Characterization of complex hydrocarbon mixtures using on-line coupling of size-exclusion chromatography and normal-phase liquid chromatography to high-resolution gas chromatography

An on-line coupling of size-exclusion Chromatography (SEC), normal-phase liquid Chromatography (NPLC), and gas Chromatography (GC) for the characterization of complex hydrocarbon mixtures is described. The hyphenated system separates according to size, polarity, and boiling point. The use of size exclusion as the first separation step allows for the direct injection of complex (“dirty”) samples withont prior clean-up. SEC-NPLC coupling was realized using an on-line solvent evaporator based on fully concurrent solvent evaporation (FCSE) using a modified loop-type interface, vapor exit and co-solvent trapping. Complete reconcentration of the analytes was realized by the introduction of a cryogenic cold trap. For the subsequent hydrocarbon group-type separation an ammo-silica column with n-heptane as eluent was used. The NPLC-GC coupling was based on an on-column interface using partially concurrent solvent evaporation (PCSE) and an early vapor exit. Initial results obtained on the analysis of a residue from the atmospheric crude-oil distillation (a so-called long residue) are presented as an example of the enormous separation power of the SEC-NPLC-GC system. The application of the system for quantitative analysis has not yet been studied.     

Automated derivatization for on-line solid-phase extraction-gas chromatography; phenolic compounds

An automated system for derivaatization was coupled on-line with solid-phase extraction-gas-chromatography (SPE-GC). The system was optimized for the determination of phenol and chlorinated phenols in aqueous samples. The test analytes were acetylated with acetic anhydride; proper buffering of the sample was a critical factor. Next, the phenol acetates were enriched on a SPE cartridge and transferred to a GC; two appraoaches were studied. In the first approach, the derivatives were enriched on disposable C18 cartridges (ASPEC type) and desorbed with methylacetate. Aan aliquot of the final eluate was injected on-line the GC by means of a loop-type interface. In the second approach, trace enrichment was performed on 10 × 2 mm i.d. LC-type precolumn packed with polystyrenedivinylbenzene copolymer (PLRP-S) this precolumn was dried with a mitrogen purge and the phenol acetates were desorbed with ethyl acetate which was injectedon-line into the retention gap of the GC under partially concurrent solvent evaporation (PCSE) conditions. The Derivatization-SPE-GC system which was based on the loop-type interface has the advantage of simplicity and easy operation, the main drawback is the impossibility to determine phenol acetates which elute prior to trichlorophenol acetates. With the derivatization-SPE-GC approach using PCSE-based desorption, even the most volatile analyte of the test series, phenol acetate, can be determined successfully. The entire procedure, including the derivatization step, was fully automated and integrated in one set-up. The precision data for the integrated on-line derivatization-SP-FID system were fully satisfactory, with RSD values of 1–12 % at the 1 μg/1 level. When a sample volume of 2.2 ml was analyzed, The detection limits for the chlorinated phenol acetates were in the 0.1–0.3 μg/1 range.     

Coupled LC-GC-MS for on-line clean-up,separation, and identification of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at picogram levels in urban air

Coupled liquid chromatography – gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-GC-MS) has been applied for on-line clean up, separation, and identification of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CI-PAHs). A loop-type interface was used to couple the liquid chromatograph on-line with the GC-MS, and concurrent solvent evaporation was used for sample transfer. A back-flush technique was used in conjunction with a two-dimensional column system for isolation of CI-PAHs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This fraction was transferred on-line to the GC and separated on a capillary column. Selective and sensitive detection of CI-PAHs in the GC eluate was obtained by negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring (SIM). The combined on-line system for isolation, separation, and identification showed high precision and accuracy, and demonstrated a linear response from 1 to 1000 pg for chlorinated PAHs. The estimated detection limit was 250 fg for 1-chloropyrene and 1,6-dichloropyrene. The technique was demonstrated by analysis of urban air samples. The low detection limit made it possible to use the technique for analysis of personally carried monitoring equipment for measurement of exposure to CI-PAHs in the work environment.     

Multidimensional liquid chromatography system with an innovative solvent evaporation interface

An orthogonal two-dimensional liquid chromatographic (2D-LC) system was developed by using a vacuum-evaporation loop-type valve interface. Normal-phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) with a bonded CN phase column was used as the first dimension, and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with a C(18) column was used as the second dimension. All the solvents in the loop of the interface were evaporated at 90 degrees C under vacuum conditions, leaving the analytes on the inner wall of the loop. The mobile phase of the second dimension dissolved the analytes in the loop and injected them onto the secondary column, allowing an on-line solvent exchange of a selected fraction from the first dimension to the second dimension. The chromatographic resolution of analytes on the two dimensions was maintained at their optimal condition. Sample loss due to evaporation in the interface was observed that depended on the boiling point of the compound. Separation of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures and a traditional Chinese medicine Angelica dahurica was demonstrated.     

Automated on-line gel permeation chromatography-gas chromatography for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in olive oil

An on-line combination of gel permeation chromatography and gas chromatography has been designed using either a laboratory-built or a commercially available LC-GC apparatus to determine organophosphorus pesticides in olive oil. Gel permeation chromatography was used for sample pretreatment, viz. to separate the low-molecular-mass pesticides from the higher-molecular-mass fat constituents of the oil. A mixture of n-decane and the azeotropic mixture of ethyl acetate and cyclohexane was found to give an adequate separation between the fat and the organophosphorus pesticides. The pesticide-containing fraction, monitored by a UV detector, was transferred on-line to the gas chromatograph using a loop-type interface. n-Decane (6%, v/v) was added to the eluent in order to widen the application range of the transfer technique towards more volatile pesticides. After solvent evaporation through the solvent vapour exit and subsequent GC separation, the compounds were selectively detected with a thermionic or a flame photometric detector. The set-up allowed the direct analysis of oil samples after dilution in the gel permeation chromatography eluent without further sample clean-up. Detection limits were about 5 and 10 μg/kg with the thermionic and the flame photometric detector, respectively, when using an injection volume of only 30 μl of the 20-fold diluted oil. The total procedure was linear in the 0.01–10 mg/kg range for both detectors. For twenty organophosphorus pesticides, the relative standard deviations were 3–13% at the 20–60 μg/kg level.     

On-line multidimensional supercritical fluid chromatography/capillary gas chromatography

A new analytical technique combining on-line supercritical fluid chromatography with capillary gas chromatography has been developed. The supercritical fluid sample effluent is decompressed through a restrictor directly into a conventional capillary gas chromatographic injection port. This technique allows for not only direct (100%) sample transfer from the supercritical fluid chromatograph to the gas chromatograph but also for selective or multi-step heartcutting of various sample peaks as they elute from the supercritical fluid chromatograph. Heartcut times are determined by monitoring the responses from the flame ionization or ultraviolet absorbance detectors on the supercritical fluid chromatograph. This report describes the operational setup and provides the results of heartcut reproducibility experiments using normal hydrocarbon and aromatic test mixtures. Results from studies where operational parameters were varied, such as GC injector temperature, will also be provided. The potential usefulness of this new technique for selective heartcutting will also be demonstrated using complex hydrocarbon streams.     

二维液相色谱接口技术

二维液相色谱具有峰容量大、分辨率高、分析速度快等优点,已经成为复杂样品分离分析的重要工具。两种分离模式的转换通常需要经过一个特殊接口来完成,接口是二维液相色谱系统的核心,也是限制二维液相色谱应用的瓶颈;两种流动相不互溶时,接口尤为重要。本文针对二维液相色谱接口技术近期的发展和应用进行总结。引用文献51篇。     

On-line coupling of liquid chromatography,capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination and identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in vegetable oils

Summary An on-line combination of liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry has been realized by coupling a quadrupole mass spectrometer to an LC-GC apparatus. Liquid chromatography was used for sample pretreatment of oil samples of different origin. The appropriate LC fraction, containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, was transferred to the gas chromatograph using a loop-type interface. After solvent evaporation through the solvent vapour exit and subsequent GC separation, the compounds were introduced into the mass spectrometer for detection and identification. The GC column was connected to a short piece of deactivated fused silica that protruded into the ion source. The total analytical set-up allowed the direct analysis of oil samples after dilution in n-pentane without any sample clean-up. Detection limits are about 40 pg in the full scan mode and about 1 pg with selective ion monitoring, i.e. 20 ppb and 0.5 ppb respectively.     

Loop-type interface for concurrent solvent evaporation in coupled HPLC-GC. Analysis of raspberry ketone in a raspberry sauce as an example

Presently, two coupling techniques are used for directly introducing HPLC fractions into capillary GC: The retention gap technique (involving negligible or partially concurrent solvent evaporation) and fully concurrent solvent evaporation. While the former involves use of a conventional on-column injector, it is now proposed that concurrent solvent evaporation technique be carried out using a switching valve with a built-in sample loop. The technique is based on the concept that the carrier gas pushes the HPLC eluent into the GC capillary against its own vapor pressure, generated by a column temperature slightly exceeding the solvent boiling point at the carrier gas inlet pressure. Further improvement of the technique is achieved by flow regulation of the carrier gas (accelerated solvent evaporation) and backflushing of the sample valve (improved solvent peak shape). Concurrent solvent evaporation using the loop-type interface is easy to handle, allows transfer of very large volumes of HPLC eluent (exceeding 1 ml), and renders solvent evaporation very efficient, allowing discharge of the vapors of 1 ml of solvent through the column within 5–10 min.     

Automated on-line HPLC-HRGC: Instrumental aspects and application for the determination of heroin metabolites in urine

A fully automated on-line HPLC-HRGC instrument is described. Samples are loaded into an HPLC autosampler. Pre-separation is carried out, automatically transferring the previously determined HPLC fraction to GC. Total HPLC fractions are introduced into GC, using the on-column or the loop-type interface, depending on the solvent evaporation technique applied. The HPLC column is automatically backflushed with a suitable solvent during GC analysis. The instrument was used for analyzing heroin metabolites, particularly morphine, in urine samples. Raw urine extracts were injected into HPLC and analyzed by GC using FID.     

Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography applying two parallel columns in the second dimension

The design of a new interface for comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC x LC) is described. To the conventionally used LC x LC system with the loop-type interface consisting of a two-position/ten-port switching valve equipped with two loops, an extra two-position/ten-port switching valve, a detector, a pump and a second column placed in parallel with the column in the second dimension, are added. The features of the interface are that the separation space in the second dimension is significantly enlarged and that the number of fractions transferred from the first to the second dimension can be increased, reducing the risk to lose resolution of the primary dimension. The potential of the system in NPLC x 2RPLC is illustrated with the analysis of a standard mixture and a lemon oil extract. For the lemon oil analysis, the effective peak capacity was increased from 437 using a conventional interface to 1095 with the new interface. RPLC x 2RPLC in combination with reduced modulation times was applied to the analysis of steroids and to the detection of impurities at the 0.05% relative concentration level in a sulfonamide drug sample.     

Peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence detection with packed column supercritical fluid chromatography

Summary A detection scheme based upon peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence, which utilizes two post-column pumps and two stages of depressurization is investigated. The chemiluminescent detection limit for perylene is 23 times lower than determined by fluorescence, and is in the attomole range. This detection technique is investigated for packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Due to the interface design used and the chemical band narrowing effects of chemiluminescence, an apparent increase in efficiency is observed. The interface design affords a wide range of pressures to be used for a separation. During pressure programming the column effluent changes flow rate. Because of a back-pressure regulator, the reaction and detection take place at nearly constant pressure. Therefore pressure gradient work is possible without concern for post-column reagent solubility (which is a concern for high-performance liquid chromatography). The effects of the expanded CO₂ from the SFC on the chemiluminescence signal and background are studied. The post-column detection is optimized for pH, photomultiplier voltage, concentrations and flow rates of the peroxide and oxalate ester.     

A unified approach to the chromatography/FT-IR interface

Most previous interfaces between a Chromatograph and an FT-IR spectrometer have been applicable to only one type of chromatograph-gas, liquid, or supercritical fluid. In this paper, the similarities and differences between various chromatography/FT-IR interfaces are described, and an interface which should be equally applicable to all three types of chromatography is proposed. In each case, the mobile phase is eliminated while the eluting components are condensed in a small area on a moving substrate. The spectra are then measured using an FT-IR microscope. The methods by which the mobile phase is eliminated depend on the nature of the chromatography, while the infrared sampling technique is determined by the nature of the substrate. The relative merits of transmission, reflection-absorption, diffuse reflection, and diffuse transmission spectrometry are discussed.     

Unified chromatography: Fundamentals,instrumentation and applications†

The concept of unified chromatography has been in existence for 50 years after the work of Giddings proposing that all modes of chromatography (gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and so on) may be treated together under a single unified theory. His idea was partially fulfilled 23 years later by Ishii, Takeuchi and colleagues, who demonstrated for the first time the possibility to analyze a complex sample containing substances with a wide range of boiling points and polarities in the same instrument and column, just by varying the mobile phase pressure and temperature to change from one chromatographic mode to another. This approach has been demonstrated through application to the separation of complex mixtures in several areas including crude oil, edible oils and polymers. Still, unified chromatography has not yet been fully developed. In the present work, we will review the fundamentals, instrumentation and several applications of the technique. Also discussed are the drawbacks that still hinder development, as well as the recent developments and trends in instrumentation and columns that suggest the most feasible ways forward to the full development of unified chromatography.     

Controlled-cycle pulsed liquid-liquid chromatography. A modified version of Craig's counter-current distribution

A new liquid-liquid chromatography technique developed from a combination of controlled-cycle operation and a pulsed-mixing technique is suggested and validated. The controlled-cycle pulsed liquid-liquid chromatography (CPLC) system operates without involving a centrifuge and consists, of a series of multistage units, and a method for imparting pulsation motion to the liquids inside the units (the pulsation cycle). This chromatography technique can be considered as an improved continuous form of Craig's counter-current distribution method, or, alternatively, as a form of droplet chromatography with the cycling mode of operation. The theoretical model has been designed to account for the effects of the basic parameters influencing the CPLC operation. The theoretical model's suitability was proved by direct comparison between the experimental and model responses. The CPLC devices containing 1, 2, 4 and 5 multistage columns (each column was divided into 26 stages) have been designed, fabricated and tested; experiments were conducted to test the chromatographic behavior of organic (monocarboxylic) and mineral acids. The mass transfer rate in the stages depends on the nature of both--phase and sample systems: the highest values were achieved in experiments with acetic acid by using the octane/water biphasic system, where an equilibrium concentration distribution between stationary and mobile phases in the stages was attained. The results obtained demonstrated the potential of the new technique for preparative and industrial scale separations.     

On-line HPLC-HRGC coupling and simultaneous transfer of two different LC fractions: Determination of aliphatic alcohols and sterols in olive oil

A modified loop-type interface is decribed which uses two 6-way valves and concurrent eluent evaporation to perform an on-line transfer and simultaneous gas chromatographic analysis of two different fractions pre-separated by liquid chromatography. The interface is used to simultaneously analyze aliphatic alcohols and sterols present in olive oil. LC pre-separation is carried out using a normal phase column (20 cm × 0.21 cm i.d.) and hexane-isopropanol (99:1) as a mobile phase at a flow of 0.2 ml/min; for the GC analysis a 5 % phenyl, 95 % dimethyl siloxane (25 m × 0.32 mm i.d., 0.4 μm film thickness) column is used.     

On-line coupling of liquid chromatography and capillary gas chromatography for the determination of a trace pyrethroid insecticide in fruit extracts

The following paper presents a fast, selective, sensitive, and automated procedure for the residue analysis of the pyrethroid insecticide acrinathrin in various fruit samples by on-line combination of Liquid Chromatography (LC) with capillary Gas Chromatography (GC) and an Electron-Capture Detector (ECD). The loop-type interface and Fully Concurrent Solvent Evaporation (FCSE) were chosen due to their ease of use and low volatility of acrinathrin. Commercially available LC diol columns with small internal diameters (2.1 mm) provided the selectivity required for the separation of the solute from matrix components and permitted the transfer of fraction volumes up to 500 μl into the retention gap, located inside the gas chromatograph. Optimization of the operating conditions with standard solutions showed the influence of the GC initial transfer temperature on the response of acrinathrin and the quantitative nature of the transfer was established by liquid scintillation counting. The linearity and precision were studied with the aid of calibration plots, whereas quantitative recoveries of the analyte (at least 95 %) were determined in spiked fruits. Compared to the corresponding off-line technique, the on-line approach allows us to reach lower detection limits (ppb level when 20 μl LC injections are performed) with excellent repeatability between 0.6 and 6.6 %. Moreover, the integrated analytical set-up is robust, less time-consuming and subsequently brings a marked improvement in the sample preparation step of complex biological matrices. Finally, the versatility of the system renders it highly suitable for the determination of other similar pyrethroids in order to develop a multiresidue method.     

Automated analysis of polar pesticides in water by on-line solid phase extraction and gas chromatography using the co-solvent effect

In order to meet the requirements of analyzing very low concentrations of pesticides in water (typically at 0.1 μg/l or less), samples have to be concentrated prior to GC-analysis. Samplie pre-concentration by off-line methods based on solid phase extraction (SPE) or liquid-liquid extraction are very time consuming and cumbersome. Moreover, the quantitative performance of the analytical method as a whole in terms of accuracy and reliability is seriously hindered by elaborate, manually performed sample pre-treatment steps. This paper describes an automated method based on solid phase extraction and capillary gas chromatography. The technique was applied for the analysis of 31 polar organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides. A commercially available HPLC/GC instrument is modified, using the LC-part for solid phase extraction. The sample, of which only a few ml's is required to obtain sufficiently low detection limits, is delivered by a robotic large volume autosampler. After solid phase extraction and elution, the eluate is transferred into the GC via a so called “loop type interface”. In this paper the instrumentation and analytical methodology is described, as well as the main validation results. The quantitative performance (i.e. recovery and repeatability) of the most polar solutes like metamitron and dimethoate appears to be better than obtained with off-line SPE as a result of the more beneficial ratio between the amount of sorbent and the sample volume. As the loop-type interface causes losses of the most volatile compounds, a co-solvent is added. This co-solvent provides sufficient trapping capacity in the capillary pre-columns to allow quantitative analysis of even the most volatile pesticides. Moreover a better separation of early eluting compounds is also established.     

Memory effects with the on-column interface for on-line coupled high performance liquid chromatography-gas chromatography: The Y-interface

When using the on-column interface for on-line high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-gas chromatography (GC), there is a memory effect typically equivalent to 0.5–3% of the previous transfer. The shape of peaks distorted as a result of incomplete reconcentration of the initial bands enabled mapping of the distribution of the solute material in the uncoated precolumn and deriving the mechanism which causes the memory effect. The relatively slow transfer of HPLC eluent causes liquid being sucked backwards into the narrow interspace between the transfer line and the precolumn wall. Solvent is evaporated into the passing carrier gas and is replaced by more eluent pulled into this zone, resulting in enrichment of solute material. At the end of the transfer, some of this solute material enters the transfer line and remains there up to the subsequent transfer of an HPLC fraction. This problem is avoided by replacing the on-column injector used as interface by a Y-piece in which the eluent flow from HPLC and the carrier gas are joined. The memory effect was reduced to below 0.02%.     

Centrifugal partition chromatography – A review of recent applications and some classic references

Countercurrent chromatography, based on liquid–liquid partitioning, has many technological variants. One of them is centrifugal partition chromatography, introduced by Wataru Murayama and Kanichi Nunogaki in 1982. This technique, like other countercurrent chromatography techniques, is based on the phenomenon of liquid–liquid partitioning between two immiscible liquid phases that stay at equilibrium. But the significant difference between this technique and others is the retention mechanism of stationary phase. In the case of centrifugal partition chromatography, this mechanism is based on hydrostatic force, formed by the centrifugal field in the rotor in one‐axis centrifuge. Sometimes that allows more control of stationary phase, for example, when aqueous two‐phase and other difficult solvent systems are used. However, the efficiency of the separation in centrifugal partition chromatography is also affected by a variety of parameters dependent on the sample properties in the solvent system, physical properties of the solvent system, parameters of the instrument, and the method. This article includes also recent ideas for improvements to the technique and broadening its application (e.g., (multiple) dual‐mode or elution–extrusion procedure, pH‐zone‐refining centrifugal partition chromatography, ion‐exchange centrifugal partition chromatography, online and offline coupling of centrifugal partition chromatography).