Oligoacetic acid characterization by isocratic and linear salt gradient anion-exchange chromatography

A homologous series of four oligomers of acetic acid (namely acetic acid, succinic acid, tricarballylic acid, and tetracarboxylic acid) is characterized using isocratic and linear salt gradient anion-exchange chromatography. The double logarithmic plot of the isocratic retention factors versus the salt concentration gives straight lines for all samples. These straight lines (with the exception of the line for the strongly retained succinate peak) have a common intersection point--something which is proved to be a direct consequence of the stoichiometric mass-action ion-exchange model. The characteristic charge and the equilibrium ion-exchange constant (and the corresponding Gibbs free energy of ion exchange, or deltaG(exchange)) are determined from the isocratic experiments. The characteristic charge agrees satisfactorily with the number of carboxylic acid groups in the samples, and the deltaG(exchange) value decreases linearly with the characteristic charge. Succinic acid always gives two chromatographic peaks despite the proven chemical purity of the sample. The characteristic charge that is calculated for both of the succinic acid peaks is approximately two. The deltaG(exchange) value calculated for the weakly retained succinic acid peak falls in the free energy versus characteristic charge straight line defined by the other homologues. The deltaG(exchange) value of the strongly retained peak is lower than that of the weakly retained peak by 1.85 kJ/mol. The two succinic acid peaks are explained in terms of an equilibrium between two conformers in solution--one binding the solution counterions tightly and the other loosely. An analysis of all samples under a linear salt gradient provides retention times that increase linearly with the number of functional groups. Using an appropriate model (along with the isocratically determined characteristic charge and ion-exchange constant), we predict theoretically the linear gradient retention times, which agree reasonably well with the experimental ones.     

Investigation of the concentration dependence of mass transfer coefficients in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

In order to investigate the concentration dependence of mass transfer coefficients in RPLC, experimental breakthrough curves obtained by staircase frontal analysis (FA) were fitted to the simplified models such as multiplate (MP) model, equilibrium dispersive (ED) model, and transport model, and the sophisticated models such as lumped pore diffusion (POR) model and general rate (GR) model. The MP model was used to obtain the initial guesses of the parameters of the ED and the transport models. Then the best values were obtained by minimizing the differences between theoretical and experimental values with a nonlinear fitting procedure. The values of the parameters of the POR and the GR models can be calculated by using the expressions derived from the plate height equations, which was further validated by using the fitting method. It was found that the mass transfer coefficients would depend on the solute concentration. This can be ascribed to the surface diffusivity, which correlates with the concentration and is lumped into the mass transfer coefficients for both simplified and sophisticated models.     

Ultra-fast gradient vs. fast isocratic chromatography in bioanalytical quantification by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) methods developed for quantification using rapid ('ballistic') gradients on narrow bore, short HPLC columns have been previously described by this laboratory. This paper compares the fast gradient approach with the more traditional high-organic isocratic LC/MS/MS methods. The comparison is based on an analysis of the effectiveness of the chromatographic separations when using the two approaches (i.e. k', N, and W). The data presented herein are derived from actual biological samples analyzed as part of the drug discovery process.     

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。     

Retention models for isocratic and gradient elution in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

One- and multi-variable retention models proposed for isocratic and/or gradient elution in reversed-phase liquid chromatography are critically reviewed. The thermodynamic, exo-thermodynamic or empirical arguments adopted for their derivation are presented and discussed. Their connection to the retention mechanism is also indicated and the assumptions and approximations involved in their derivation are stressed. Special attention is devoted to the fitting performance of the various models and its impact on the final predicted error between experimental and calculated retention times. The possibility of using exo-thermodynamic retention models for prediction under gradient elution is considered from a practical point of view. Finally, the use of statistical weights in the fitting procedure of a retention model and its effect on the calculated elution times as well as the transferability of retention data among isocratic and gradient elution modes are also examined and discussed.     

Quantitative analysis of Pentalgin tablets by gradient and isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography

The retention of paracetamol, propyphenazone, caffeine, phenobarbital, and codeine phosphate, which are the components of the new medicine Pentalgin, was studied by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on a column (150 × 3.9 mm) filled with the Symmetry C18 sorbent (5.0 μm) in the gradient elution mode and on a column (150 × 3.9 mm) filled with the Nova-Pak CN HP sorbent (4.0 μm) as a function of the profile and composition of the gradient and as a function of the concentrations of acetonitrile and KH₂PO₄ and the pH of the mobile phase, respectively, with detection at 212 nm. The optimum composition of the mobile phase was selected. The time of separation was 16 and 11 min for the gradient and isocratic elution modes, respectively. The procedures were used for the analysis of a preproduction sample of the tablets. The procedures provide accurate and reproducible results of analysis; however, the isocratic version is preferable for mass production control as a technically simpler technique.     

Concentration profiles and breakthrough curves in non-linear chromatography

The treatment of the non-linear isotherm in chromatography by one of the authors [1] is extended to other cases of practical interest. The original paper dealt with the case of an initially thin zone resulting in a Poisson distribution the asymmetry of which is a function of the plate number and the non-linearity constant. The present work shows that the same relations apply to initially thick zones and to the cases of washing and deposition leading to simple relations for breakthrough curves. For significantly non-linear isotherms other quasi-Gaussian distributions can give a better fit.     

Quantitative analysis of Pentalgin N tablets by gradient and isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography

Two procedures were proposed for the quantitative analysis of the drug Pentalgin N with the use of HPLC in gradient and isocratic modes. Analgin (dipyrone), caffeine, naproxen, phenobarbital, codeine, an analgin degradation product, and sodium sulfite (added to the test solution to stabilize analgin) were separated on a column (150 × 3.9 mm) packed with Nova-Pak C18 (4.0 μm) with elution with a 0.00625 M KH₂ PO₄ solution with an acetonitrile concentration gradient from 10 to 60 vol % in 10 min or on a column (150 × 3.9 mm) packed with Nova-Pak CN HP (4.0 μm) with elution with a 0.0110 M KH₂ PO₄ solution (pH 5.8) containing 5 vol % acetonitrile. The wavelength of the diode-array detector was 212 nm. Model solutions containing all of the active principles and additives of the tablets were analyzed, and the performance characteristics of both procedures were calculated. Both procedures afford reliable analytical results; however, the isocratic version is technically simpler and more preferable for product control in commercial production.     

Implications of matrix effects in ultra-fast gradient or fast isocratic liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry in drug discovery.

In the analysis of biological samples it is important to reduce the risk of interferences from the matrix itself, other analytes, the dosing vehicle (commonly PEG), and from the MS/MS transitions used for the analysis. Rapid analysis is essential for drug discovery, and even though the requirements for separation may be minimized for speed, the integrity of the analysis is still dependent on the separation. This paper focuses on the potential for interferences from various endogenous and exogenous matrix components commonly encountered in quantitation of analytes and their metabolites from biological matrices. We demonstrate that neither high organic isocratic nor ballistic gradient ultra-fast HPLC show a clearly defined advantage in regards to complex biological matrices. The critical factor in the resolution of matrix interferences still remains in sample preparation.     

Optimization of azeotropic protein separations in gradient and isocratic ion-exchange simulated moving bed chromatography

The separation of dilute binary mixtures of proteins by salt aided ion-exchange simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is optimized with respect to throughput, desorbent consumption and salt consumption. The optimal flow-rate ratios are analytically determined via an adopted "triangle theory". Azeotropic phenomena are included in this procedure. The salt concentrations in the feed and recycled liquid are subsequently determined by numerical optimization. The azeotropic separation of bovine serum albumin and a yeast protein is used to illustrate the procedure. Gradient operation of the SMB is generally preferred over isocratic operation. A feed of azeotropic salt concentration can only be separated in a gradient SMB. Desorbent and salt consumption are always lower in gradient than in isocratic SMB chromatography.     

Predicting the behaviour of polydisperse polymers in liquid chromatography under isocratic and gradient conditions

In this paper we describe how the existing theories to describe retention and peak width in isocratic and gradient-elution liquid chromatography can be expanded to describe the retention behaviour of natural and synthetic repetitive polymers, which feature distributions of molecules with different masses (and often different structures) rather than unambiguous molecular formulas. For polydisperse samples, it is vital that the model accommodates (isocratic) elution of sample components before the onset of a gradient, elution during the gradient, and elution after the completion of the gradient. The expanded models can readily be implemented in standard spreadsheet software, such as Excel. We have created such spreadsheets based on the conventional model for retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and on two different models for retention in normal-phase liquid chromatography. The implementation allows an easy visualization of the theoretical concept. Up to three different polymeric series can be entered, with a total of up to 100 peaks being computed and displayed in isocratic or gradient-elution chromatograms. Also visualized are "retention models" (diagrams of isocratic retention vs. composition) and "calibration curves" (retention or elution composition vs. molecular mass or degree of polymerization). The coefficients in the isocratic retention model may be correlated, as has often been observed in RPLC. It is shown that under certain conditions such a correlation corresponds to the existence of so-called critical (isocratic) conditions, at which all the members of a given polymeric series (same composition and end groups, different number of repeat units) show co-elution.     

The thermodynamic limit of linear gradient chromatography

The thermodynamic limit of the elution profile for solutes in linear gradient chromatography is obtained from the analytical solution of the equation for the ideal model of chromatography, Eq. (12). This limit is of great interest in both preparative and analytical chromatographies because it specifies the maximum possible concentration profile that can be achieved at elution. Elution profiles that are obtained from simulated experiments of the equilibrium dispersive model, Eq. (8), are compared with predictions made by the presented theory as well as the theory by Poppe [11]. It is found that for short injection times the simulated experimental peak is Gaussian like and its width agrees very well with the theory of Poppe. When the injection time increases, the experimental elution profile gradually approaches the profile that is obtained as the thermodynamic limit.     

Simulation of ion mass transfer processes with allowance for the concentration dependence of diffusion coefficients

The system of equations describing ion transport in a binary electrolyte z _a-z _c with allowance for the linear dependence of the diffusion coefficients on the concentration was analyzed in the framework of the phenomenological Nernst-Planck approach. The expressions are obtained that define concentration profiles of ions and conditions favorable for the limiting current caused by the achievement of the concentration of a saturated solution (in the case of the anodic reaction) and depletion of the near-electrode region in electroactive cations (in the case of the cathodic reaction). The revealed theoretical dependence of the limiting current on the volume concentration of the salt agrees with published experimental data. The voltammetric characteristics of the corresponding systems were calculated. The role of the migrational component of the ion flow is discussed. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 638–642, April, 2006.     

Computer simulation and optimization of preparative thin-layer chromatography under conditions of isocratic and stepwise gradient elution

Summary An equilibrium sandwich chamber for continuous thin-layer chromatography was used to study overloaded systems. Mixtures of two or three dyes were used as the model samples, and wide starting zones were formed (volume-overloaded systems). The movement of the zones was recorded during continuous elution. The effect of sample volume and the mode of development (isocratic or gradient) on the maximum separation yield was investigated. A computer program was developed for the calculation of the final R_F values for the front and rear edges of the bands.Satisfactory agreement was found between the experimental R_F values of zone boundaries and the values predicted by computer simulation.Presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Preparative and Up-Scale Liquid Chromatography, February 1–3, 1988, Baden-Baden (FRG).     

Determination of the lumped mass transfer rate coefficient by frontal analysis

The validity of measurements of the lumped mass transfer rate coefficient (k_m,L) is studied on the basis of experimental data acquired under Langmuir isotherm conditions, in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Two different methods were used, the perturbation method and frontal analysis. Accurate values of k_m,L can be properly obtained by the perturbation method because, with this method, the chromatographic processes take place under locally linear isotherm conditions. Values of k_m,L can also be derived from the breakthrough curves obtained in frontal analysis. Because the contribution of axial dispersion to band broadening was larger than that of the mass transfer resistances, the apparent axial dispersion coefficient (D_a) was first derived from the breakthrough curve by applying the equilibrium–dispersive model. Then, the value of k_m,L was calculated from D_a. The values of k_m,L determined by the two methods were in close agreement in the range of nondimensional Langmuir equilibrium constants (r=1/[1+K_LC₀]) between 0.32 and 0.85, irrespective of the mobile phase flow velocity. Thus, frontal analysis can be used for kinetic studies of the mass transfer in chromatographic columns.     

Modelling gradient elution of bioactive multicomponent systems in non-linear ion-exchange chromatography

A theoretical framework for the ion-exchange behaviour of bioactive substances in non-linear ion-exchange chromatogaphy is described. The aim of the study was the creation of a model basis to support a process design for production-scale ion-exchange chromatography. The theory can be applied to a whole variety of biological substances, such as amino acids, polysaccharides, peptides and proteins and either isocratic or gradient elution can be carried out. The influence of the eluent concentration on the ion-exchange as well as on the characteristic charge was considered. Experimental measurements showed a strong non-linear ion-exchange equilibrium with a transition from a Langmuir-type to a sigmoidal isotherm at higher eluent concentrations. Hereby, the compound binds to the surface though it is not ionic. Therefore, the model considered the possibility of ion-exchange as well as adsorption. A simplified distribution of the counter-ions based on the Gouy-Chapman theory with a discrete distribution of the counter-ions was used. The theory was extended by a selectivity in the double layer to allow specific adsorption. Calculations of adsorption-elution cycles showed, in agreement with the experimental observations, the development of non-linear elution profiles with a desorption fronting. As a result, the column loading and the eluent concentration were varied. The effect of contaminants, in this case sodium ions, was investigated and included in the model. Finally, the model was extended to multicomponent systems to investigate the effect of side components on the retention behaviour. The development of the characteristic elution profiles and the effect of the column loading on the separation are discussed. Calculated concentration profiles along the column at discrete time steps were used to reveal the influence of side components and the underlying separation mechanism. The simulations provided a new insight into the phenomena involved in biochromatography and make convenient design concepts at least doubtful as the separation is in this case mainly determined by the loading step and not by the choice of the elution gradient.     

Effect of mobile phase composition on the SMB processes efficiency. Stochastic optimization of isocratic and gradient operation

The solvent composition was adjusted in a theoretical study in order to maximize the efficiency of a simulated moving bed (SMB) process. The isocratic realization of the process as well as the solvent gradient mode were considered. The solvent composition and the flow rates were used as decision variables in a random search optimization algorithm known to be a reliable tool for nonlinear programming problems. The results of the optimization indicate that the optimal composition of the mobile phase depends strongly on the feed concentration. The asymmetry of the internal concentration profiles, which has a negative effect on the separation efficiency, can be partly damped by an increase of the solvent strength. In the cases studied the optimal solvent strength determined for concentrated feed streams is higher than that for diluted ones. Moreover, the optimum is strongly influenced by the value of the selectivity factor and its dependency on the mobile phase composition. Different results were obtained for cases, in which the separation factor increases with increasing the modifier concentration, than for cases, in which the separation factor decreases with increasing the modifier concentration. A similar analysis was performed for a solvent gradient SMB process, in which different solvents are used at the two inlet ports: a weak solvent in the feed stream and a strong solvent in the desorbent stream. Again the optimal mobile phase composition was strongly affected by the type of the isotherms and their non-linearity. The potential of a gradient SMB process in terms of increasing the productivity and reducing the eluent consumption is exemplified.     

Relationship between isocratic and gradient retention times in the high-performance ion-exchange chromatography of proteins. Theory and experiment

Using isocratic retention parameters, the gradient elution retention time for several proteins has been calculated. The gradient retention time calculation is based on fitting the isocratic retention data to an equation of the form: log k' = m log (1/[Ca2+]) + log K and on applying well-established principles of gradient elution. A good correlation between the observed and calculated retention times for several test proteins was obtained at various total gradient times and column flow-rates. Conversely, isocratic retention parameters characterizing protein retention can be calculated from gradient elution retention data. However, even with retention data of high quality, small errors are amplified by the log-log nature of the ion-exchange isocratic retention model employed. Based on the close correlation between predicted and observed gradient retention times, no evidence for protein denaturation resulting from immobilization of the protein at high initial k' values at or near the column inlet was observed.