Characterization of polymer monolithic stationary phases for capillary HPLC

Monolithic capillary columns have been prepared in fused‐silica capillaries by radical co‐polymerization of ethylene dimethacrylate and butyl methacrylate in the presence of porogen solvent mixtures containing various concentration ratios of 1‐propanol, 1,4‐butanediol, and water with azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator of the polymerization reaction. The through pores in organic polymer monolithic columns can be characterized by “equivalent permeability particle size”, and the mesopores with stagnant mobile phase by “equivalent dispersion particle size”. Increasing the concentration of propanol in the polymerization mixture diminishes the pore volume and size in the monolithic media and improves the column efficiency, at a cost of decreasing permeability. Organic polymer monolithic capillary columns show similar retention behaviour to packed alkyl silica columns for compounds with different polarities characterized by interaction indices, I_x, but have different methylene selectivities. Higher concentrations of propanol in the polymerization mixture increase the lipophilic character of the monolithic stationary phases. Best efficiencies and separation selectivities were found for monolithic columns prepared using 62–64% propanol in the porogen solvent mixture. To allow accurate characterization of the properties of capillary monolithic columns, the experimental data should be corrected for extra‐column contributions.     

Thermodynamic consistency of high pressure ternary mixtures containing a compressed gas and solid solutes of different complexity

A thermodynamic consistency test applicable to high pressure binary gas–solid mixtures is extended to ternary mixtures containing a compressed gas and two solid solutes. A high pressure mixture containing carbon dioxide as solvent and two chemically similar solutes (2,3 dimethylnaphthalene and 2,6 dimethylnaphthalene) and a high pressure mixture containing carbon dioxide as solvent and two chemically different solutes (capsaicin and β-carotene), are considered in the study. Several sets of isothermal solubility data for binary and ternary mixtures are considered in the study. The Peng–Robinson equation of state with the mixing rules of Wong and Sandler have been employed for modeling the solubility of the solid in the case of binary mixtures, while the classical van der Waals mixing rules were used for modeling the ternary mixtures containing two solid solutes. Then the proposed thermodynamic consistency test has been applied. The results show that the thermodynamic test for ternary mixtures can be applied with confidence determining consistency or inconsistency of the experimental data used.     

Polymetacrylate and hybrid interparticle monolithic columns for fast separations of proteins by capillary liquid chromatography

Preparation of organic polymer monolithic columns in fused silica capillaries was aimed at fast gradient separation of proteins. For this purpose, polymerization in situ procedure was optimized, using ethylene dimetacrylate and butyl metacrylate monomers with azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator of the polymerization reaction in presence of non-aqueous porogen solvent mixtures composed of 1-propanol and 1,4-butanediol. The separation of proteins in totally monolithic capillary columns was compared with the chromatography on a new type of "hybrid interparticle monolithic" capillary columns, prepared by in situ polymerization in capillary packed with superficially porous spherical beds, 37-50 microm. The "hybrid" columns showed excellent stability and improved hydrodynamic flow properties with respect to the "totally" monolithic capillary columns. The separation selectivity is similar in the two types of columns. The nature of the superficially porous layer (bare silica or bonded C18 ligands) affects the separation selectivity less significantly than the porosity (density) of the monolithic moiety in the interparticle space, controlled by the composition of the polymerization mixture. The retention behaviour of proteins on all prepared columns is consistent with the reversed-phase gradient elution theory.     

Alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

Open-tubular columns for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) were formed by immobilising dodecanethiol gold nanoparticles on prederivatised 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (APTMS) or 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) fused-silica capillaries. The initial stage of this research involved the synthesis and characterisation of dodecanethiol gold nanoparticles, with tunnelling electron microscopy analysis of the dispersed phase of the gold nanoparticles dispersion in CHCl3, revealing spherical particles. The surface features of an Au-MPTMS coated capillary column were determined using scanning electron microscopy. The electroosmotic flow characteristics of Au-APTMS and Au-MPTMS capillary columns were then determined, by varying the pH and the voltage. The electrochromatographic properties of the gold nanoparticles CEC capillaries were investigated using a "reversed-phase" test mixture of thiourea, benzophenone and biphenyl and selected pyrethroid pesticides. Efficient separations of benzophenone and biphenyl solutes on Au-MPTMS and Au-APTMS capillary columns were obtained, as were linear plots of logarithm capacity factor versus % MeOH. A study of the reproducibility of retention for these solutes on Au-APTMS, Au-MPTMS and on a loosely coated capillary demonstrated the necessity of a coupling agent to prevent the gold nanoparticles from washing-off. These dodecanethiol gold capillary columns are easier to produce and operate than packed capillary columns. The research work confirms the use of gold nanoparticles as a novel phase for open-tubular CEC, demonstrating reproducible retention and characteristic reversed-phase behaviour.     

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。     

Polymer-based monolithic microcolumns for hydrophobic interaction chromatography of proteins

Monolithic capillary columns for hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) have been prepared by thermally initiated, single-step in situ polymerization of mixtures of monovinyl monomers including butyl methacrylate and/or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, with a divinyl crosslinker glycerol dimethacrylate or 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate using two different porogen systems. Two porogenic solvent mixtures were used; one "hydrophilic", consisting of water, butanediol, and propanol, and one "hydrophobic," comprising dodecanol and cyclohexanol. The porous structures of the monoliths were characterized and their performance was demonstrated with a separation of a mixture of myoglobin, ribonuclease A, and lysozyme under conditions typical of HIC.     

Mixed ligand monolithic columns for reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography via hydrophobic and π interactions

Novel mixed ligand monoliths (MLM) for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) of a wide range of solutes differing in both polarity and size were introduced. The MLM capillary columns were based on the different compositions of octadecyl acrylate (ODA) and 2-naphthyl methacrylate (NAPM) monomers in the presence of trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) crosslinker and a ternary porogenic solvent made up of cyclohexanol, ethylene glycol, and water. As expected, the magnitude of the electroosmotic flow (EOF) changed with the composition of the MLM. As the percent of the monomer ODA in the polymerization mixture was increased, the EOF increased to a maximum at 50-mol% ODA and then leveled off at 75-mol% and 100-mol% ODA, an indication that the ODA ligand in general exhibited a higher binding for the mobile-phase ions than the NAPM ligand. This is due to the fact that the ODA is an acrylate-based monomer, whereas the NAPM is a methacrylate-based monomer. While ODA provided solely nonpolar interactions, NAPM exhibited both nonpolar and π interactions with certain solutes. It was found out that columns with a given composition of both ligands yielded a unique selectivity for a given set of solutes that was not matched by columns made by either ODA or NAPM alone. Several test mixtures were used in the evaluation of the MLM columns including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkyl phenyl ketones, nitroalkanes, alkylbenzenes, toluene derivatives, peptides, and proteins. Peptide mapping of the tryptic digest of the standard lysozyme protein was also studied.     

Effect of the carrier gas pressure on the dynamic and separation characteristics of divinylbenzene-based monolithic capillary columns for gas chromatography

The efficiency and dynamic characteristics of divinylbenzene-based monolithic capillary columns for gas chromatography were analyzed using a test mixture composed of five light hydrocarbons. The chromatographic properties of these columns were evaluated within the framework of two varieties of the van Deemter equation, the classical one and that proposed by Giddings (with consideration given to the pressure drop across the column). An analysis of the van Deemter curves demonstrated that the main contribution to peak smearing comes from the diffusion processes in the mobile phase. The contribution from the resistance to mass transfer between the mobile and stationary phases is less important. Negative values obtained for A in the van Deemter equation and for C _s in the Giddings model, parameters that characterize the stationary phase structure and mass transfer kinetics in the stationary phase, have no physical meaning, a result calling for further studies of this type of monolithic capillary columns since the classical theory supposed these parameters to be strictly positive. Under optimal conditions, the HETP of the monolithic columns was found to be 3 to 4 times smaller than that typical of open capillary columns of the same diameter.     

Direct injection on capillary columns for gas chromatography

Discrimination may occur when injecting samples onto gas chromatography capillary columns, whereby peak areas for higher boiling point compounds are smaller than they should be compared to lower boiling compounds. This problem is most important in quantitative work on solutes having a wide range of volatility. An all-glass inlet system was used. Injections were made with a 10-μl syringe onto a column without and injection point heater and with the column oven about 20°C below the boiling point of the solvent used for the solutes. Discrimination did not occur in a range of C₁₂ to C₃₆ n-alkanes.     

Selecting an "orthogonal" column during high-performance liquid chromatographic method development for samples that may contain non-ionized solutes

Several reasons can exist for a change in reversed-phase selectivity, and several separation conditions can be changed for this purpose. In the present investigation, a change in column is considered for the improved separation of non-ionized solutes only. Differences in column selectivity (and the selection of "orthogonal" columns) can be predicted on the basis of the hydrophobic-subtraction model. For ionized solutes, the F(s)-parameter is used to predict orthogonality. For use with non-ionized solutes, it is suggested that the cation-exchange term of the model be dropped [F(s)(-C)] for better predictions. For samples containing both ionized and non-ionized solutes, F(s) and F(s)(-C) should be used together for the best results. Predicted separations involving 64 non-ionized solutes and maximally different columns from a 400-column database were used to validate this procedure.     

High temperature gas chromatography: The development of new aluminum clad flexible fused silica glass capillary columns coated with thermostable nonpolar phases: Part 2

Samples, representative of certain classes of “high molecular weight” and/or less volatile substances, were analyzed by gas chromatography utilizing a new generation of aluminum clad flexible fused silica glass capillary columns containing thin films of a methyl polysioxane stationary phase capable of being operated isothermally to 400–425°C and temperature programmed to 425–440°C. The results obtained here were compared with those described in the literature discussing the latest advances in Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) in the analysis of precisely the same types of samples. In all instances, the gas chromatographic method provided superior speed of analysis, superior column efficiency, and superior resolution of the component bands. This was due to fundamental factors, favoring the diffusivity of the solutes in both the gas and liquid phases in this process at these high temperatures. Under these circumstances, it is thought that the strength of SFC mainly lies in the analysis of thermally labile samples until the advocates of this technique make more definitive strides in the handling of still higher molecular weight substances well beyond the newly expanded range of gas chromatography.     

纤维素衍生物作为毛细管气相色谱新型固定相的研究

以纤维素三苯甲酸酯、纤维素三苯基氨基甲酸酯以及二者的混合物为固定相,制备了新型毛细管气相色谱柱,最高柱效达到2580板/米。其能对一些难分离物质对、位置异构体以及手性化合物进行拆分,如对丙氨酸的分离因子可达到1·13。此外,还研究了毛细管柱的极性、选择性以及保留机理。结果表明,该类聚合物是一类很有前景的新型气相色谱固定相。     

Optimization of binary porogen solvent composition for preparation of butyl methacrylate monoliths in capillary liquid chromatography

Butyl methacrylate monolithic columns in 320 microm i.d. fused silica capillaries for reversed-phase capillary liquid chromatography were prepared by radical polymerization initiated thermally with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Polymerization mixture contained butyl methacrylate (BMA) as the function monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) as the crosslinking agent with 1,4-butanediol and 1-propanol as a binary porogen solvent. Ratio of 1,4-butanediol to 1-propanol in the porogen solvent was optimized regarding the monolithic column efficiency and performance. Total porosity, column permeability, separation impedance, Walters hydrophobicity index, retention factors, peak asymmetry factors, height equivalents to a theoretical plate and peak resolutions were used for characterization of the prepared monolithic columns. The polymerization mixture consisting of 17.8% of BMA, 21.8% of EDMA, 18.0% of 1,4-butanediol, 42.0% of 1-propanol and 0.4% AIBN generated monolithic columns of the best performance having a sufficient permeability and the lowest separation impedance. It was also demonstrated that monolithic columns of this composition exhibited good preparation reproducibility and an excellent pressure resistance when applied in capillary liquid chromatography.     

Ionic liquids as stationary phase solvents for methylated cyclodextrins in gas chromatography

Summary Room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are molten salts with melting points well below room temperature. 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride is a typical example of such RTIL. It was used as a solvent to dissolve permethylated-β-cyclodextrin (BPM) and dimethylated-?cyclodextrin (BDM) to prepare stationary phases for capillary columns in gas chromatography for chiral separation. The RTIL containing columns were compared to commercial columns containing the same chiral selectors. A set of 64 chiral compounds separated by the commercial BPM column was tested on the RTIL BPM column. Only 21 were enantioresolved. Similarly, a set of 80 compounds separated by the commercial BDM column was passed on the RTIL BDM column with only 16 positive separations. It is proposed that the imidazolium ion pair could make an inclusion complex with the cyclodextrin cavity, blocking it for chiral recognition. All the chiral compounds recognized by the RTIL columns had their asymmetric carbon that was part of a ring structure. The retention factors of the derivatized solutes were lower on the RTIL columns than those obtained on the commercial equivalent column. The peak efficiencies obtained with the RTIL capillary were significantly higher than that obtained with the commercial column. These observations may contribute to the knowledge of the mechanism of cyclodextrin-based GC enantioselective separations.     

Evaluation of a capillary gas chromatographic impurity test procedure for 4-hexylaniline

A capillary gas chromatographic test procedure for the detection and quantitation of impurities in the bulk intermediate, 4-hexylaniline, is evaluated and found to be accurate and precise. 4-Hexylaniline is dissolved in methanol and chromatographed isothermally at a temperature of 195 degrees C on a 60-m x 0.32-mm 85% polyethylene glycol-15% dimethylsilicone blend (DX-4) film column. A flame ionization detector is used, and the impurities in the parent compound are estimated from peak areas on a percent basis compared with the area of the parent peak in the chromatogram. Response factors are determined for the known impurities. Validation of this test method includes a recovery study of known impurity spiked samples fortified in the range of 0.1-1% (w/w). A repeatability study is performed, consisting of the analysis of two different synthetic batch lots of 4-hexylaniline analyzed over three experimental run days using two chromatographic columns of different manufacturing lots. These data and other aspects of this test procedure are discussed.     

Practical limitations of capillary gas chromatography

Glass capillary gas chromatography is a high resolution separation method which allows the qualitative and quantitative analysis of even complex mixtures, which may contain many components–also isomeric–in a wide range of volatilities, polarities and concentrations. The principal limitation of gas chromatographic application is given by an insufficient volatility of the species to be separated. Elevated temperatures have to be applied if the application range is to be extended and to achieve steep peak profiles, i.e. low detection limits at high resolution. The use of elevated temperatures is limited, of course, by the temperature stability of both the solvent (stationary liquid and support) and the solutes. The problems of trace analysis for low volatility compounds at high resolution and its limitational parameters regarding sampling, separation and detection are discussed. The applicability of glass capillary columns in this field is influenced by the following parameters: tailing behaviour; irreversible adsorption of polar and decomposition of unstable solutes; thermal stability of stationary liquid (including the support deactivation); separation efficiency and sample capacity (film thickness). Multidimensional gas chromatography using capillary columns coupled either with a packed or another capilllary column for preseparations may be applied with advantage in the analysis of complex mixtures.     

毛细管气液色谱保留过程的研究

以ＰＥＧ２０Ｍ为代表研究了石英毛细管柱气液色谱保留过程,提出了利用毛细管柱测定分配和吸附常数的公式,并测定了９个温度下的分配和吸附常数。计算了８０℃和１２０℃下４支不同液膜厚度柱上吸附对保留的贡献。结果表明,在薄液膜的柱子上界面吸附对保留具有重要贡献;温度升高可以降低弱极性化合物（如正构烷烃和饱和醚）吸附对保留的贡献,但对其它化合物影响不明显。验证了正构烷烃、２－酮系列和正构伯醇的吸附常数的碳数规律。     

Polyimide polymer glass-free capillary columns for gas chromatography

Polymeric polyimide capillary tubing, both uncoated and coated with stationary phases of two polarities, is explored for use as capillary columns for gas chromatography (GC). These glass-free polyimide columns are flexible and their small winding diameter of less than a cm around a solid support makes them compatible for potential use in portable GC instruments. Polyimide columns with dimensions of 0.32 mm i.d. × 3 m are cleaned, annealed at 300°C, and coated using the static method with phenylmethylsilicone (PMS). Separations of volatile organics are investigated isothermally on duplicate sets of polyimide columns by GC with a flame ionization detector using split injection. Unlike the uncoated ones, the coated polyimide columns successfully separate Grob test mix classes of alkanes, amines, and fatty acid methyl esters. The relative standard deviations for retention time and peak area are 0.5 and 2.5 , respectively. With the 3 m PMS-coated column connected to a retention gap to permit operation at its optimum flow rate of 30 cm/s, a plate count of 3200 or plate height of 1 mm is possible. Lack of retention and tailing peaks are evident for the polyimide polymer capillary columns as compared to that of a 3 m commercial cross-linked PMS fused silica capillary. However, headspace analyses of an aromatic hydrocarbon mix and a Clearcoat automotive paint sample are viable applications on the PMS polyimide polymer column.     

The use of deuterated solvents in high-performance liquid chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Summary Deuterated compounds have been used as mobile phases for microcolumn high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) employing flow-cell Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for detection. Separations were carried out on adsorption, reversed-phase, non-aqueous size-exclusion and aqueous size-exclusion chromatographic columns. Due to the IR transparency of deuterated compounds in a C–H stretching region they represent nearly ideal eluents in terms of universal detection. In addition, due to the shift in the absorption wavenumber following deuteration, deuterated solvents allow FTIR detection of solutes in other regions, where otherwise it would be prohibited, or sensitivity sacrified by interfering solvent absorption.     

Comparison of nonporous silica-based ion exchangers and monolithic ion exchangers in separations of inorganic anions

Low capacity anion exchangers for IC have been prepared by modification of nonporous uniformed silica MICRA microbeads and by modification of the organic polymeric monolithic matrixes prepared in situ in quarz capillary. Due to the small particle size (1.5 microm) high-performance adsorbents were prepared allowing to obtain up to 190,000 tp/m. However, the column possesses a very high back-pressure and can be used in a short length up to 50 mm only to meet the requirements of conventional chromatographic equipment. An analysis of a test mixture of seven anions was completed within 3 min with a back column pressure of about 350 bar (HETP of about 5.5 microm, where HETP is the height equivalent to the theoretical plate). Monolithic capillary columns provide lower efficiency per column unit length than MICRA columns; however, they can be used at a longer length because of their low flow resistance. Monolithic column of ca. 40 cm length has workable pressure below 10 bar and allows separation of a five anions test mixture within less than 10 min. A better efficiency of monolithic column (HETP approximately 75 microm) can be achieved at reduced flow rates when the analysis time is not a critical parameter.