Quantification of mass flow effects in capillary SFC

A model for restrictor flow produces accurate predictions of flow that can be used to optimize restrictor design. The relative amplitudes of restrictor and other flows and their effect on efficiency are discussed.     

Extending the scope of enantiomer separation by capillary supercritical fluid chromatography on immobilized polysiloxane-anchored permethyl-β-cyclodextrin (Chirasil-Dex)

Immobilized polysiloxane-anchored permethyl-β-cyclodextrin (Chirasil-Dex) with a cyclodextrin content of approximately 30 % by weight, previously employed as a versatile chiral stationary phase for the separation of enantiomers by GC, has been used for the separation of enantiomers by capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). A considerable number of racemates could be resolved, e.g. aromatic alcohols, amino alcohols (TFA derivatives), and underivatized acids. Many pharmaceutical compounds were among those analyzed, including several NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen and ketoprofen), a steroidal drug (nor-gestrel), a barbiturate (hexobarbital), and others. Among the racemates resolved were many which cannot be analyzed by GC owing to low volatility or decomposition at elevated temperatures. For two racemates, analysis temperature and mobile phase density were systematically varied to give constant analysis times or capacity factors k. Low temperatures (ca 60 °C) yielded the best separation in term of separation factor, α, or resolution, R_s, even though higher densities had to be used. In comparison with GC, capillary SFC was able to furnish higher separation factors and similar resolution. The applicability of capillary SFC for the analysis of mixtures of cyclodextrin derivatives, e.g. those used in the synthesis of Chirasil-Dex, was, furthermore, demonstrated.     

Enhanced chromatographic resolution of amine enantiomers as carbobenzyloxy derivatives in high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography

The carbobenzyloxy (cbz) protecting group is evaluated for it's potential to enhance the resolution of chiral amine enantiomers using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). A series of cbz derivatives of commercially available racemates was prepared and analyzed by enantioselective chromatography using a variety of mobile phases and polysaccharide and Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs). The cbz-derivatized product consistently demonstrated enhanced chiral resolution under HPLC and SFC conditions. Improved selectivity and resolution combined with an automated preparative HPLC or SFC system can lead to the rapid generation of highly purified enantiomers of desirable starting materials, intermediates or final products.     

The solvent venting injection technique in capillary supercritical fluid chromatography

A solvent venting technique for injection of volumes up to 1 μl on 50 μm i.d. SFC columns has been compared to direct injection methods. The peak broadening and peak splitting observed with direct injection have been examined and found to be related to the starting pressure, the column temperature, and the sample solvent, in addition to the sample volume. The solvent venting technique removed peak splitting and improved the column efficiency. With a proper selection of experimental conditions, the sample recovery was 100%. The major part of the solvent was eluted in 15–20 s. Several applications have been demonstrated.     

Solventless injecction for packed column supercritical fluid chromatography

The adverse effects of injection solvent strength on microbore packed column SFC band broadening are demonstrated and a solventless injection system that eliminates these effects is introduced. The injection system removes solvent in a GC-like manner using a retention gap and an on-column capillary GC syringe. The analyte is delivered to the analytical column in a solvent-free plug of supercritical fluid mobile phase.     

Erosion of efficiency in non-uniform linear chromatography

In linear chromatography (i.e. chromatography performed in the absence of sample overloading), when the plate height of a column is roughly uniform along its length, variations in the velocities of solutes are the only possible causes of erosion of efficiency. The sources of these variations (variations in capacity ratio and in the density of the mobile phase, etc.) play no direct role in the erosion of efficiency except through their effect on solute velocities. In other words, what eventually causes the erosion of efficiency is merely variation in the time required for solutes to traverse equally small segments of a column. Significant erosion can only arise from abrupt and deep deceleration of solutes in one or several relatively small segments of a column. If erosion of efficiency caused by pressure gradients in linear SFC is to be large, the depth and the sharpness of the deceleration of a solute must go beyond that hitherto confirmed experimentally. Many relevant examples are analyzed graphically.     

Carbon dioxide supercritical fluid chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Summary The coupling of carbon dioxide supercritical fluid chromatography with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (SFC-FTIR) is a powerful tool for the separation and on-line identification of non-volatile compounds. The IR transparency of carbon dioxide in the Fermi resonance bands region versus its density has been studied. Functional groups with stretching vibrations outside the transparent window of carbon dioxide are examined. SFC-FTIR separations allow Gram-Schmidt reconstruction chromatograms or IR window chemigrams with high quality spectra to be obtained. This SFC-FTIR lightpipe (flow cell, beam condensing optics, narrow band detector) has allowed detection limits of 250ng for benzonitrile and 70ng for methyl benzoate to be reached. The feasibility of very rapid SFC-FTIR separations is shown along with the subsequent peak spectra.