Molecular Modeling for Mobile Phase Optimization in RP-HPLC

Abstract

The applicability of molecular parameters calculated on the bases of molecular mechanics have been investigated for the prediction of reversed-phase retention behavior of structurally unrelated series of drug molecules. Non-polar, non-polar unsaturated and polar surface areas, surface energies, dipole moments, van der Waals radii and hydrophobicity values expressed by the logarithm of the octanol/water partition coefficients have been calculated from the molecular structure. The reversed-phase retention behavior was described by the slope and the intercept of the straight lines obtained by plotting the log k¹ values against the acetonitrile concentration of the mobile phase. The acetonitrile concentration (OP%₀) which was needed for the log k¹ = 0 retention was also calculated from the slope and intercept values. Step-wise linear regression analyses have been applied for revealing the correlations between the investigated parameters. The slope values could be described by the difference of the non-polar and non-polar accessible surface areas or by the total surface energy values and the van der Waals radii. The intercept values could be described by the hydrophobicity parameter, the slope and the reciprocal values of dipole moment. The acetonitrile concentration for the log k'=O retention (OP%₀) could have been calculated from the hydrophobicity and the non-polar unsaturated surface area values of the investigated compounds.     

Comparison of column properties in reversed-phase chromatography: monolithic, cholesterolic and mixed bonded stationary phases

A commercial Chromolith C18 column and two new stationary phases with mixed ligands bonded on the Kromasil silica gel support, SG-MIX and SG-Chol, were characterized using simple tests based on the retention of non-polar, basic and acidic compounds. Polar and methylene selectivity tests in acetonitrile-water and methanol-water mobile phases revealed lower hydrophobicities of the SG-MIX and SG-Chol columns in comparison to the Chromolith column. The columns were further characterized using new test criteria - gradient oligomer capacity and isomeric selectivity and peak symmetry of naphthalene di-sulphonic acids in aqueous mobile phases. The cholesterolic column shows greater gradient oligomer selectivity for the separation of oligoethylene glycol samples than the SG-MIX and the Chromolith columns. Increased retention and peak tailing, but decreased isomeric selectivity for naphthalene-di-sulphonic acids was observed with the SG-MIX column, because of interactions with various polar bonded groups.     

Regularities in the retention of nonsubstituted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in liquid chromatography on polar adsorbents

Summary The retention of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is studied in liquid chromatography, using columns packed with silica gel with a hydroxylated surface and the same silica gel with surface-bonded amine and nitrile groups. A linear relationship was found between retention and the number of π-electrons in the molecule, the size of the molecule and the different types of carbon atoms in the molecule. The different carbon atoms in a PAH molecule contribute differently to the retention and this contribution depends on the nature of the polar functional groups on the adsorbent's surface and on the nature and concentration of a polar modifier present in a non-polar eluent.     

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography using amino and silica columns for the determination of polar pharmaceuticals and impurities

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is described as a useful alternative to reversed-phase chromatography for applications involving polar compounds. In the HILIC mode, an aqueous-organic mobile phase is used with a polar stationary phase to provide normal-phase retention behavior. Silica and amino columns with aqueous-acetonitrile mobile phases offer potential for use in the HILIC mode. An examination of the retention and separation of several pyrimidines, purines, and amides on silica and amino columns from three manufacturers revealed that mobile phases should contain a buffer or acid for pH control to achieve similar and reproducible results among columns from different sources. Amino columns may also be used in an anion-exchange mode, which provides an advantage for some applications. In some cases, silica can provide different selectivity and better separation than an amino column. Example applications include: low-molecular-mass organic acids and amides as impurities in non-polar drug substances, 5-fluorouracil in 5-fluorocytosine, guanine in acyclovir, and different selectivity for polar basic compounds compared to an ion-pairing system.     

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.     

Study of a monolithic silica capillary column coated with poly(octadecyl methacrylate) for the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation of some polar and non-polar compounds

The performance of a monolithic silica capillary column coated with poly(octadecyl methacrylate) (ODM column) for the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation of some polar and non-polar compounds was studied, and the results were compared to those obtained by using a monolithic silica capillary column modified with octadecylsilyl-(N,N-diethylamino)silane (ODS column). Benzene and naphthalene derivatives, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), steroids, alkyl phthalates, and tocopherol homologues were used as test samples. In general, compounds with aromatic character, rigid and planar structures, and lower length-to-breadth ratios (more compacted structures) seem to have more preference for the polymer coated stationary phase (ODM). Compounds with acidic character have also a higher retention on ODM columns because of the presence of ester groups in the stationary phase. The polymer coated column allowed the separation of some PAHs, alkyl phthalates, steroids, and of beta- and gamma-tocopherol isomers which cannot be separated under the same conditions on ODS columns, while keeping similar column efficiency. These results allowed to suggest ODM columns as a good alternative to conventional ODS columns for reversed-phase liquid chromatography.     

HPLC retention behaviors of poly-aromatic-hydrocarbones on Cu(II)-octabromotetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine derivatives-immobilized aminopropyl silica gels in polar and non-polar eluents

As one of approaches of developing novel HPLC stationary phases, we prepared Cu-octabromotetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine derivative-immobilized silica gels (Cu-OBTCPP(D)), and evaluated the availability of the resultant Cu-OBTCPP(D) as a stationary phase for separation of poly-aromatic-hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their related compounds. A Cu-OBTCPP(D) column was revealed to have an ability to separate simple PAHs and be useful as a stationary phase in both polar and non-polar eluents. The retention property of the Cu-OBTCPP(D) column was evaluated in various comparative experiments using commercially available columns. In comparison with 2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyl dimetylsilyl silica gel column (PYE column) regarding the retention behavior for PAHs etc., the Cu-OBTCPP(D) column showed stronger interactions involving pi electron in non-polar eluent than PYE column. In comparison with a pentabromobenzyloxy propylsilyl silica gel column (PBB column) regarding the influence of bromination, the Cu-OBTCPP(D) column was affected differently from the PBB column. In comparison with nitrophenylethyl silica gel column (NPE column) regarding the retention behavior for compounds having a dipole in a non-polar eluent, the Cu-OBTCPP(D) column showed electrostatic interactions such as dipole-dipole interaction equivalent to or larger than the NPE column.     

Retention and selectivity tests of silica-based and metal-oxide bonded stationary phases for RP-HPLC

Chromatographic properties of silica-, zirconia- and alumina-based columns with octadecyl-, polyethylene glycol- and pentafluorophenylpropyl-bonded stationary phases were tested. Selectivities of nine columns for LC were characterized using chromatographic methods including Walters, Engelhardt, Tanaka and Galushko hydrophobicity and silanol activity tests, measurements of methylene selectivity in various aqueous-methanol and aqueous-acetonitrile mobile phases and of gradient lipophilic capacity as a measure of the effect of the sample hydrophobicity on gradient-elution separations. A semi-empirical interaction indices model, assuming a predominant role of the solvophobic interactions of test compounds with different polarities, was compared with the linear free energy relationships approach taking into account selective polar interactions. The interaction indices model was applied to both non-polar stationary phases bonded on silica, alumina and zirconia supports, and to the non-modified adsorbents in the normal-phase LC. The retention data of isomeric naphthalene disulfonic acids were used to compare the attractive and repulsive ionic interactions of the columns in purely aqueous mobile phases. The results of the hydrophobicity and polarity tests were consistent, and allowed column characterization and classification. Silanol activity was important with octadecyl silica columns, but was relatively insignificant with bonded polyethylene glycol and pentafluorophenylpropyl phases on silica gel support. Polar interactions with the alumina and zirconia support materials significantly affect the retention.     

Correlation of HPLC Retention Data of Triazines with the Inhibition of DHFR from L1210 Cells: Development of New Chromatographic Adsorption Parameter in QSAR

Abstract

The use of chromatographic retention measurements for quantitative structure—activity relationships (QSAR) was investigated by the development of an adjusted logarithmic retention factor. Retention data of 15 triazine derivatives, which inhibit dihydrofolate reductase were measured by HPLC on octyl-silica and silica gel columns. From these data two parameters were calculated. First, the intercept of the plot of the logarithmic retention factor versus acetonitrile concentration was calculated from the reversed-phase retention measurements (log k'o) and, second, the difference between the logarithmic retention factor at high ammonium salt concentration and low ammonium salt concentration in the mobile phase was calculated from retention measurements on the silica gel column. The first parameter represents hydrophobic properties and the second parameter characterizes adsorption properties of the triazine derivatives. The results show a correlation between the two above mentioned parameters and the inhibition of L1210/71 cell growth.     

Evaluation of high-performance liquid chromatography column retentivity using macromolecular probes. II. Silanophilic interactivity traced by highly polar polymers

A new method of HPLC column retentivity testing utilizes polymeric probes instead of conventional sets of low molar mass substances. The procedure allows at least semiquantitative, separate and independent evaluation of adsorption and partition properties of column packings. In this present work, the method is applied for comparison of the polar interactivities of selected silica gel C18 HPLC columns. It is shown that free silanols which remained on the surface of the end-capped silica C18 column packings are accessible for interaction with highly polar macromolecules. High molar mass polymeric test probes are adsorbed on the surface silanols and their retention volumes increase. As result, deviations from regular size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) behavior are observed. The extent of retention volume changes depends on both the nature of polymer probes and on column packing type. Adsorption of macromolecules can be suppressed by addition of a highly polar substance to the mobile phase. The amount of polar additive which is needed to attain regular SEC elution of the polymer probe depends on the column packing type and can be used as a characteristic of silanophilic column interactivity. Courses of dependences of retention volumes on sizes of macromolecules indicate the presence of "U-turn" adsorption which allows two and more silanols situated among C18 groups to be occupied simultaneously with the same macromolecule.     

Fast methods for screening of trichothecenes in fungal cultures using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The excess adsorption isotherms of acetonitrile, methanol and tetrahydrofuran from water on reversed-phase packings were studied, using 10 different columns packed with C1-C6, C8, C10, C12, and C18 monomeric phases, bonded on the same type of silica. The interpretation of isotherms on the basis of the theory of excess adsorption shows significant accumulation of the organic eluent component on the adsorbent surface on the top of "collapsed" bonded layer. The accumulated amount was shown to be practically independent of the length of alkyl chains bonded to the silica surface. A model that describes analyte retention on a reversed-phase column from a binary mobile phase is developed. The retention mechanism involves a combination of analyte distribution between the eluent and organic adsorbed layer, followed by analyte adsorption on the surface of the bonded phase. A general retention equation for the model is derived and methods for independent measurements of the involved parameters are suggested. The theory was tested by direct measurement of analyte retention from the eluents of varied composition and comparison of the values obtained with those theoretically calculated values. Experimental and theoretically calculated values are in good agreement.     

Covalently bonded polysaccharide-modified stationary phase for per aqueous liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction chromatography

The mixed sulfated/methacryloyl polysaccharide derivative was prepared and successfully immobilized onto the surface of porous silica particles by polymerization. Polysaccharide derivative was calculated as 10.33% in the stationary phase prepared. The new stationary phase (PMSP) showed both hydrophilic interaction (HILIC) and per aqueous liquid chromatography (PALC) characteristics. The effects of column temperature, the water content, pH and ion strength of mobile phase on the retention time of test compounds in highly aqueous eluents were investigated to evaluate the PALC features of PMSP. The column efficiency is about 31,000 plates/m for benzoic acid in water/ACN (97/3, v/v) mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Compared with C18 column, the PMSP had shorter retention time for weak polar and non-polar compounds, but also showed stronger retention for strong polar compounds. It indicated that PALC was a suitable mode of chromatography as replacement of HILIC and complementarity of reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC).     

Naphthalene sulphonic acids--new test compounds for characterization of the columns for reversed-phase chromatography

Non-substituted naphthalene sulphonic acids are strong acids, which are completely ionised in aqueous and aqueous-organic solutions. Because of repulsive electrostatic interactions, they are more or less excluded from the pores of the column packing materials commonly used in reversed-phase chromatography. The ionic exclusion can be suppressed by increasing the ionic strength of the mobile phase. In aqueous sodium sulphate solutions, very good selectivity was observed for isomeric naphthalene di- and tri-sulphonic acids, allowing reversed-phase separations of these strongly ionic compounds without addition of ion-pairing reagents to the mobile phase. The retention of the isomeric acids increases proportionally to the dipole moment, which can be explained by its effect on increasing exposure of the naphthalene ring to hydrophobic interactions with the non-polar stationary phases. Chromatographic behaviour of isomeric naphthalene di- and trisulphonic acids was investigated on 25 different columns for reversed-phase chromatography. The elution order of the isomers is the same on all the columns, but very strong stationary phase effects were observed on the retention and on the band asymmetry, depending on polar interactions with residual silanol groups and other polar adsorption centres in the stationary phases. These effects are independent of the organic solvents, as the tests are performed in purely aqueous mobile phases and allow classification of the columns into several groups.     

A unified classification of stationary phases for packed column supercritical fluid chromatography

The use of supercritical fluids as chromatographic mobile phases allows to obtain rapid separations with high efficiency on packed columns, which could favour the replacement of numerous HPLC methods by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) ones. Moreover, despite some unexpected chromatographic behaviours, general retention rules are now well understood, and mainly depend on the nature of the stationary phase. The use of polar stationary phases improves the retention of polar compounds, when C18-bonded silica favours the retention of hydrocarbonaceous compounds. In this sense, reversed-phase and normal-phase chromatography can be achieved in SFC, as in HPLC. However, these two domains are clearly separated in HPLC due to the opposite polarity of the mobile phases used for each method. In SFC, the same mobile phase can be used with both polar and non-polar stationary phases. Consequently, the need for a novel classification of stationary phases in SFC appears, allowing a unification of the classical reversed- and normal-phase domains. In this objective, the paper presents the development of a five-dimensional classification based on retention data for 94-111 solutes, using 28 commercially available columns representative of three major types of stationary phases. This classification diagram is based on a linear solvation energy relationship, on the use of solvation vectors and the calculation of similarity factors between the different chromatographic systems. This classification will be of great help in the choice of the well-suited stationary phase, either in regards of a particular separation or to improve the coupling of columns with complementary properties.     

High-performance liquid chromatography of nucleic acid constituents: Chromatographic examination of novel stationary phases

Summary Silica-bonded stationary phases were developed for the separation of nucleic acid constituents and their properties investigated with homologous oligoriboadenylic acids in electrostatic interaction chromatography and with alkylbenzenes in reversed-phase chromatography. Analysis of retention data confirmed the stratified molecular structure of the surface which consist of a layer of propyl chains anchoredvia siloxane bridges to the silica surface proper and of polar moieties attached to the hydrocarbonaceous functions. The polar top layer contains weak cationic and/or hydrophobic binding sites, is strongly hydrated in contact with aqueous eluents and bars the access by large biopolymers to the hydrocarbonaceous sublayer. In reversed-phase chromatography of small non polar molecules with hydro-organic eluents, however, this layer is accessible and engenders a retentive behavior typical for weak hydro-carbonaceous bonded phases. As a result the stationary phases, depending on the nature of the sample and the mobile phase, exhibit the properties of "soft" phases for the chromatography of biopolymers under mild elution conditions and those of "hard" phases for the separation of small non-polar molecules under conditions generally employed in reversed-phase chromatography. The retention of nucleic acid constituents on most of the stationary phases investigated subject to a dual mechanism as a result of the interplay of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the eluites and the binding sites on the stationary phase surface. Siliceous stationary phases having surface morphology described above are suitable for the separation of nucleic acid constituents having widely ranging molecular weights up to 3 × 10⁶ Daltons provided the support has appropriate pore dimensions. This is demonstrated by the separation of mixtures arising from digesting t-RNA^pha or polyadenylic acids as well as those of ribosomal RNA’s and different forms of the plasmid pBR322 DNA. Presented at the 15th International Symposium on Chromatography, Nürnberg, October 1984     

Characterization of Column Packings in Normal-Phase Liquid Chromatography. I. Retention Behavior of Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Silica Gel-Binary Solvent Systems

Abstract

To characterize packing columns in high performance liquid chromatography, the retention indices of ten fat-soluble vitamins were systematically measured using binary solvents each containing ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran and 2-propanol in n-hexane for silica gel chromatography. A linear relationship between the logarithm of the capacity ratio and that of the concentration of the polar solvents was confirmed. The retention sequence of the solutes was determined as follows: retinol > ergocalciferol = cholecalciferol > δ- > γ- > β- > α - tocopherol > menadione > phylloquinone. The retention behavior of retinal was similar to that of tocopherol derivatives, but varied depending on the polar solvent used. Such a retention sequence of fat-soluble vitamins may be explained on the basis of hydrogen bonding interactions between the active functional group on the solute molecules and silanol groups on the silica gel surface. Based on the adsorption selectivity given by the phase systems used, the resolution of each class of vitamins but not that of vitamin D homologues was successfully carried out.     

Retention mechanism assessment and method development for the analysis of iohexol and its related compounds in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) has emerged in recent years as a valuable alternative to reversed-phase liquid chromatography in the analysis of polar compounds. Research in HILIC is divided into two directions: the assessment of the retention mechanism and retention behavior, and the development of HILIC methods. In this work, four polar neutral analytes (iohexol and its related compounds A, B, and C) were analyzed on two silica and two diol columns in HILIC mode with the aim to investigate thoroughly the retention mechanisms and retention behavior of polar neutral compounds on these four columns. The adsorption and partition contribution to the overall HILIC retention mechanism was investigated by fitting the retention data to linear (adsorption and partition) and nonlinear (mixed-retention and quadratic) theoretical models. On the other hand, the establishment of empirical second-order polynomial retention models on the basis of D-optimal design made possible the estimation of the simultaneous influence of several mobile-phase-related factors. Furthermore, these models were also used as the basis for the application of indirect modeling of the selectivity factor and a grid point search approach in order to achieve the optimal separation of analytes. After the optimization goals had been set, the grids were searched and the optimal conditions were identified. Finally, the optimized method was subjected to validation.

Investigation of a novel mixed-mode stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography. Part III: Separation of nucleosides and nucleic acid bases on sulfonated naphthalimido-modified silyl silica gel

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with a novel stationary phase, 3-(4-sulfo-1,8-naphthalimido)propyl-modified silyl silica gel (SNAIP), proved useful for the separation of nucleosides and nucleic acid bases. The application scope of SNAIP, which is a relatively polar reversed-phase (RP)-type stationary phase, was successfully expanded to include the CEC separation of polar compounds although the combination of non-polar RP phase with highly aqueous mobile phase is often inadequate. Due to the permanently charged sulfonic acid groups and the naphthalimidopropyl moiety, the retention of charged and relatively polar nucleosides as well as bases on the SNAIP stationary phase was effected by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. This yielded a unique selectivity on SNAIP toward nucleosides and bases. The characteristic EOF on SNAIP, which was stronger at higher aqueous content in the mobile phase, proved suitable for the separation of polar compounds in reversed-phase mode with highly aqueous mobile phase. In addition, when a double stepwise gradient was employed to accelerate the latest peak (adenine), the elution time was shortened to less than half its original duration.     

New insights on the retention mechanism of non-polar solutes in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic columns

A clarification of the retention mechanism of non-polar solutes in octadecyl reversed-phase chromatographic columns is attempted based on a systematic comparison of the retention in C18 and C2 columns under the assumption that the retention in C2 columns is due to adsorption. The comparison involves curve fitting procedures and tests based on the properties of special functions suggested in the present paper. For the application of this approach the retention behaviour of six non-polar solutes, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, propylbenzene, isopropylbenzene and tert-butylbenzene, is studied from aqueous mobile phases modified with methanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran using C18 and C2 reversed-phase columns. It was found that the retention mechanism in C18 columns is not the same in the four modifiers. In particular, our results show that the adsorption mechanism has a significant contribution in mobile phases modified by acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran, the partition mechanism is likely to predominate in isopropanol-water mobile phases provided that the mole fraction of isopropanol is higher than 0.2, whereas the case of MeOH is rather obscure, since the various tests did not give a clear picture about the retention mechanism in methanol-water mobile phases.     

Comparison of a C30 Bonded Silica Column and Columns with Shorter Bonded Ligands in Reversed-Phase LC

The Carotenoid S is a new C₃₀ bonded silica stationary phase, intended for reversed-phase chromatographic applications, which is more hydrophobic and consequently shows stronger retention in comparison to conventionally used C₁₈ stationary phases. We compared the non-polar selectivities of the columns for homologous alkylbenzenes in acetonitrile—water and methanol–water mobile phases and polar reversed-phase selectivities employing the interaction indices and the Linear Free Energy Relationship models. Further, we investigated possibilities of separations of structurally closely related compounds in the groups of phenolic acids, flavones, phthalic acids and related compounds and of acylglycerols on the new C₃₀ column and with different types of columns for reversed-phase chromatography, including shorter alkyl C₄, C₈, C₁₈ and phenyl bonded stationary phases. The C₃₀ column has in some aspects properties similar to the non-endcapped Nova-Pak column for separation of some acylglycerols with equal equivalent carbon numbers, but enables separations of longer chain triacylglycerols in a single gradient run.