dehydration, or their through-water binding, allowing them to conserve their hydration shells, are of the same order of magnitude, indicating the competitivity of the two processes. This situation results in the existence of multiple possibilities for phosphate-Na⁺-water association. Appreciable energies of interaction exist between the different subunits of such systems. The Na⁺ cation and to a somewhat lesser extent the phosphate anion have a polarizing effect upon the charge distribution in the system over relatively appreciable distances. On the contrary, the charge transfers between the different components of the system are interpretable essentially in terms of displacements between adjacent units only.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of some 2- and 4-hydroxy derivatives of 2'-benzoylbenzoic acid on Florisil and silica gel columns

A series of 2'-benzoylbenzoic acid derivatives including some pairs of positional isomers and other related compounds were chromatographed by HPLC using a normal-phase system with polar adsorbents (Florisil and silica) and 2-propanol, 1,4-dioxane and tetrahydrofuran as modifiers of the eluent. The results obtained were compared as log k′_Florisil vs. log k′_silica relationships to ascertain the differences in distribution and chemical character of surface-active centres of the investifated adsorbents and the mechanism of elution in different eluent systems     

Graphene quantum dots with Zn2+ and Ni2+ conjugates can cleave supercoiled DNA

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), inheriting the superb property of graphene oxide, possess smaller lateral size and high biocompatibility, thus having potential in biomedical applications. We previously discovered that GQDs, combining with Cu²⁺ ions, could cleave DNA primarily through an oxidative pathway; yet, oxidative DNA cleavage is not practically preferred in biology. In this work, we explore the DNA cleavage ability of GQDs with Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺. Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ alone are incapable of cleaving supercoiled DNA, but when combining with the GQDs, Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ exhibit DNA cleavage activity. However, the activity of these two systems is much lower than that of GQDs/Cu²⁺, and GQDs/Ni²⁺ is less active than GQDs/Zn²⁺. The functional mechanism of GQDs/Ni²⁺ and GQDs/Zn²⁺ is different from that of GQDs/Cu²⁺. The GQDs play a key role in the two systems; the redox inactive Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions assist to generate the oxidative species that eventually lead to the DNA cleavage. The current results together with our previous result indicate that GQDs together with metal ions can cleave supercoiled DNA, and their cleavage activities depend on the properties of metal ions: for redox active metal ions, metal ions play key roles, for redox inactive metal ions, GQDs are dominant.     

Flow injection on-line dialysis coupled to high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of some organic acids in wine

A combined system of flow injection on-line dialysis sample pretreatment and high performance liquid chromatographic separation/detection (FID-HPLC) was developed for simultaneous determination of six organic acids (tartaric, malic, lactic, acetic, citric and succinic acids). A sample or mixed standard solution (400 μL) was injected into a donor stream (water) of FID system and was pushed further through a dialysis cell, while an acceptor solution (water) was held in the opposite side of the dialysis membrane. The dialysate containing organic acids in the acceptor solution was then flowed to an injection loop of the HPLC valve, where it was further injected into the HPLC system and analysed under normal HPLC conditions, using a reversed-phase (C₁₈) analytical column and UV detection (210 nm). The order of elution was tartaric, malic, lactic, acetic, citric and succinic acids with the analysis time of 8 min. The FID system could be operated in parallel with HPLC separation, providing sample throughput of 7.5 h⁻¹. Dialysis efficiencies of six organic acids were in range of 4.6-9.5%. Calibration graphs for all the mentioned organic acids were linear over the range of 250-7500 mg L⁻¹. Precisions for all the organic acids were within 5.4%. The proposed system was successfully applied for analysis of some Thai wines. By spiking wine samples with mixed acid standard solutions, the percentage recoveries in range of 84-104 were found. This system has advantages of fast and high degrees of automation for dialysis sample pretreatment, on-line sample separation and dilution, good clean-up for prolongation of life-time of the HPLC column and low consumption of chemicals and materials.     

Flow injection analysis of ranitidine based on derivatization reaction producing 2-Methylfuran cation as a sensitive and selective amperometric detector

A new electrochemical sensor in a flow injection system is developed for the determination of ranitidine in pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on the deamination reaction of ranitidine in an acidic environment in the presence of nitrite ions producing the electroactive species 2-methylfuran and releasing nitrosamine [1]. A wide linear range of ranitidine from 4.4 to 6000 mg L⁻¹, with correlation coefficient R² = 0.996 and the detection limit 1.3 mg L⁻¹ was obtained. The method has been applied in tablet analysis and ampoules; the results are within the confidence limits with 95 % reliability compared to the reference method with HPLC.     

Tris (2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) electrogenerated chemiluminescence in analytical science

Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ electrogenerated chemiluminescence (CL) has rapidly gained importance as a sensitive and selective detection method in analytical science. The Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ ECL is observed when Ru(bpy) ₃ ³⁺ reacts with Ru(bpy) ₃ ⁺ and yields an excited state Ru(bpy) ₃ ^2+* . ECL emission can also be obtained when a variety of oxidants and reductants react with the reduced or oxidized forms of Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ . Either the reductant or the oxidant can be treated as an analyte. The Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ ECL is used as a detection method for the determination of oxalate and a variety of amine-containing analytes without derivatization in flowing streams such as flow injection and HPLC. When the ECL format is used as a detector for HPLC, unstable post-column reagent addition can often be eliminated and, the problems of both sample dilution and band broadening can be avoided because the Ru(bpy) ₃ ³⁺ species are generatedin situ in the reaction/observation flow cell. Since NADH is sensitively detected with the Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ ECL, many clinically important analytes can be detected by coupling them to dehydrogenase enzymes that utilize -nicotinamide adenine cofactors to convert NAD⁺ to NADH. Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ -derivatives are used as CL labels for immunoassay and PCR assay with Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ /tripropylamine ECL system. The Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ ECL label can be sensitively determined at subpicomolar concentrations, along with an extremely wide dynamic range of greater than six orders of magnitude. Furthermore, it can eliminate disposal and lifetime problems inherent in radio immunoassays. In this paper, basic principles of the Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ ECL are discussed. In addition, analytical applications of the Ru(bpy) ₃ ²⁺ ECL are illustrated with examples.     

Quantitative F NMR method validation and application to the quantitative analysis of a fluoro-polyphosphates mixture

Quantitative ¹⁹F NMR (QNMR) was developed and employed to determine the amounts of four kinds of fluoropolyphosphates (FPPs) in a mixture containing sodium monofluoro-phosphate (MFP), sodium monofluoro-dipolyphosphate (MFDPP), sodium monofluoro-tripolyphosphate (MFTPP) and sodium difluoro-tripolyphosphate (DFTPP). The amounts of these ingredients cannot be measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) because no high-purity standard samples are available. The main parameter “delay time (d1) between two scans” of affecting the response of NMR signal was determined by measuring longitudinal relaxation time (T1) to be 25 s. By using NaF as an internal reference to measure the amount of MFP solution with known concentration and then to compare the deviation between experiment value and real value, a simple and effective approach for checking out the validity of ¹⁹F QNMR method was carried out. Six experiments with different mole ratios of NaF/MFP over 200 times were repeated and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of results is less than 2.0%, the limit of detection of ¹⁹F QNMR can reach to 1.0 mmol/L. NaF was used as an internal reference for the quantitative analysis of FPPs mixture. The amount of each FPP in FPPs mixture obtained by ¹⁹F QNMR was calculated and the R.S.D.s of results were less than 4.81%.     

29Si NMR研究TEOS/DDS双前驱体体系的水解动力学

原位引入有机组分对氧化硅体系改性是合成有机-无机杂化硅材料的重要方法. 利用原位的²⁹Si液体核磁, 研究了甲醇为溶剂、氨水催化条件下的四乙氧基硅烷(TEOS)和二甲基二乙氧基硅烷(DDS)原位共水解的动力学过程. 通过改变反应体系中氨和水的浓度, 拟合出单体及中间产物浓度随时间的变化曲线, 得到了TEOS和DDS各自的水解速率常数以及相应各反应物的反应级数. 与单前驱体水解一致的是, 在双前驱体系中TEOS和DDS自身的反应级数仍保持一级, 但是氨和水的反应级数都有不同程度的增大. 与单前驱体水解速率方程相比, 混合体系中TEOS的水解速率常数增大. 同时, DDS在双前驱体中比单前驱体中的水解速率常数有很大程度的减少. 水解动力学表明, TEOS和DDS在双前驱体体系中显示出更平行的水解速率. 利用固体²⁹Si MAS NMR, XPS及小角X射线散射(SAXS)手段对双前驱体体系研究得到的信息显示, 碱催化条件下原位的TEOS水解中间物与DDS中间产物的原位共缩聚程度很弱.