Characterization of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic stationary phases using ribonuclease A

The protein ribonuclease A (RNase A) represents a good model protein for studying reversible conformational refolding during gradient elution. Work is described utilizing RNase A under gradient conditions to evaluate several different reversed-phase materials. Columns (10 cm x 4.6 mm I.D.) were packed with Partisil C18, Vydac C18, Nucleosil C4, Nucleosil C18 and an adamantyl-modified Partisil silica. Measurements of the apparent first-order rate constant of refolding, as a function of temperature, are presented and compared for each stationary phase. Comparisons of peak shapes as functions of flow-rate and temperature are also discussed.     

Development of silica-based stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography

Stationary phases are the basis of the development and application of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this review we focused on the development of silica-based stationary phases, including the synthesis of silica gel and the application of silica in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC), reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), chiral separation chromatography, and ion chromatography. New stationary phases, advances in ionic liquid-modified silica, silica-based core-shell materials, and silica-based monolithic columns for HPLC are introduced separately.     

Retention of C60 and C70 fullerenes on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic stationary phases.

The separation of C60 and C70 fullerenes on four different polysiloxane stationary phases was examined. It was determined that polar solvents can be used as mobile phases effectively for the separation of fullerene molecules. Unlike previously published work, a polymeric octadecyl siloxane (ODS) stationary phase provided higher separation factors for C70/C60 than did monomeric ODS stationary phases or phenyl substituted stationary phases. For example, for a methanol-diethyl ether (50:50, v/v) mobile phase and C60, k' approximately 5.0 separation factors, alpha = 3.3, were achieved with polymeric ODS compared to alpha = 2.2, with a monomeric ODS stationary phase. A linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) was used to model the importance of solvent interactions and stationary phase interaction to solute retention.     

Ultrafast reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separations: an overview

Ultrafast reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separations are often needed for analyses related to combinatorial chemistry, studies in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and other applications in which very rapid sample turnaround is paramount. Unfortunately, no consensus exists regarding the best column technology for optimally performing the desired rapid separations. This overview compares the advantages and limitations for columns of ultramicroporous, ultramicrononporous, and superficially porous particles and monolith structures for the very fast separation of solutes by reversed-phase HPLC. Data from literature and the author's laboratory are used to illustrate the strengths and limitations of the various approaches that can be used for ultrafast separations.     

Development of some stationary phases for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The availability of a variety of stable organic stationary phases for columns has been a key factor in the development of HPLC as a major scientific tool. This paper explores the history and rationale used in the development of some important stationary phases and attempts to identify some of the strengths and limitations of these materials. Some of the author's experiences in stationary phase development illustrate approaches leading to present-day columns that exhibit a broad range of selectivity coupled with a high degree of reproducibility. Suggestions also are made for additional stationary phases that may be needed to complete column selectivity potential for HPLC separations.     

Polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation

Recent developments of polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for the direct separation of enantiomers in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are mainly reviewed together with the results on mechanistic studies by means of chromatography, NMR and mass spectroscopies, and computational methods. Miscellaneous applications of polysaccharide derivatives to the newly developed, chiral dynamic high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) for obtaining a nonracemic compound are also described.     

Comparison of reversed-phase and weak anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for peptide separations

Weak anion-exchange and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic methods for peptide separations were compared using a tryptic digest of "rat small myelin basic protein". In these experiments, a number of tryptic peptides that were not resolved on the reversed-phase column could be separated on the weak anion-exchange column, and in other instances, as might be expected, reversed-phase chromatography provided better resolution of certain peptides than did the weak anion-exchange method. The results obtained strongly suggest that the combined use of these two methods of separation, which utilize different selectivities, can provide an excellent improvement in resolving power for a number of peptide separations.     

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.     

Minimal number of chromatographic test parameters for the characterisation of reversed-phase liquid chromatographic stationary phases

This paper focuses on the classification or differentiation of RP-HPLC columns based on measured chromatographic properties. A chemometric study has been conducted on a published data set consisting of 85 RP-HPLC columns and on a data set consisting of 47 self-tested columns. Principal component analysis enables determination of the number of parameters necessary for a rational differentiation. The results show that reducing the number of parameters for such differentiation still allows classification of the columns just as a higher number did. It is shown that three test parameters produce a classification similar to that obtained with five parameters.     

Silica versus polymer-based stationary phases for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analyses of rat insulin biosynthesis. A comparison of resolution and recovery

Because of the problems caused by the irreversible binding of insulins and proinsulins to several silica-based reversed-phase columns, the use of polymeric reversed-phase columns was investigated for the analysis of rat islet polypeptides involved in insulin biosynthesis. No irreversible binding of insulins and proinsulins was observed for the polymeric reversed-phase columns, probably due to the absence of silanol groups. The six polypeptides involved in insulin biosynthesis in rat islets were equally well resolved in shallow trifluoroacetic acid-acetonitrile gradients on the silica-based Nucleosil 300-5C4 column (45 degrees C), the polymer-based Asahipak C4P-50 (25 and 45 degrees C), and ODP-50 columns (45 degrees C). In shallow triethylammonium phosphate-acetonitrile gradients (25 degrees C) satisfactory resolution of the two rat proinsulins was only obtained on the polymer-based Asahipak C4P-50 and C8P-50 columns. Increasing the separation temperature to 45 degrees C improved the separation of the two insulins and the two proinsulins in all cases. The shifts in retention times for the individual islet polypeptides observed in relation to the increased separation temperature were found to be different for the silica C4 and the polymer C4 columns. Recoveries of rat islet polypeptides were comparably high from the silica- and the polymer-based C4 columns and linear load-response curves were obtained in the microgram to picogram mass range on both columns.     

Modification of the murakami retention model in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for micellar chromatographic separations

A retention model for micellar liquid chromatography was tested based on the data of separation of three benzodiazepins and six β-blockers. The model was obtained by analyzing changes in the microenvironment of a sorbate in transferring from the mobile to stationary phase. It can be used to describe the retention of benzodiazepins, which are neutral under the separation conditions, and the positively charged β-blockers. The calculated model coefficients are indicative of an increase in the number of 1-pentanol molecules and sodium dodecyl sulfate monomers in the microenvironment of the sorbates in transferring from the mobile to stationary phase. The solvation of the positive β-blockers by anionic surfactant monomers was higher than that of neutral benzodiazepins.     

Chemically bonded phases for the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of basic substances

A chemically bonded phase with a peptide group (PB) for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. This packing was prepared by a two-stage modification of the surface of silica gel with mono- and trifunctional 3-aminopropylsilane and then with an appropriate derivative of a fatty acid. Packings prepared in this way were compared with standard C18 materials used in HPLC. Surface characteristics of the packings before and after chemical modification were determined by different physico-chemical methods, e.g., porosimetry, elemental analysis, 13C and 29Si cross-polarization magic angle spinning NMR and HPLC. Chromatographic properties of these packings were evaluated by comparison between log k' of one phase and log k' of a second phase for substances with different chemical natures. The PB packing was found to be especially useful for the separation of basic substances.     

Efficiency of methacrylate monolithic columns in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separations

Butyl-methacrylate-based porous monoliths were prepared inside fused-silica capillaries as reversed-phase separation media for liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). During our previous research on methacrylate-based monoliths for reversed-phase separations, we noticed that a separation efficiency of up to 300,000 plates/m can easily be obtained in the CEC mode for unretained compounds. However, the efficiencies for retained compounds were much lower in reversed-phase systems, especially in pressure-driven LC. In this work methacrylate-based columns were prepared and characterized in terms of efficiency and retention in reversed-phase (pressure-driven) LC and in CEC. Much attention has been paid to the mass-transfer mechanism in the stationary phase. Factors that affect the plate heights for specific compounds have been investigated. A possible explanation for the relatively low separation efficiency of retained compounds and suggestions to improve molecular mass transfer are provided.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel polar-embedded silica stationary phases for use in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

We have developed a series of new C₁₀ dipeptide stationary phases via a simple and effective synthetic method. The preparation of the new phases involves the synthesis of silanes and the surface modification of silica. Chromatographic evaluations of these columns were performed using the Engelhardt, Tanaka, and Neue test mixtures. The applicability of these new stationary phases was also evaluated using a series of diagnostic probes including acids, bases or neutral compounds and several generic applications. These new C₁₀ dipeptide stationary phases showed excellent hydrolytic stability over a wide pH range. Like other existing amide-embedded columns, these new stationary phases exhibit higher retention for polar and hydrophilic compounds and different selectivity as compared to conventional C₁₈ columns. These new phases are compatible with 100% aqueous mobile phases, and also provide high column efficiency and good peak shapes for both acidic and basic compounds.     

Retention mechanism of high-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation on macrocyclic glycopeptide-based chiral stationary phases

The development of methods for the separation of enantiomers has attracted great interest in the past 20 years, since it became evident that the potential biological or pharmacological applications are mostly restricted to one of the enantiomers. In the past decade, macrocyclic antibiotics have proved to be an exceptionally useful class of chiral selectors for the separation of enantiomers of biological and pharmacological importance by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin-layer chromatography and electrophoresis. The glycopeptides avoparcin, teicoplanin, ristocetin A and vancomycin have been extensively used as chiral selectors in the form of chiral bonded phases in HPLC, and HPLC stationary phases based on these glycopeptides have been commercialized. In fact, the macrocyclic glycopeptides are to some extent complementary to one another: where partial enantioresolution is obtained with one glycopeptide, there is a high probability that baseline or better separation can be obtained with another. This review sets out to characterize the physicochemical properties of these macrocyclic glycopeptide antibiotics and, through their application, endeavors to demonstrate the mechanism of separation on macrocyclic glycopeptides. The sequence of elution of the stereoisomers and the relation to the absolute configuration are also discussed.     

Preparation of stationary phases for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using thermal treatments at high temperature

Batches of poly(methyloctylsiloxane) (PMOS)-loaded silica were prepared by deposition from a solution of PMOS into the pores of HPLC silica. Portions of PMOS-loaded silica were subjected to a thermal treatment at 100 degrees C for 24h (condition 1) in a tube furnace under a nitrogen atmosphere. After that, the material was heated for 4h at higher temperatures (150-400 degrees C) (condition 2). Heating at higher temperatures produces polymer bilayers. Non-immobilized and thermally treated stationary phases were characterized by percent carbon, (29)Si cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and reversed-phase chromatographic performance. The results show that thermal treatment between 150 and 300 degrees C accelerates the immobilization process, possibly due to some bond breaking of the polysiloxane, with formation of strong linkages to the surface of the support, resulting in more complete coverage of the silica. The chromatographic results show an improvement of efficiency with the increase of the temperature of condition 2 up to 300 degrees C and an increase in the resolution of the components, mainly for the phase heated at 300 degrees C. Such results demonstrate that a two-step thermal treatment (100 degrees C then 150-300 degrees C) produces stationary phases with good properties for use in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.     

Trends in stationary phases in high-performance liquid chromatography

There has been a major breakthrough in the design and synthesis of selective stationary phases in reversed-phase, ion-exchange, size-exclusion and affinity mode of high-performance liquid chromatography. Tailored stationary phases now have widespread applications in sample clean-up by solid phase extraction, as sorbents in microbore, analytical and preparative columns, and in large-scale separations.     

Pyrolysis of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic packing materials

Pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and or mass spectrometry, allows the identification of the bonded chain in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic stationary phases. It is possible to distinguish whether an octadecylated reversed-phase was prepared with a trifunctional(e.g., trichloro or monofunctional dimethyl, e.g., dimethyl-ethoxy) octadecylsilane from the relative heights of the heptadecene and octadecene peaks. The nature of the pyrolysis products was investigated. No carbon chains are formed with more carbon atoms than in the bonded chain. The peak area ratio of methane to that of the combined C₄ products allows one to deduce whether the reversed-phase was deactivated as not by reaction with a trimethylsilylating reagent (end-capping).     

Nuclear magnetic resonance and high-performance liquid chromatographic evaluation of polymer-based stationary phases immobilized on silica

Three poly(ethylene-co-acrylic) acid copolymers (–CH₂CH₂–)_x[CH₂CH(CO₂H)–]_y with different chain lengths and mass fractions of acrylic acid were covalently immobilized as stationary phases on silica via two variants of spacer molecules (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane). Different mobilities of the alkyl chains in the stationary phases were observed using ¹³C solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The stationary phases with more rigid trans-ordered alkyl chains had better selectivity for geometric -carotene and xanthophyll isomers (provitamin A derivatives). Also, all the separations of the analytes were affected by polar interactions with the chromatographic sorbent. This was further proved by separating more polar cis/trans retinoic acid isomers (vitamin A derivatives). ¹³C high-resolution/magic-angle spinning (HR/MAS) NMR measurements of the chromatographic sorbents suspended in the mobile phase confirmed a dependence of molecular shape recognition ability on alkyl chain conformation.