Photo-response assisted enantiomer separations on an azobenzene-modified gamma-cyclodextrin stationary phase in micro-HPLC.

The photo-responses of the retention and enantioseparation of several optical isomers were evaluated using an azobenzene-modified gamma-cyclodextrin stationary phase (Az gamma-CDSP) in micro-HPLC. UV light irradiation induced a decrease in the retention and the chiral selectivity for N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-1-phenylethylamine (DNBPEA) and N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)-1-(1-naphtylethyl)amine (DNBNEA), while an increase was induced for dansylphenylalanine (DnsPhe) using a mixture of methanol and aqueous phosphate buffer as the mobile phase. No changes in the retention and the enantiomer separation of benzoin were observed with UV light irradiation. The retention behaviors were recovered by visible-light irradiation. It was speculated that the main factor of the change in the retention behavior was a change in the pi-pi interaction due to the azobenzene moiety of the stationary phase with photo-irradiation. Comparing the retention behavior before and after UV light irradiation, a suitable condition for obtaining a better resolution and enantiomer separation would be chosen using Az gamma-CDSP.     

Theoretical Aspects of Gradient Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography of Styrene – Butylacrylate Block Copolymers

Butylacrylate – styrene co-polymers prepared by atom transfer radical polymeratization were separated on an octadecyl silica column by gradient elution with tetrahydrofuran in water, up to the molar masses 10,000. In reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), the retention of macromolecules is affected very significantly even by change of a few tenths of per cent of the organic solvent in the aqueous-organic mobile phase. Therefore, gradient elution was used for the determination of the parameters of the equations describing the effects of the mobile phase on the retention behaviour of synthetic polymers. The retention parameters of homopolymers and copolymers were calculated from the gradient data using two retention models. The retention behaviour of the copolymers was described using the experimental gradient retention data for homopolymers.     

Heteroscedasticity of retention factor and adequate modeling in micellar liquid chromatography

The two concepts of micelle formation (pseudo-phase and mass-action) could be the basis of retention models in micellar liquid chromatography (MLC). The separation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid esters and seven polyaromatic hydrocarbons were performed to study the repeatability of retention factor in MLC. The full two factor experimental design was used for studying the dependence of retention factor variance on mobile phase composition (sodium dodecylsulfate, 1-butanol). The experimentally observed heteroscedasticity and perturbations after linearization were taken into account by using statistical weights obtained on the basis of errors propagation law and the modeling of retention by non-weighted and weighted least squares method was performed. The mechanistical retention models based on pseudo-phase and mass-action concepts of micelle formation were compared by fitting quality and prediction capability and high robustness of bilogarithmic dependence was observed. The significance of retention factor heteroscedasticity for retention hydrophobicity relationships was shown.     

气相色谱灰色分析体系中未知组分保留指数的预测

提出在部分组分已知的气相色谱灰色体系中,利用已知组分的保留指数和保留时间推算死时间和正构烷烃的保留时间,再计算未知组分保留时间的方法,结果显示,在已知组分不是太少的情况下,该方法计算的死时间和正构烷烃的保留时间与实验值吻合,预测的保留指数也有较高的精度.     

Chemical properties investigation of commercial cigarettes by a “pseudo” targeted method using GC‐MS‐selected ions monitoring

A “ppseudo” targeted method using GC‐MS‐selected ions monitoring was applied to investigate the chemical characteristics of commercial cigarettes made in China and foreign countries. To identify the components and define the quantative ions for SIM acquisition, a quality control sample was analyzed using GC‐MS full scan. Acquired data were treated with a homemade software. A peak table with 312 components and their related quantitation ions was achieved for SIM acquisition. Structure elucidation was performed using library searching, retention index, standard compounds, and fitted retention time. The fitted retention time was calculated by a linear correction curve obtained using measured and library retention time to verify compounds. A total of 90 compounds were elucidated. Chemical characteristics of different cigarette brands were investigated. The data acquisition was carried out in SIM mode. The principal component and the hierarchical clustering analyses showed that the Chinese domestic flue‐cured cigarettes were significantly different from the domestic blended, the foreign flue‐cured, and blended cigarettes. Sixty‐seven differential compounds were defined using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney test and the group blending samples comparison. Chinese domestic flue‐cured cigarettes have higher concentration of saccharides and lower concentration of organic acids and amino acids.     

Use of immobilized amyloglucosidase as chiral selector in chromatography. Control of enantioselective retention and resolution in liquid chromatography

Summary Several mobile phase parameters were investigated for controlling enantioselective retention and resolution on a chiral stationary phase made in-house. The chiral selector was the enzyme amyloglucosidase, which was immobilized onto a silica support via reductive amination. The influences of the mobile phase pH, concentration and type of uncharged organic modifier, ionic strength and column temperature on enantios-electivity were studied. The analysis time for resolving enantiomers could be adjusted with only a minor decrease in enantioselectivity by using a high ionic strength mobile phase buffer. This indicated a retention mechanism involving ion-exchange interactions. It was further confirmed by the decreasing enantioselectivity of amines when using a mobile phase pH below the isoelectric point of the native protein. Interesting effects were observed when the organic modifier concentration was increased and also when the column temperature was raised. Both retention and enantioselectivity increased with increasing concentration of 2-propanol in the mobile phase. Examples are given where both enantioselectivity and retention increased with increasing column temperature. Thermodynamic studies were performed to calculate the entropy and enthalpy constants. The results showed that, depending on mobile phase composition, the enantioselective retention may be caused by differences in entropy or enthalpy.     

Retention prediction and computer-assisted optimization for the separation of PTH-amino acids in isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary Retention prediction of phenythiohydantoin amino acid derivatives in isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography was investigated. The predicted retention data of all derivatives were evaluated by comparing them with actually measured retention data. Excellent agreements between these data were found. The optimized conditions to separate overlapping components can also be predicted using the developed computer-assisted optimization system with the concept of retention prediction.     

Multi-linear gradient elution optimization for separation of phenylthiohydantoin amino acids using pareto optimality method

Multi-linear gradient elution was applied for simultaneous optimization of resolution and analysis times for ten phenylthiohydantoin amino acids (PTH-AAs) in liquid chromatography. Relation of lnK upon φ for each analyte was determined using isocratic retention time data, and gradient retention time of analytes was predicted using fundamental equation of gradient elution. Then a grid search program was used to predict retention time of solutes in variable space. Two different chromatographic goals-analysis time and minimum difference between adjacent peaks- were simultaneously evaluated using Pareto optimality method. Gradient program in optimum condition was: initially 24% CH₃OH/Water for 10 min, linear ramp to 34% over 5 min, to 29% over 5 min, and to 70% over 20 min. The average of calculated relative error in the prediction of the retention time in optimal conditions was -1.67% that shows a good agreement between predicted and experimental values of the chromatographic retention time in optimal condition.     

Separation of inorganic anions on hydrophobic stationary phases in ion chromatography

Inorganic anions were separated on hydrophobic stationary phases such as triacontyl-functionalized silica. Eluent conditions were examined in detail, and iodate, nitrate, iodide, and thiocyanate could be separated by using aqueous solutions. The effect of the eluent concentration on the retention of analyte anions was examined for a wide range of sodium sulfate concentrations of up to 1 M. The retention factor of hydrophobic anions decreased with increasing sodium sulfate concentration in the lower concentration region, while it increased with increasing sodium sulfate concentration in the higher concentration region. The addition of a small amount of an organic substance such as acetonitrile and tetraethylene glycol increased the retention of iodide and thiocyanate, while the addition of alcohols decreased their retention. Operating at lower temperature also increased the retention of analyte anions. It was expected that inorganic anions were retained on the stationary phase via hydrophobic interactions. The retention mechanism was discussed, considering the results obtained.     

Characterization of stationary phases based on monosubstituted benzene retention indices using correspondence factor analysis and linear solvation energy relationships in RPLC

In reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), the comparison of experimental results obtained from different columns is a complex problem. A correspondence factor analysis (CFA) and a linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) were applied on retention data to characterize second-order intermolecular interactions responsible for retention on a set of RPLC columns. Seven octadecyl-C₁₈ columns with different packing materials are obtained from different manufacturers and one octyl-C₈ column. The retention data were determined under isocratic conditions using a methanol–water (65:35, v/v) mobile phase. The chromatographic retention indices based on alkan-2-ones and alkyl aryl ketones retention index scales are calculated using a multiparametric least-squares regressions iterative method. The CFA and LSER results permitted to highlight that the retention indices were appropriate for studying the second-order retention mechanisms on the eight chromatographic systems investigated and exhibited the best reproducibility. Although many earlier studies have reported the use of chemometric methods to characterize chemical factors affecting retention in RPLC using retention factors as retention parameters, this is the first study based on retention indices.     

梯度液相色谱中任意等度、线性和阶梯梯度组合下的保留时间公式

基于线性溶剂强度模型,应用特征线分析的方法求解梯度洗脱模式下的理想液相色谱模型。在考虑到梯度延迟时间会对溶质的保留时间造成影响的情况下,得到适合于梯度液相色谱中任意等度、线性和阶梯梯度组合条件下的保留时间推导公式。应用这些公式计算任意的梯度条件下的保留时间,并将得到的结果与数值计f算的结果进行比较,二者完全一致,从而验证了推导得到的保留时间公式的正确性。由于这些公式具有形式简单、适用范围广等优点,因此可方便地应用于实际应用中,具有较高的实用价值。     

Chromatography in silico,basic concept in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Basic phenomena in reversed-phase liquid chromatography have been quantitatively analyzed using a computational chemical calculation. Pyridine interacted with an ionized silica surface under neutral conditions. Alkyl-chain length affected the contact surface area with an analyte. Steric hindrance was demonstrated using a model graphitic carbon phase and unsaturated alkenes. Quantitative structure–retention relationships in reversed-phase liquid chromatography were demonstrated for phenolic compounds and acidic and basic drugs. The correlations between predicted and measured retention factors were satisfactory. Dissociation constants were derived from the atom partial charge and used to predict retention factors of partially ionized compounds.     

Quantitative structure chromatography relationships in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography: Prediction of retention behaviour using theoretically derived molecular properties

Summary The use of theoretically calculated molecular properties as predictors for retention in reversed-phase HPLC has been explored. HPLC retention times have been measured for a series of 47 substituted aromatic molecules in three solvent mixtures and steric and electronic properties of these compounds have been derived using semi-empirical molecular orbital and empirical theoretical methods. A subset of the experimental data (a training set) was used to derive property-retention time relationships and the remaining data were then used to test the predictive capability of the methods.Good retention time prediction was possible using derived regression equations for individual solvents and after including solvent parameters it was possible to predict retention for all solvents using a single equation. This method showed that the most useful properties were calculated log P and the calculated dipole moment of the solutes, and the calculated solvent polarisability. In addition, 90% of the data were used to train an artificial neural network and the remaining 10% of the data used to test the network; excellent prediction was obtained, the neural network approach being as successful as the regression analysis.     

iMatch: a retention index tool for analysis of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data

A method was developed to employ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 2008 retention index database information for molecular retention matching via constructing a set of empirical distribution functions (DFs) of the absolute retention index deviation to its mean value. The effects of different experimental parameters on the molecules' retention indices were first assessed. The column class, the column type, and the data type have significant effects on the retention index values acquired on capillary columns. However, the normal alkane retention index (I(norm)) with the ramp condition is similar to the linear retention index (I(T)), while the I(norm) with the isothermal condition is similar to the Kováts retention index (I). As for the I(norm) with the complex condition, these data should be treated as an additional group, because the mean I(norm) value of the polar column is significantly different from the I(T). Based on this analysis, nine DFs were generated from the grouped retention index data. The DF information was further implemented into a software program called iMatch. The performance of iMatch was evaluated using experimental data of a mixture of standards and metabolite extract of rat plasma with spiked-in standards. About 19% of the molecules identified by ChromaTOF were filtered out by iMatch from the identification list of electron ionization (EI) mass spectral matching, while all of the spiked-in standards were preserved. The analysis results demonstrate that using the retention index values, via constructing a set of DFs, can improve the spectral matching-based identifications by reducing a significant portion of false-positives.     

Retention modelling of electrostatic and adsorption effects of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids in ion-exclusion chromatography

The retention mechanism of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids in ion-exclusion chromatography has been investigated with consideration of simultaneous electrostatic repulsion effects and hydrophobic adsorption effects. A mathematical relationship between the retention factor of the analyte and the mobile-phase composition (sulfuric acid concentration and percentage of methanol), the type of analyte (pK_a and hydrophobicity) and some physical characteristics of the stationary phase has been derived. Thirteen carboxylic acids (comprising mono- and divalent, aliphatic and aromatic acids) were chosen and used to acquire retention data on three different cation-exchange stationary phases (in which the sulfonate functional groups are bound to polystyrene–divinylbenzene, polymethacrylate or silica) using 14 mobile-phase compositions of varying pH and percent methanol. These retention data were used to derive the parameters necessary to solve the retention model using non-linear regression. In this way, a quantitative measure of the effects of adsorption phenomena on analyte retention were obtained. The model was then used to optimise the separation of nine carboxylic acids.     

Effect of surface hydrophobicity distribution on retention of ribonucleases in hydrophobic interaction chromatography

The effect of surface hydrophobicity distribution of proteins on retention in hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) was investigated. Average surface hydrophobicity as well as hydrophobic contact area between protein and matrix were estimated using a classical thermodynamic model. The applicability of the model to predict protein retention in HIC was investigated on ribonucleases with similar average surface hydrophobicity but different surface hydrophobicity distribution. It was shown experimentally that surface hydrophobicity distribution could have an important effect on protein retention in HIC. The parameter "hydrophobic contact area," which comes from the thermodynamic model, was able to represent well the protein retention in HIC with salt gradient elution. Location and size of the hydrophobic patches can therefore have an important effect on protein retention in HIC, and the hydrophobic contact area adequately describes this.     

A method of calculating the second dimension retention index in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A method was developed to calculate the second dimension retention index of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC/TOF-MS) data using n-alkanes as reference compounds. The retention times of the C(7)-C(31) alkanes acquired during 24 isothermal experiments cover the 0-6s retention time area in the second dimension retention time space, which makes it possible to calculate the retention indices of target compounds from the corresponding retention time values without the extension of the retention space of the reference compounds. An empirical function was proposed to show the relationship among the second dimension retention time, the temperature of the second dimension column, and the carbon number of the n-alkanes. The proposed function is able to extend the second dimension retention time beyond the reference n-alkanes by increasing the carbon number. The extension of carbon numbers in reference n-alkanes up to two more carbon atoms introduces <10 retention index units (iu) of deviation. The effectiveness of using the proposed method was demonstrated by analyzing a mixture of compound standards in temperature programmed experiments using 6 different initial column temperatures. The standard deviation of the calculated retention index values of the compound standards fluctuated from 1 to 12 iu with a mean standard deviation of 5 iu.