Vortex counter-current chromatography

A novel counter-current chromatographic system is developed by mounting a vortex column on a type-I coil planet centrifuge. The column is fabricated from a high-density polyethylene disk (16 cm diameter and 5 cm thick) by making multiple holes of various diameters (3-12.5 mm) each arranged in a circle and connected with narrow transfer ducts. The performance of this vortex column is tested with three different two-phase solvent systems with a broad range in hydrophobicity. The results indicated that the smallest diameter column (3mm diameter, 120 units with 42.8 ml capacity) yielded the best separation with the height equivalent to a theoretical plate of 2 cm compared with 20 cm required by the conventional multilayer coil column of high-speed CCC. By avoiding the use of an Archimedean Screw Force, the system shows a low column pressure which would permit safe operation of a large preparative column without a risk of leakage of solvent and column damage.     

The effect of capillary column diameter on the performance of thermal conductivity detectors

The concentration sensitivity of a thermal conductivity detector (TCD) depends, among other factors, on the amount of sample mixture in the detector's sensing cell. Since the cell volume has to be appropriately matched with column diameter, it makes the concentration sensitivity of a TCD dependent on column diameter and, therefore, on the speed of gas chromatography. Through reduction of column diameter, higher speed tends to lead to a reduction in the concentration sensitivity of the cell. The factor which the most directly affects the concentration sensitivity of a TCD cell is the heat power conducted through the cell. The higher the power, the greater the sensitivity. The limit of detection of a TCD depends on the concentration-sensitivity of its cell and on the level of statistical errors in the measurement. The errors increase with increasing analysis speed. As the column diameter is reduced, the errors cause additional worsening (on top of the decrease in concentration sensitivity) of the detection limit, dynamic range, and other performance characteristics of the TCD.     

Optimization of the coupling of high-temperature liquid chromatography and flame ionization detection application to the separations of alcohols

The feasibility of coupling high-temperature liquid chromatography (HTLC) to flame ionization detection (FID) has been studied. FID parameter values (hydrogen flow-rate, air flow-rate and FID temperature), typically set in gas chromatography are rarely suitable for liquid chromatography. Best values depend obviously on the water flow rate which is defined depending on both column temperature and column internal diameter. The FID parameters were optimized according to the water flow-rate by means of an experimental design. The potential of the method is shown with some alcohol separations and the value of increasing column temperature while reducing the column diameter is highlighted.     

筛板对台锥形制备液相色谱柱流型和柱效的影响

制备液相色谱柱柱头筛板的选择直接影响到样品在柱头的分配情况及色谱柱柱效的高低。 利用柱后可见-紫外检测,比较了采用多孔聚四氟乙烯材料和多孔烧结不锈钢材料作为台锥形制备液相色谱柱柱头筛板材料时的柱效;用柱上可视化方法研究了柱头筛板的直径对流型的影响。结果表明,多孔聚四氟乙烯的变形使得采用该材料做柱间筛板的色谱柱柱效比使用多孔不锈钢筛板的色谱柱柱效低约40%;样品流经直径小于柱入口内径的筛板导致样品在柱头分配不均,而流经直径与柱入口内径相同的筛板时因受到的阻力相同,可以实现柱塞状进样。还观察到不同直径的筛板     

Etudes theoriques et pratiques sur la realisation et le fonctionnement de colonnes preparatives de diametre moyen. Modification de la structure interne de ces colonnes

The dependence of the efficiency and productivity of preparative-scale gas-chromatographic columns on various parameters is discussed. The minimum HETP is experimentally shown to increase almost proportionally to the column diameter in the range 1–5 cm. The HETP also increases with a power of the sample amount which depends on the quality of the column packing and can be as low as 1.2. High-diffusivity carrier gases (H₂ and He) arc shown to allow a three-fold increase of columns productivity.The productivity (amount of sample separated/unit time) increases with the column diameter. Given a fixed volume of stationary phase and a known mixture, the column diameter which will accept the largest sample can be calculated. The performance of a preparative unit is limited more by the loadability of columns than by loss of efficiency witli increasing diameters. The performances of preparative columns can be improved by putting rods parallel to the column axis regularly spaced in the packing. The column can be heated internally cither for programmed temperature separations or to allow thermal equilibrium to be reached rapidly.     

Visualization of sample introduction in liquid chromatography columns. The effect of the frit diameter.

A previously developed on-column detection technique using 35 mm SLR cameras [J. Chromatogr. A 826 (1998) 1] was employed to visualize colored sample bands as they elute through frits of differing diameter. Head fittings containing a 4.0 mm frit and a 15.9 mm frit were mounted in a 17 mm I.D. glass column packed with C18 silica with an average particle size of 21 microns. A carbon tetrachloride mobile phase of matching refractive index to that of the silica provides clarity along the column diameter during band migration. The photographs of the migrating sample zones were scanned and analyzed with appropriate imaging software. The smallest diameter frit induced severely parabolic sample distributions at the column inlet compared to the larger frit. Local axial dispersion coefficient values, expressed as local reduced plate height, were calculated as well as local zone velocities at the column inlet. The results demonstrate clearly the need to match the diameter of the inlet frit to the I.D. of the column so as to avoid the initial onset of zone broadening due to the frit.     

Pore network modelling: determination of the dynamic profiles of the pore diffusivity and its effect on column performance as the loading of the solute in the adsorbed phase varies with time

A three-dimensional pore network model for diffusion in porous adsorbent particles was employed in a dynamic adsorption model that simulates the adsorption of a solute in porous particles packed in a chromatographic column. The solution of the combined model yielded the dynamic profiles of the pore diffusion coefficient of beta-galactosidase along the radius of porous ion-exchange particles and along the length of the column as the loading of the adsorbate molecules on the surface of the pores occurred, and, the dynamic adsorptive capacity of the chromatographic column as a function of the design and operational parameters of the chromatographic system. The pore size distribution of the porous adsorbent particles and the chemistry of the adsorption sites were unchanged in the simulations. It was found that for a given column length the dynamic profiles of the pore diffusion coefficient were influenced by: (i) the superficial fluid velocity in the column, (ii) the diameter of the adsorbent particles and (iii) the pore connectivity of the porous structure of the adsorbent particles. The effect of the magnitude of the pore connectivity on the dynamic profiles of the pore diffusion coefficient increased as the diameter of the adsorbent particles and the superficial fluid velocity in the column increased. The dynamic adsorptive capacity of the column increased as: (a) the particle diameter and the superficial fluid velocity in the column decreased, and (b) the column length and the pore connectivity increased. In preparative chromatography, it is desirable to obtain high throughputs within acceptable pressure gradients, and this may require the employment of larger diameter adsorbent particles. In such a case, longer column lengths satisfying acceptable pressure gradients with adsorbent particles having higher pore connectivity values could provide high dynamic adsorptive capacities. An alternative chromatographic system could be comprised of a long column packed with large particles which have fractal pores (fractal particles) that have high pore connectivities and which allow high intraparticle diffusional and convective flow mass transfer rates providing high throughputs and high dynamic adsorptive capacities. If large scale monoliths could be made to be reproducible and operationally stable, they could also offer an alternative mode of operation that could provide high throughputs and high dynamic adsorptive capacities.     

Efficient chromatographic separation of intact proteins derivatized with a fluorogenic reagent for proteomics analysis

To achieve more efficient separation of intact proteins for proteomics applications, three columns of differing diameters (4.0, 4.6 and 6.0 mm internal diameter) were chosen for comparison and investigated to identify optimal conditions. The column with the largest diameter gave the largest peak capacity, showing the efficient separation of intact proteins, such as two protein standards, glutathione S‐transferase and β‐lactoglobulin. On the other hand, a low‐molecular‐weight compound was separated effectively on the smaller diameter column, demonstrating that the separation mechanism seems to differ between high‐ and low‐molecular‐weight compounds. Finally, using the 6.0 mm i.d. column, 680 protein peaks were observed in mouse liver extracts, demonstrating that a wider diameter separation column is effective for intact protein separations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast supercritical fluid chromatography of polymers using packed capillary columns

Summary Fast separations of perfluorinated polyethers and polymethylsiloxanes that are composed of 50–80 oligomers were demonstrated in packed capillary column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) using a carbon dioxide mobile phase. Separations were accomplished within 10 min using a 13 cm×250 μm i.d. column packed with 2 μm porous octadecyl bonded silica (ODS) particles. Effects of particle diameter of the packing material and pressure programming on separation were investigated, and packed column SFC was compared with open tubular column SFC. Results show that as the particle diameter was decreased from 5 to 3 to 2 μm and the column length was reduced from 85 to 43 to 13 cm, the separation time could be reduced from 70 to 20 to 10 min while still maintaining similar separation (resolution). Short columns packed with small porous particles are very suitable for fast SFC separations of polymers.     

Preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography collection efficiency for an antimicrobial peptide on columns of varying diameters (1mm to 9.4mm I.D.)

The present study examines the effect of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) column diameter (1mm to 9.4mm I.D.) on the one-step slow gradient preparative purification of a 26-residue synthetic antimicrobial peptide. When taken together, the semi-preparative column (9.4mm I.D.) provided the highest yields of purified product (an average of 90.7% recovery from hydrophilic and hydrophobic impurities) over a wide range of sample load (0.75-200mg). Columns with smaller diameters, such as narrowbore columns (150x2.1mm I.D.) and microbore columns (150x1.0mm I.D.), can be employed to purify peptides with reasonable recovery of purified product but the range of the crude peptide that can be applied to the column is limited. In addition, the smaller diameter columns require more extensive fraction analysis to locate the fractions of pure product than the larger diameter column with the same load. Our results show the excellent potential of the one-step slow gradient preparative protocol as a universal method for purification of synthetic peptides.     

液相色谱塔板高度方程的统一形式

研究了色谱分离过程中物质的径向扩散和流动相发热对柱效能的影响。从热传导方程出发,运用色谱过程动力学原理推导了包括考虑流动相径向扩散、色谱柱发热影响的液相色谱塔板高度方程：

该方程概括了高效液相色谱（HPLC）、超高效液相色谱（UPLC）、毛细管电色谱（CEC）和消滞留层液相色谱（ESFLC）塔板高度与各种因素的关系。方程最后一项代表了径向扩散和柱发热对塔板高度的贡献。当流动相线速度较低且柱内径较细时,流动相摩擦生热和径向扩散对塔板高度的贡献趋近于零,塔板高度方程还原成Horvath和Lin的方程;当流动相线速度较高时,由于流动相摩擦生热,柱轴心与边缘温差增加,导致流动相线速度径向分布差异,使得柱效率降低。柱轴心与边缘的温差与流动相线速度平方成正比。该文指出,在流动相高线速度情况下,液相色谱的柱效率与柱内径密切相关,采用细内径柱有利于实现高速与高效率;过高的流动相线速度将导致色谱柱效率崩溃。     

A new type of capillary column for gas chromatography

A new type of capillary column for gas chromatography was proposed. A sorbent layer (for example, stationary liquid phase) is supported on the internal capillary surface, and the internal (interstitial) volume is packed with nonporous large particles of a sorbent (particle diameter is 0.1—0.6 of the capillary internal diameter). The external surface of the particles can also be coated with the sorbent layer (for example, stationary liquid phase). The specific separation efficiency (number of separation) on the new type column is by 1.6—2.3 times higher than that of the initial classical capillary column.     

混合烷基开管电色谱柱的制备和评价

利用溶胶－凝胶（Sol-Gel）技术制备了混合烷基开管毛细管电色谱柱（C8－C13OT－CEC），并考察了其电渗流行为和电色谱性能。研究了流动相中甲醇含量对芳香族中性化合物保留的影响。发现C8－C18OT－CEC柱体现反相分配机理。5种芳香族化合物和4种苯同系物在C8－C13OT－CEC柱上分离良好，同时还考察了分离电压和柱内径对柱效的影响，结果表明高的电压和较小的柱内径能提高柱效。     

Porous structure of the monolithic sorbent and separation properties of monolithic capillary columns in gas and liquid chromatography

Macroporous polymer based on polydivinylbenzene was used for the preparation of monolithic capillary columns with the diameter from 0.01 to 0.53 mm for separations by gas and liquid chromatography. The separation properties of the columns were studied by analysis of model systems of aromatic (in liquid chromatography) and light (in gas chromatography) hydrocarbons. The permeability was determined and the C parameter of the Van-Deemter equation was found for each column. The permeability of the majority of columns determined by gas chromatography is independent of the column diameter. The permeability of the same columns in liquid chromatography is also almost constant for the columns 0.53–0.1 mm in diameter; however, the permeability decreases sharply on going to columns of smaller diameter. In gas chromatography the value of the C parameter reflecting the effect of the mass transfer of the sorbate between the mobile and stationary phases on the smearing of a chromatographic peak in the column approximately the same for all columns. In liquid chromatography the value of the C coefficient in the Van-Deemter equation for the same capillary columns changes with a change in the column diameter and reaches a minimum for the columns 0.1 mm in diameter. The differences observed for the characteristics of the columns in gas and liquid chromatography are due to different structures of the macroporous monolith formed in columns of different diameter and to the effect of solvation of the monolith by the mobile phase under the conditions of liquid chromatography.     

High enrichment of 15N by chromatographic chemical process

Nitrogen isotope enrichment experiments were conducted to obtain highly enriched (15)N by ion-exchange process. (15)NH(4)Cl ((15)N=80%) as feeding materials were used to perform the chromatographic operation with two different flow rates and column diameters. Both separation coefficient (epsilon) and height equivalent to a theoretical plate (HETP) have same values in two run experiments. The value of HETP was more enlarged when high enrichment of (15)N was obtained in comparison with that of low enrichment. 99.756% (15)N and 13.63 g (15)N whose percentage was over 99.0% were successfully achieved by 25 m chromatographic migration with the flow rate and column diameter at 50 cm(3)/mL, 3.0 cm, respectively. High flow rate and large column diameter have advantages to the enrichment of (15)N by ion exchange process.     

Influence of the diameter of monolithic capillary columns on their gas chromatography characteristics

Divinylbenzene polymer monolithic capillary columns were prepared on the basis of capillaries 0.01 to 0.53 mm in diameter. Separation properties of the columns were investigated with the use of a test mixture of light hydrocarbons. The permeability and C parameter in the Van Deemter equation were determined for all the columns. For the most part, the columns had similar characteristics: permeability was in the range (2.2 ± 0.2) × 10^?9 cm², with parameter C in the range (0.7 ± 0.2) × 10^?3 s (with n-butane as a sorbate). It was thus established that capillary diameter has only a slight effect on the efficiency of monolithic capillary columns (unlike packed capillary columns and microcolumns, whose properties, according to the literature data, depend strongly on the column diameter). The difference in properties between the narrowest monolithic column (capillary diameter 0.01 mm) and the others is explained by column overloading.     

Optimization of post-column reactor radius in capillary high performance liquid chromatography Effect of chromatographic column diameter and particle diameter

A post-column reactor consisting of a simple open tube (Capillary Taylor Reactor) affects the performance of a capillary LC in two ways: stealing pressure from the column and adding band spreading. The former is a problem for very small radius reactors, while the latter shows itself for large reactor diameters. We derived an equation that defines the observed number of theoretical plates (N(obs)) taking into account the two effects stated above. Making some assumptions and asserting certain conditions led to a final equation with a limited number of variables, namely chromatographic column radius, reactor radius and chromatographic particle diameter. The assumptions and conditions are that the van Deemter equation applies, the mass transfer limitation is for intraparticle diffusion in spherical particles, the velocity is at the optimum, the analyte's retention factor, k', is zero, the post-column reactor is only long enough to allow complete mixing of reagents and analytes and the maximum operating pressure of the pumping system is used. Optimal ranges of the reactor radius (a(r)) are obtained by comparing the number of observed theoretical plates (and theoretical plates per time) with and without a reactor. Results show that the acceptable reactor radii depend on column diameter, particle diameter, and maximum available pressure. Optimal ranges of a(r) become narrower as column diameter increases, particle diameter decreases or the maximum pressure is decreased. When the available pressure is 4000 psi, a Capillary Taylor Reactor with 12 microm radius is suitable for all columns smaller than 150 microm (radius) packed with 2-5 microm particles. For 1 microm packing particles, only columns smaller than 42.5 microm (radius) can be used and the reactor radius needs to be 5 microm.     

The benefit of the retrofitting of a conventional LC system to micro LC: a practical evaluation in the field of bioanalysis with fluorimetric detection

The interests in liquid micro-chromatography (higher column efficiencies, increase in sensitivity) are now well established. The enhancement of fluorimetric response induced by the reduction of the inner diameter of columns (4.6, 3.0, 1.0 and 0.3 mm respectively) coupled with adapted detection cells to control the loss of efficiency (8 micro L for the two first columns and 100 nL for the two smaller ones) has been studied in the bioanalytical field, using the plasma determination of native fluorescent antibacterial agents: fluoroquinolones. Ten-fold enhancement of the signal can easily be obtained when substituting a 0.3 mm i.d. column and 100 nL detection cell for a 4.6 mm i.d. column, and 8 micro L detection cell. In addition to inner diameter reduction, the detection cell geometry appears to be an essential parameter to obtain the best enhancement of the recorded signal. Hence, the enhancement of signal with micro-chromatography with fluorimetric detection appears to be a compromise between column inner diameter and flow cell volume reduction.     

Large-scale preparative countercurrent chromatography for separation of polar compounds

Gram quantity separations of polar compounds (tryptophyl-leucine and valyl-tyrosine) have successfully been accomplished with the use of a horizontal coil planet centrifuge. Two columns of different length fluorinated ethylene propylene tubing but of same internal diameter (0.55 cm) were coaxially coiled around a holder 7.5 cm or 15 cm in diameter and used to assess the preparative capabilities of the apparatus in terms of stationary phase retention and sample peak resolution. Optimal operating conditions derived from preliminary studies with the short column were applied to a column 7 times in length and volume. Volume capacities were 114 ml and 750 ml respectively. A hydrophilic solvent system of n-butanol, acetic acid and water (4:1:5) was used with both the aqueous and non-aqueous phases being used as the mobile phase. Preliminary studies revealed that the hydrodynamic distribution of the two phases was independent of the helical diameter while peak resolution was sensitive to both helical diameter and rpm setting.     

Axial development and radial non-uniformity of flow in packed columns

Flow inhomogeneity and axial development in low-pressure chromatographic columns have been studied by magnetic resonance imaging velocimetry. The columns studied included (a) an 11.7-mm I.D. column packed with either 50 microm diameter porous polyacrylamide, or 99 or 780 microm diameter impermeable polystyrene beads, and (b) a 5-mm I.D. column commercially packed with 10 microm polymeric beads. The packing methods included gravity settling, slurry packing, ultrasonication, and dry packing with vibration. The magnetic resonance method used averaged apparent fluid velocity over both column cross-sections and fluid displacements greater than one particle diameter and hence permits assessment of macroscopic flow non-uniformities. The results confirm that now non-uniformities induced by the conical distributor of the 11.7-mm I.D. column or the presence of voids at the column entrance relax on a length scale of the column radius. All of the 11.7-mm I.D. columns examined exhibit near wall channeling within a few particle diameters of the wall. The origins of this behavior are demonstrated by imaging of the radial dependence of the local porosity for a column packed with 780 microm beads. Columns packed with the 99-microm beads exhibit reduced flow in a region extending from ten to three-to-five particle diameters from the wall. This velocity reduction is consistent with a reduced porosity of 0.35 in this region as compared to approximately 0.43 in the bulk of the column. Ultrasonicated and dry-packed columns exhibit enhanced flow in a region located between approximately eight and 20 particle diameters from the wall. This enhancement maybe caused by packing density inhomogeneity and/or particle size segregation caused by vibration during the packing process. No significant non-uniformities on length scales of 20 microm or greater were observed in the commercially packed column packed with 10 microm particles.