High-performance liquid chromatography of proteins using chemically-modified silica supports

Summary Highly efficient and fast exclusion-chromatographic separations of proteins are possible on chemically-modified, silica stationary phases. By optimizing the pH and the ionic strength of the aqueous eluent secondary interactions of the samples with surface groups can be excluded. Bonded propylamide groups proved to possess optimum properties for exclusion chromatography. With other functional groups adsorption effects cannot be excluded totally. The optimum pore size distribution for protein separation up to relative molecular masses of 500,000 daltnons is between 10nm and 50nm. With these silica-based phases the pore size distribution, the pore volume and the packing characteristics are independent of the eluent, therefore the same column can be used with aqueous as well with organic eluents. It is possible to correlate the elution volume (molecular size) of proteins with those of polystyrene standars. The recovery of the proteins and their biological activity has always been better than 90%. The potentialities of adsorption chromatography of proteins on chemically-bonded stationary plases with different functional groups are demonstrated.     

Peptide mapping with mobile phases of intermediate pH value using capillary reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

This investigation describes the separation of tryptic peptides by capillary reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with eluents in the intermediate pH range, followed by in-line electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) analysis. For these purposes, gradient elution procedures with an aqueous eluent containing 20 mM ammonium formate, and an increasing content of acetonitrile or methanol, were employed. Compared to the analysis of the same tryptic peptides under low-pH conditions with an ion-pairing reagent, the increase in the pH with the 20 mM ammonium formate mobile phase led to significant changes in both peptide retention to the reversed-phase column and the collision-induced dissociation at the MS/MS stage as a consequence of the changes in the physico-chemical properties of these peptides, such as their overall charge, polarity and relative hydrophobicity. Thus, improved selectivity for the peptide separation and favourable tandem mass spectrometry analysis could be obtained with eluents in this intermediate pH range. The number of tryptic peptides identified by the new approach for the proteins investigated were significantly higher than that obtained by the conventional low-pH methods. Moreover, analysis of protein digests at very low concentrations was also performed under both acidic and intermediate pH conditions and similar improvements in selectivity and MS/MS detection limits were observed, i.e. identification of more distinct peptides and higher sequence coverage of the protein was obtained when eluents of intermediate pH were employed. This study therefore highlights the potential of conducting peptide mapping in the intermediate pH range to achieve more reliable and sensitive protein identifications with capillary RP-HPLC–ESI-MS/MS.     

Separation of tricyclic psychosedative drugs by high-speed ion-pair partition and liquid-solid adsorption chromatography.

The application of high-speed ion-pair partition and liquid-solid adsorption chromatography to the separation of twenty common tricyclic tranquilizers and antidepressant drugs is described. In the ion-pair system, amine-perchlorate ion-pairs were extracted from an aqueous stationary phase supported on 10-mum silica gel by organic eluents containing a chloromethane and a higher aliphatic alcohol, and chromatographic parameters for elution by eight eluent mixtures are presented. Using 5 mm times 120 mm columns good separations, according to chemical class, were achieved. For adsorption chromatography, the components were eluted from 20-mum spherical alumina using eluents containing methylene chloride, n-hexane or n-pentane, and acetic acid. Chromatographic parameters are given for eight eluent compositions. Components differing little in structure are well separated by liquid-solid adsorption chromatography. Compared with ion-pair partition chromatography, adsorption chromatography is much more selective for compounds of the same chemical type. The two methods are therefore complementary. Both methods gave plate heights in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mm.     

Suppressed anion chromatography using mixed zwitter-ionic and carbonate eluents

Effect of mixed eluents which contain zwitterions such as 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES), 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS), 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES) and 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPS) and carbonate for suppressed conductivity ion chromatography (IC) were studied. The retention behaviors of all species were affected with different anion exchange columns when adding some zwitterion into carbonate eluent. The retention time of all species, especially those of strong retetion, was substantially shortened in AS14A column with either Na(2)CO(3)/CHES or Na(2)CO(3)/CAPS as eluent while a general increase in retetion time was noticed in AS9-HC column. Low pH of eluent was achieved when zwitterion was added. Without much changes in the background conductivity after suppressed, CHES could be used as suppressed conductivity ion chromatography eluent for determination of species unstable in strong alkaline, such as determination of phosphate in heteropoly acid (HPA) samples in AS14 column. The mixed eluent could also affect the selectivity when it was applied to the study of simultaneous separation of anions and cations in AS9-HC column by suppressed ion chromatography.     

Retention behavior of alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal cations in ion chromatography with an unmodified silica gel column

An unmodified silica gel (Develosil 30-5) column (150×4.6 mm I.D.) has been applied to the ion chromatographic separation of alkali, alkaline earth and transition metal cations. The retention behavior of the above cations on the bare substrate was investigated using a number of weak inorganic and organic acid eluents. During this investigation, several separations were achieved and the most suitable eluent conditions were identified. It was concluded that: (a) 1.5 mM HNO₃-0.5mM pyridine-2,6-dicar☐ylic acid eluent was the most effective for the simultaneous separation of common alkali and alkaline earth metal cations, (b) 1.5 mM oxalic acid eluent resulted in the best separation of alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metal cations, (c) 0.5 mM CuSO₄ eluent could be used for the separation of alkali metal cations alone and (d) 0.5 mM ethylenediamine-oxalic acid eluent at pH 5.5 resulted in themost efficient separation of both alkaline earth and transition metal cations.     

New conductivity detection response equation for anions eluted with fully and partially ionised eluents in non-suppressed ion chromatography

A response equation for conductivity detection in ion chromatography has been derived. This equation is applicable to non-suppressed ion chromatography using both fully ionised and partially ionised eluents. A prime assumption of this equation is that when partially ionised eluents are used (such as benzoic acid), both the ionised and neutral components of the eluent species contribute to the detector response of anionic analytes. Experimental evidence is provided to support this assumption in that pH changes accompanying the elution of an analyte have been measured. These pH changes are proportional to the concentration of analyte injected onto the column, in accordance with predictions from the response equation. Furthermore, it is shown that protonated eluents (such as benzoic acid) give more sensitive detection than equivalent ionised eluents (such as potassium benzoate) and the signal enhancement achieved using a protonated eluent species is in accordance with theory.     

螯合离子色谱法分析复杂基体中痕量金属离子的研究

发展了应用螯合离子色谱法分析复杂基体中痕量金属离子的新方法。针对不同的检测目的,利用螯合柱（ＭｅｔＰａｃＣＣ－１）和浓缩柱（ＴＭＣ－１）,采用适当的洗脱液在线将基体中的阴离子、一价阳离子、碱土金属离子以及其它干扰离子除去,同时,浓缩富集待测的痕量金属离子,然后再选择适当的梯度淋洗体系,在含有双功能基的分析柱上分离Ｐｂ,Ｃｕ,Ｃｄ,Ｃｏ,Ｚｎ和Ｎｉ等过渡金属离子和１４种镧系金属离子,继而用在线柱后衍生和光度法检测。方法简单快速,样品经适当的酸消解成溶液后即可进样,灵敏度高,检测限为１０－９级甚至更低。     

pH gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography as a fractionation tool for the separation of peptides

Recent reports from our laboratory presented a comprehensive theory and demonstrated feasibility of reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) employing the programmed gradient of pH of the mobile phase. The aim of that work was to explore the usefulness of the pH gradient-based approach in fractionation of peptides. The experiments were performed on a series of peptides separated at various LC conditions. Retention parameters of peptides in the pH gradient and in the simultaneous pH/organic modifier gradient RP-LC were compared. The best results were obtained with eluents comprising low but constant concentrations of organic modifier while gradient of pH in the mobile phase was developed several times during each chromatographic run. The elaborated LC conditions allowed controlling the elution of peptides not only according to their hydrophobic properties, but also taking into account their electronic properties, represented by isoelectric point (pI) values. The combination of isocratic (regarding organic modifier) LC mode with recurring eluent pH gradient is proposed as an effective fractionation method of peptide mixtures. Moreover, information on hydrophobicity and pI of the peptides, obtained by that approach, might be an additional peptides database matching constraint. Hence, a new tool for analytical and bioinformatics studies of peptides fractionation is proposed.     

Retention of alkali,alkaline earth and transition metals on an itaconic acid cation-exchange column. Eluent pH,ionic strength and temperature effects upon selectivity

The unusual selectivity of a methylene succinic (itaconic) acid modified polymeric column was investigated for the separation of alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metals employing non-chelating inorganic eluents. The retention of selected metal ions on the column was investigated with simple HNO3 eluents and eluents prepared from KNO3 and KCl salts of varying pH (adjusted using HNO3). From these studies both the effect of eluent ionic strength and pH upon retention was evaluated for the itaconic acid stationary phase. The results obtained showed that despite slow exchange kinetics causing poor efficiencies, acceptable baseline separations of selected alkaline earth and transitions could be obtained under optimum conditions (the baseline separation of Mg(II), Ca(II), Mn(II), Cd(II), Zn(II) and Co(II) was possible using a 15 mM KNO3-5 mM KCl eluent at pH 3.50 in under 25 min). The use of an simple ionic strength step gradient was shown that facilitated the addition of Pb(II) to the above group of metal ions. An investigation into the effect of temperature upon peak efficiency and retention showed increased column temperature could be used to improve the resolution of closely eluting metal ions such as Ca(II) and Sr(II) and Ca(II) and Mn(II).     

Influence Of Organic Modifiers On The Retention Characteristics Of Graphitized Carbon Column

Abstract

The retention time of α-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl ethylene oxide oligomer surfactants was determined on a porous graphitized carbon column (PGC) in eluents containing acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane and 2-ethoxyethanol as organic modifier. Linear relationships were calculated between the logarithm of the capacity factor and the concentration of organic modifier in the eluent. Ethylene oxide oligomers were well separated on the PGC column in acetonitrile-water eluent mixtures. Oligomers were not separated in eluents containing 2-propanol, tetrahydrofuran. dioxane and 2-ethoxyethanol as organic modifier. This result was explained by the supposition that the bulky organic modifiers occupy the active adsorption centers on the PGC surface decreasing in this manner the separation efficiency of the support.     

Minimum column temperature required for concurrent solvent evaporation in coupled HPLC-GC

Concurrent solvent evaporation using the loop-type HPLC-GC interface requires that the GC oven temperature be above the eluent boiling point at the given carrier gas inlet pressure in order to prevent eluent flowing into the GC capillary column. Corresponding oven temperatures representing minimum oven temperatures for eluent transfer were experimentally determined for solvents and solvent mixtures of interest for use as HPLC eluents. Evaluation of eluents for concurrent evaporation is discussed. Recommended lengths of uncoated column inlets (pre-columns) are derived from the mechanisms involved in solvent evaporation. Temperatures listed as minimum column temperatures for concurrently evaporating HPLC eluents are also useful for estimating maximum applicable column temperatures when working with the conventional retention gap or partially concurrent solvent evaporation techniques in coupled HPLC-GC.     

Zwitterionic ion chromatography with carboxybetaine surfactant-coated particle packed and monolithic type columns

Both particle packed (25 cm x 0.46 cm I.D. SUPELCOSIL 5 microm C18) and monolithic type (10 cm x 0.46 cm I.D. Merck Chromolith Performance C18) reversed-phase substrates were dynamically coated with a carboxybetaine type zwitterionic surfactant ((dodecyldimethyl-amino) acetic acid) and investigated as stationary phases for use in zwitterionic ion chromatography (ZIC). Investigations into eluent concentration and pH were carried out using KCl eluents containing 0.2 mM of the carboxybetaine surfactant to stabilise the column coatings. It was found that eluent concentration decreased anion retention whilst simultaneously increasing peak efficiencies, which may be due to the dissociation of intra- and inter-molecular salts of the carboxybetaine surfactant under higher ionic strength conditions. The Effect of eluent pH was an increase in anion retention with decreased eluent pH due to the increased protonation of the weak acid terminal group of the carboxybetaine, causing both a relative increase in the positive charge of the stationary phase and less repulsion of the anions by the dissociated weak acid group. The carboxybetaine-coated monolithic phase was applied to rapid anion separations using elevated flow rates and flow rate gradients.     

单一阴离子交换柱同时分离有机酸和无机阴阳离子

研究了用乙二胺四乙酸（ＥＤＴＡ）作淋洗液时，性质迥异的有机酸、无机阴离子和碱土金属离子（Ｃａ＾２＋、Ｍｇ＾２＋）在同一阴离子交换柱上的同时分离以及保留机理，结果表明，在离子交换机理之外，非离子交换机理对有机酸及钙镁的ＥＤＴＡ络阴郭的保留行为起一定的辅助作用，９种有机酸和无机阴阳离子在１０ｍｉｎ内得到了较好的分离。各离子的电导检测灵敏度在１０＾－９至１０＾－１１ｍｏｌ，能满足环境和食吕分析的要求。     

Influence of Physicochemical Parameters of Some Ring-Substituted Phenol Derivatives on Their Retention on a Porous Graphitized Carbon Column

Abstract

The retention characteristics of 29 phenol derivatives were determined on a porous graphitized carbon column in unbuffered acetonitrile—water and methanol—water eluent mixtures at various organic phase concentrations. Each phenol derivative showed symmetric peaks in each eluent without buffers. Good linear correlations were found between the log k' value and the organic mobile phase concentration in the eluent. Principal component analysis indicated that methanol and acetonitrile expose different selectivities. Stepwise regression analysis proved that the retention of ring—substituted phenol derivatives is mainly governed by the sterical parameters, electron-withdrawing power and hydrogen donor capacity of substituents. According to the results of Free-Wilson analysis, the substituents with large steric parameters, strong electron-withdrawing power and hydrogen donor capacity have the highest impact on the retention. The lipophilicity of phenol derivatives did not affect significantly the retention, although the eluents were typical reversed-phase eluents.     

Lipophilicity determination of some potential photosystem II inhibitors on reversed-phase high-performance thin-layer chromatography

The retention characteristics of 25 2-cyano-3-methylthio-3-substituted amine-acrylates are determined using reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography (RP-TLC) with methanol-water mixtures as eluents. The relationship between Rm values and partition coefficients (C log P) are established. The Rm values decrease linearly with increasing methanol concentration in the eluent. The Rm values extrapolated to zero organic modifier concentration (Rm0) in the eluent are highly related to C log P. The Rm0 value can be used to evaluate the lipophilicity of this kind of compound.     

Separation, detection, and identification of peptides by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry at high and low pH

Bioactive peptides and tryptic digests of various proteins were separated under acidic and alkaline conditions by ion-pair-reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPIPC) in 200 microm I.D. monolithic, poly(styrene-divinylbenzene)-based capillary columns using gradients of acetonitrile in 0.050% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid, pH 2.1, or 1.0% triethylamine-acetic acid, pH 10.6. Chromatographic performances with mobile phases of low and high-pH were practically equivalent and facilitated the separation of more than 50 tryptic peptides of bovine serum albumin within 15-20 min with peak widths at half height between 4 and 10 s. Neither a significant change in retentivity nor efficiency of the monolithic column was observed during 17-day operation at pH 10.6 and 50 degrees C. Upon separation by RP-HPIPC at high-pH, peptide detectabilities in full-scan negative-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (negESI-MS) were about two to three times lower as compared to RP-HPIPC at low-pH with posESI-MS detection. Tandem mass spectra obtained by fragmentation of deprotonated peptide ions in negative ion mode yielded interpretable sequence information only in a few cases of relatively short peptides. However, in order to obtain sequence information for peptides separated with alkaline mobile phases, tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) could be performed in positive ion mode. The chromatographic selectivities were significantly different in separations performed with acidic and alkaline eluents, which facilitated the fractionation of a complex peptide mixture obtained by the tryptic digestion of 10 proteins utilizing off-line, two-dimensional RP-HPIPC at high pH x RP-HPIPC at low pH and subsequent on-line identification by posESI-MS/MS.     

Retention in analytical ion exchange chromatography-1. Strong electrolytes on strong ion exchangers

A retention equation of general validity is adapted to ion exchange chromatography providing a self-consistent interpretation of retention of solutes and system peaks. Discussion is limited to eluent mixtures containing ions of invariant charge and to stationary phases with pH-independent surface charge. An interpretation is proposed for the retention volume of system peaks in binary eluents (mixtures of two eluent counter-ions). Retention volumes of labelled counter-ions of the eluent appear to provide useful information about the chromatographic system with clear interpretation in any multicomponent eluent.     

Direct serum injection in micellar liquid chromatography. Recovery of serum proteins and assay of hydrophilic drugs

The recovery of serum proteins from reversed-phase and internal-surface reversed-phase (ISRP) silica supports following direct serum injection was investigated using an eluent containing a micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The results indicated that the recoveries of serum proteins were 98-103% for both supports. On the basis of the above findings, the separation and recovery of hydrophilic drugs (cephalosporins and salicylic acid) from human serum were investigated using acidic eluents including micellar solutions of SDS. They were completely separated from the components of serum, and the recoveries were 94-98% despite protein binding. Although the recommended eluent pH range is 6.0-7.5 for the ISRP support, eluents of pH 2-8 can be used with the micellar chromatographic system.     

Determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters with a hydroxide-selective column

US Environmental Protection Agency Method 300.0 specifies the use of an IonPac AS4A anion-exchange column with a carbonate-hydrogencarbonate eluent and suppressed conductivity detection for the determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters by ion chromatography. Hydroxide eluents have not typically been used for the routine analysis of common inorganic anions due to the lack of an appropriate hydroxide selective column and the difficulty in preparing contaminant free hydroxide eluents. The use of ion chromatography with a hydroxide-selective IonPac AS17 column, automated eluent generation and potassium hydroxide gradient represents a new approach to the routine determination of inorganic anions in environmental waters. This new approach, which is a modification of Method 300.0, allows equivalent method performance with improved linearity, precision, and method detection limits. The AS17 column provides superior retention of fluoride from the column void volume and improved resolution from small organic acids, such as formate and acetate, compared to the AS4A column. Quantitative recoveries were obtained for all the common inorganic anions spiked into typical environmental waters using this new approach, and the Performance Based Measurement System Tier 1 method validation quality control acceptance criteria are well within the acceptable ranges defined by Method 300.0. In addition, the EG40 eluent generator eliminates the need to manually prepare eluents, increasing the level of automation and ease-of-use of the ion chromatography system.     

Aqueous size-exclusion chromatography of humic acids on a sephadex gel column with diluted phosphate buffers as eluents

The elution behavior of humic acids on a Sephadex gel column is senstive to the composition, concentration, and pH of the eluent. the concentrations of the eluent in the literature are too high to obtain the correct molecular size distribution of humic acids. By reducing the concentration of phosphate buffer eluents to about a hundredth of conventional concentrations, the correct distribution is obtained. In the proposed method, 1 ml of 0.1% sample solution is introduced into a Sephadex G-50 column (2.2-cm diameter, 55 cm long) and humic acids are eluted with a 10^?3 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7–9) at a flow rate of 1 ml min^?1.