Effect of chemically bonded stationary phases and mobile phase composition on beta-blockers retention in RP-HPLC

The effects of stationary and mobile phase on retention of 18 beta-adrenolytic drugs (beta-blockers) have been studied. Four 'deactivated surface' stationary phases (polar-embedded or end-capped) were examined. Special attention was drawn to the cholesterolic (SG-CHOL) and alkylamide (SG-AP) stationary phases, and their application for analysis of the compounds. The retention of analyzed substances was also examined in terms of mobile phase composition. Sixteen different configurations of mobile phases were prepared, all based on methanol and acetonitrile with ammonium acetate and ammonium formate. The difference in retention between ammonium formate and acetate water solutions, and peak shape changes related to the addition of triethylamine (TEA), were investigated. Principal component analysis was used to find the similarities between stationary phases. Polar-embedded phases synthesized on the same sorbent possess very similar properties. All phases based on silica gel compared with the monolithic column also showed similarities in retention of beta-blockers. The addition of TEA to the mobile phase did not influence strongly the retention, and analysis of asymmetry factors showed only a little peak broadening for a few compounds on the monolithic column.     

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     

Preparation and evaluation of n-octadecylphosphonic acid-modified magnesia-zirconia stationary phases for reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Three n-octadecylphosphonic acid-modified magnesia-zirconia reversed stationary phases (C₁₈PZM) are prepared via the strong Lewis base interactions between organophosphonate and magnesia-zirconia composite. And two of them are end-capped by using trimethylchlorosilane as end-capping agent in different procedures. Stability studies at extreme high pH conditions (pH 9-12) show that both the non-endcapped and endcapped columns are quite stable at pH 12 mobile phase. The reversed-phase liquid chromatographic behavior of three C₁₈PZM stationary phases are comparatively investigated in detail using a variety of basic compounds as probes. The retention of basic compounds on the three phases is studied over a wide range of pHs. And the possible retention mechanisms of basic compounds on the three stationary phases are discussed. The results show that the basic solutes retain by a hydrophobic and cation-exchange interaction mixed mechanism on three stationary phases when they are operated in eluents at pH values near to the pK_a of the Brönsted conjugate acid form of the analyte, suggesting that inherent zirconol groups on ZM are not expected to interact with bases via cation-exchange interaction at lower pH. Nonetheless, the non-endcapped phase differs markedly from the edncapped ones in retention and selectivity of basic solutes using eluents at pH 4.1, implying a complex retention mechanism at this pH. The cation-exchange sites under such conditions are more likely due to the adsorbed Lewis base anionic buffer constituents (acetate) on accessible ZM surface sites than the chemisorbed phosphonate. Although the three phases exhibit very similar chromatographic behavior with eluents at pH 10.1, and show in general satisfactory separation of basic compounds and alkaloids studied, the performance for a specific analyte, however, differs largely from column to column.     

Retention properties of acetone-water mobile phases on a biphenylsiloxane-bonded silica stationary phase in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The solvation parameter model system constants and retention factors were used to interpret retention properties of 39 calibration compounds on a biphenylsiloxane-bonded stationary phase (Kinetex biphenyl) for acetone-water binary mobile phase systems containing 30–70% v/v. Variation in system constants, phase ratios, and retention factors of acetone-water binary mobile phases systems were compared with more commonly used acetonitrile and methanol mobile phase systems. Retention properties of acetone mobile phases on a Kinetex biphenyl column were more similar to that of acetonitrile than methanol mobile phases except with respect to selectivity equivalency. Importantly, selectivity differences arising between acetone and acetonitrile systems (the lower hydrogen-bond basicity of acetone-water mobile phases and differences in hydrogen-bond acidity, cavity formation and dispersion interactions) could be exploited in reversed-phase liquid chromatography method development on a Kinetex biphenyl stationary phase.     

Dependence of the methylene selectivity on the composition of hydro-organic eluents for reversed-phase liquid chromatographic systems with alkyl bonded phases

Summary A theoretical treatment is presented which considers differences between the composition of the mobile phase and solvents that are incorporated into the bonded phase via preferential sorption. Equations are derived and used to analyze retention data for various homologs chromatographed under reversed-phase conditions using alkyl bonded phases and combinations of water-methanol, water-acetonitrile and watertetrahydrofuran as mobile phases. In the case of water-methanol the surface phase and bulk mobile phase compositions are similar. However, significant differences in composition between the two phases are observed when binary combinations of water-acetonitrile and water-tetrahydrofuran are used as the cluents.     

Selectivity studies on branched and linear alkyl bonded stationary phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic retention characteristics for the sixteen acyclic C₁−C₅ N-alkylbenzamide congeners were measured on various branched and linear, alkyl bonded hydrocarbon stationary phases. Retention factors, k′, were determined in acetonitrile-water mobile phase compositions on ethyl, n-octyl, n-dodecyl, n-octadecyl, 1-ethyladamantyl, 4-butyloctyl, and 2,4,4-trimethylpentyl stationary phases. Statistical analysis of the two main effects investigated — type of stationary phase and percentage of organic modifier (acetonitrile) in the mobile phase — described greater than ninety percent of the variability in the data for most of the comparisons. Selectivity effects due to variation in the mobile phase dominated the results.     

Characterization of calixarene‐bonded stationary phases

Calixarene‐bonded stationary phases received growing interest in HPLC as stationary phases with special retention characteristics and selectivity. The commercially available unsubstituted and p‐tert‐butyl‐substituted Caltrex^® columns have been intensively studied and characterized in our workgroup. They can be used as reversed phases, yet they support additional interactions. Especially, their steric, polar and ionic properties differ from conventional alkyl‐bonded phases. However, also the hydrophobic interaction shows differences since adsorption and partition interactions on or in a bonded layer of calixarenes are not similar to those of alkyl‐bonded layers. The relative strength of the hydrophobic properties of the stationary phases has been found depending on the methanol concentration of the mobile phase. Generally, the dependencies of their interaction strengths on mobile‐phase conditions, e.g. the change of the intensity of the hydrogen‐bonding abilities with decreasing methanol content, are not similar from phase to phase either. This probably gives calixarene‐bonded stationary phases enhanced suitability for analyses at extreme compositions of the mobile phase. An overview about the synthesis, retention and selectivity properties of Caltrex^® columns is given here.     

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of mono- and divinyl chlorophyll forms using pyridine-containing mobile phases and a polymeric octadecylsilica column

Summary The separation of chlorophyll forms was studied employing a wide bore polymeric octadecylsilica column and pyridine containing mobile phases, giving consideration to considering the influence of mobile phase composition and column temperature on the resolution of monovinyl forms from their divinyl analogues. A method involving gradient elution and operating at 15°C is proposed for the separation of several polar and non-polar mono- and divinyl chlorophylls from etiolated tissues of higher plants and from marine phytoplankton. The advantages of pyridine as a mobile phase additive in the reversed-phase liquid chromatography of chlorophylls are discussed.     

Cation-exchange liquid chromatography of choline and acetylcholine on free shielded silanols of silica-based reversed-phase stationary phases.

Free anionic functions present on the surface of reversed-phase packing materials were used for the selective cation-exchange preconcentration and separation of the neurotransmitters choline and acetylcholine from a biological matrix. The cation-exchange behaviour of different reversed-phase packing materials in the neat aqueous mobile phase, the properties of an end-capped column, the dependence of capacity factors and peak shape on the concentration of counter ions, ionic strength, pH and the addition of acetonitrile and optimum conditions for enzymatic conversion of solutes to hydrogen peroxide were studied. The studied reversed-phase columns exhibit better pH stability and longer lifetimes than normal silica-based cation exchangers. Acetylcholine is an effective and sensitive test sample for the measurement of adsorption on silica support. A large sample volume was injected onto a precolumn inserted instead of an injection valve and after injection the solutes were focused and separated on an analytical column with a mobile phase containing tetramethylammonium perchlorate as the counter ion.     

Automated screening of reversed‐phase stationary phases for small‐molecule separations using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry

There are various reversed‐phase stationary phases that offer significant differences in selectivity and retention. To investigate different reversed‐phase stationary phases (aqueous stable C₁₈, biphenyl, pentafluorophenyl propyl, and polar‐embedded alkyl) in an automated fashion, commercial software and associated hardware for mobile phase and column selection were used in conjunction with liquid chromatography and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer detector. A model analyte mixture was prepared using a combination of standards from varying classes of analytes (including drugs, drugs of abuse, amino acids, nicotine, and nicotine‐like compounds). Chromatographic results revealed diverse variations in selectivity and peak shape. Differences in the elution order of analytes on the polar‐embedded alkyl phase for several analytes showed distinct selectivity differences compared to the aqueous C₁₈ phase. The electron‐rich pentafluorophenyl propyl phase showed unique selectivity toward protonated amines. The biphenyl phase provided further changes in selectivity relative to C₁₈ with a methanolic phase, but it behaved very similarly to a C₁₈ when an acetonitrile‐based mobile phase was evaluated. This study shows the value of rapid column screening as an alternative to excessive mobile phase variation to obtain suitable chromatographic settings for analyte separation.     

Selectivity of stationary phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography based on the dispersion interactions

Selectivity of 15 stationary phases was examined, either commercially available or synthesized in-house. The highest selectivity factors were observed for solute molecules having different polarizability on the 3-(pentabromobenzyloxy)propyl phase (PBB), followed by the 2-(1-pyrenyl)ethyl phase (PYE). Selectivity of fluoroalkane 4,4-di(trifluoromethyl)-5,5,6,6,7,7,7-heptafluoroheptyl (F13C9) phase is lowest among all phases for all compounds except for fluorinated ones. Aliphatic octyl (C8) and octadecyl (C18) phases demonstrated considerable selectivity, especially for alkyl compounds. While PBB showed much greater preference for compounds with high polarizability containing heavy atoms than C18 phase, F13C9 phase showed the exactly opposite tendency. These three stationary phases can offer widely different selectivity that can be utilized when one stationary phase fails to provide separation for certain mixtures. The retention and selectivity of solutes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography is related to the mobile phase and the stationary phase effects. The mobile phase effect, related to the hydrophobic cavity formation around non-polar solutes, is assumed to have a dominant effect on retention upon aliphatic stationary phases such as C8, C18. In a common mobile phase significant stationary phase effect can be attributed to dispersion interaction. Highly dispersive stationary phases such as PBB and PYE retain solutes to a significant extent by (attractive) dispersion interaction with the stationary phase ligands, especially for highly dispersive solutes containing aromatic functionality and/or heavy atoms. The contribution of dispersion interaction is shown to be much less on C18 or C8 phases and was even disadvantageous on F13C9 phase. Structural properties of stationary phases are analyzed and confirmed by means of quantitative structure-chromatographic retention (QSRR) study.     

Influence of temperature and mobile phase composition on retention properties of oligomeric bonded phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)

Summary The effect of temperature and mobile phase composition (methanol-water) on the retention behaviour of an oligomeric series of n-octylsilyl bonded phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography has been investigated. Plots of lnk against 1/T (van't Hoff plot) and the enthalpy of transfer (ΔH^o) yields linear relationships under the conditions studied. The ΔH^o values of the aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkyl benzoates are higher than those of the polar compounds due to their higher level of interaction with the stationary phase. A linear plot of ΔH^o vs. ΔS^o suggest that the retention process, which is essentially controlled by non-specific (dispersive) interactions between the solutes and the bonded ligands, is identical for all cases evaluated. The existence of similar retention mechanisms is confirmed by the constant value of the enthalpy-entropy compensation temperature of the columns for a given class of componds. As expected, decreasing the methanol content (% v/v) of the mobile phase results in increased eluite retention times. The methylene and phenyl selectivities are found to be independent of the carbon content of the stationary phases and varied only with the eluent composition. In addition to their high stability under aggressive mobile phase conditions as previously reported, the results of this study generally showed that the solute retention process on oligomeric phases are similar to those exhibited by the conventional reversed phases.     

Molecular shape recognition capability of liquid-crystal bonded phases in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

Summary The chromatographic retention behaviour of two liquidcrystal bonded phases have been evaluated using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as the probe samples in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The results clearly indicate that these phases have better planarity and shape recognition capabilities than commercially-avaialble polymeric octadecylsilica (ODS) phases whose strong planarity and shape selectivities were found earlier. It can also be concluded from the chromatographic observations that the shape recognition capability of these phases is dependent on both mobile phase composition and column temperature, but that the effect of mobile phase and temperature on the shape selectivity work independently. The retention behaviour can be explained by changes in the phase structure with changes of eluent composition and temperature.     

Reducing Dimensionality in Principal Component Analysis – A Method Comparison

The retention time of 10 ring-substituted aniline derivatives was determined on six different reversed-phase stationary phases and the retention parameters log k, theoretical plate number (N) and asymmetry factor (F) were calculated for each analyte on each column. The similarities and differences among the stationary phase and analytes were assessed by principal component analysis coupled with nonlinear mapping and cluster analysis. Computations demonstrated that the retention characteristics of both the stationary phases and analytes markedly deviate from each other. Calculations indicated that the results considerably depend on the multivariate method applied, therefore, the employment of more than than one computation method and the critical comparison of the results is highly advocated.     

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.     

Retention mechanisms in super/subcritical fluid chromatography on packed columns

Whereas the retention rules of achiral compounds are well defined in high-performance liquid chromatography, on the basis of the nature of the stationary phase, some difficulties appear in super/subcritical fluid chromatography on packed columns. This is mainly due to the supposed effect of volatility on retention behaviours in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and to the nature of carbon dioxide, which is not polar, thus SFC is classified as a normal-phase separation technique. Moreover, additional effects are not well known and described. They are mainly related to density changes of the mobile phase or to adsorption of fluid on the stationary phase causing a modification of its surface. It is admitted that pressure or temperature modifications induce variation in the eluotropic strength of the mobile phase, but effects of flow rate or column length on retention factor changes are more surprising. Nevertheless, the retention behaviour in SFC first depends on the stationary phase nature. Working with polar stationary phases induces normal-phase retention behaviour, whereas using non-polar bonded phases induces reversed-phase retention behaviour. These rules are verified for most carbon dioxide-based mobile phases in common use (CO(2)/MeOH, CO(2)/acetonitrile or CO(2)/EtOH). Moreover, the absence of water in the mobile phase favours the interactions between the compounds and the stationary phase, compared to what occurs in hydro-organic liquids. Other stationary phases such as aromatic phases and polymers display intermediate behaviours. In this paper, all these behaviours are discussed, mainly by using log k-log k plots, which allow a simple comparison of stationary phase properties. Some examples are presented to illustrate these retention properties.     

The analysis of pharmaceutical bases on a silica stationary phase by capillary electrochromatography using aqueous mobile phases

Summary The capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) separation of a range of pharmaceutical bases was investigated on a commercially available silica stationary phase using aqueous mobile phases. The effects of mobile phase composition, buffer pH, applied voltage, and buffer anion on the retention behaviour of these bases were studied. Promising chromatography was obtained at pH 7.8 but was later found to be irreproducible. However, successful and reproducible chromatography of the bases was achieved at pH 2.3. We have previously demonstrated that the addition of mobile phase additives such as TEA-phosphate at low pH values has resulted in excellent CEC analysis of bases on reversed-phase packing materials. The same approach was applied to the analysis of bases on the silica phase in order to improve peak shape. Excellent chromatography was obtained for the analysis of strong pharmaceutical bases such as benzylamine, nortriptyline and diphenhydramine. The experimental investigations have shown that the CEC separation of a range of pharmaceutical bases can routinely be achieved with excellent peak shapes and peak efficiencies as high as 320,000 plates m⁻¹.     

Statistical evaluation of the validity of a method for characterizing stationary phases for reversed-phase liquid chromatography based on retention of homologous series

Summary The validity of a method for characterizing stationary phases for reversed-phase, liquid chromatography, based on the use of homologous series, has been evaluated. The method is based on a retention model which describes the dependence of the logarithm of the capacity factor on mobile phase composition and the carbon number of specific homologous series. A first-order as well as a second-order version of this model was investigated. The second-order model proved to be a significant improvement on the first-order model, even for smaller mobile-phase ranges. Nevertheless both models showed a significant lack of fit, reflecting the incompleteness of these models. Therefore, it is very questionable whether this method is suitable to describe HPLC-column characteristics like hydrophobicity and hydrophylicity.     

Efficiency enhancements in micellar liquid chromatography through selection of stationary phase and alcohol modifier

Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) remains hindered by reduced chromatographic efficiency compared to reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) using hydro-organic mobile phases. The reduced efficiency has been partially explained by the adsorption of surfactant monomers onto the stationary phase, resulting in a slow mass transfer of the analyte within the interfacial region of the mobile phase and stationary phase. Using an array of 12 columns, the effects of various bonded stationary phases and silica pore sizes, including large-pore short alkyl chain, non-porous, superficially porous and perfluorinated, were evaluated to determine their impact on efficiency in MLC. Additionally, each stationary phase was evaluated using 1-propanol and 1-butanol as separate micellar mobile phase alcohol additives, with several columns also evaluated using 1-pentanol. A simplified equation for calculation of A' and C' terms from reduced plate height (h) versus reduced velocity (nu) plots was used to compare the efficiency data obtained with the different columns and mobile phases. Analyte diffusion coefficients needed for the h versus nu plots were determined by the Taylor-Aris dispersion technique. The use of a short alkyl chain, wide-pore silica column, specifically, Nucleosil C4, 1000A, was shown to have the most improved efficiency when using a micellar mobile phase compared to a hydro-organic mobile phase for all columns evaluated. The use of 1-propanol was also shown to provide improved efficiency over 1-butanol or 1-pentanol in most cases. In a second series of experiments, column temperatures were varied from 40 to 70 degrees C to determine the effect of temperature on efficiency for a subset of the stationary phases. Efficiency improvements ranging from 9% for a Chromegabond C8 column to 58% for a Zorbax ODS column were observed over the temperature range. Based on these observed improvements, higher column temperatures may often yield significant gains in column efficiency, assuming the column is thermally stable.