Viscous fingering in packed chromatographic columns: non-linear dynamics

Viscous fingering (VF) is a hydrodynamic instability that occurs in a chromatographic column when a less viscous fluid displaces another more viscous one. This instability is detrimental to separation techniques as it leads to distorted peaks and peak broadening. Nonlinear interactions between developing fingers lead to complex dynamics investigated in the present study by means of numerical simulations based on a simple model for miscible VF of finite samples. We review the properties of nonlinear VF and discuss the quantitative measures that can be applied both on such numerical as well as on experimental data to gain insight into the influence of the parameters of the problem on the nonlinear properties of the fingers and on the broadening of output peaks.     

Understanding the importance of the viscosity contrast between the sample solvent plug and the mobile phase and its potential consequence in two-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography

The effect of solvent viscosity mismatch on elution performance in reversed-phase HPLC was studied using moment analysis. Two conditions were tested: (1) the mobile phase viscosity was less than the injection plug viscosity, and (2) the mobile phase viscosity was greater than the injection plug viscosity. Under the first condition, retention time and elution performance decreased as the viscosity contrast between the mobile phase and injection plug increased. The effect on performance was more marked as the injection volume increased. A decrease in performance of 12% for compounds with retention factors up to 2.8 was apparent even when the viscosity contrast was only 0.165 cP. In the second set of conditions, elution performance was actually observed to increase, by as much as 25% for a 40 μL injection, as the viscosity contrast between the mobile phase and the solute plug increased. No change in the retention factor was observed. This behaviour was attributed to the shape of an injection plug as it enters into the column, whereby a low viscosity plug permeates away from the wall when the column contains a higher viscosity mobile phase, and vice a versa for a high viscosity plug entering a low viscosity mobile phase. At no stage was either a band splitting or shoulders observed with viscosity contrasts up to 1.283 cP, as could have been expected.     

Real-time control of column switching in multidimensional gas chromatography

In chromatography the separation power expressed in terms of peak capacity can be greatly enhanced by multidimensional techniques. The most important aspect of multidimensional chromatography is the precise location of the heart-cut window. Very often the reliability of this positioning is ensured by applying relatively large heart-cuts; this reduces the intrinsic selectivity offered by the technique. The best way of locating peaks in chromatography is by means of retention indices. This technique can also be used in multidimensional chromatography. A method is described whereby the heartcut window in multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) can be defined precisely.     

Visualization and quantification of the onset and the extent of viscous fingering in micro-pillar array columns

New experimental data of the viscous fingering (VF) process have been generated by studying the VF process in perfectly ordered pillar array columns instead of in the traditionally employed packed bed columns. A detailed quantitative analysis of the contribution of VF to the observed band broadening could be made by following the injected species bands using a fluorescence microscope equipped with a CCD-camera. For a viscosity contrast of 0.16 cP, a plate height increase of about 1 μm can be observed, while for a contrast of respectively 0.5 cP and 1 cP, additional plate height contributions of the order of 5–20 μm were observed. Citing these values is however futile without noting that they also depend extremely strongly on the injection volume of injected sample. It was found that, for a given viscosity contrast of 0.314 cP, the maximal plate height increase varied between 0.5 μm and 18 μm if the injection volume was varied between 3.0 nl and 32.7 nl. These values furthermore also strongly vary with the distance along the column axis.     

Viscous fingering in a horizontal flow through a porous medium induced by chemical reactions under isothermal and adiabatic conditions

In this work we analyze the viscous fingering instability induced by an autocatalytic chemical reaction in a liquid flowing horizontally through a porous medium. We have analyzed the behavior of the system for isothermal as well as adiabatic conditions. The kinetics of the reaction is chosen so that the rate depends on the concentration of only a single species. Since the reaction is autocatalytic the system admits a traveling wave solution. For endothermic reactions the concentration wave and temperature wave are mirror images, whereas for an exothermic reaction they are similar or parallel. The viscosity of the fluid is assumed to depend strongly on the concentration of the product and temperature of the medium. The dependence of viscosity on concentration (decrease with concentration) can destabilize the traveling wave resulting in the formation of viscous fingers. We have performed a linear stability analysis to determine the stability of the base traveling wave solution. The stability predictions have been confirmed by nonlinear simulations of the governing equations based on a finite difference scheme. We observe that including the temperature dependency of viscosity stabilizes the flow for an endothermic reaction, i.e., regions which exhibited viscous fingering now demonstrate stable displacement. For exothermic systems, however, the system exhibits less stable behavior under adiabatic conditions, i.e., it is destabilized by both concentration and temperature dependencies of viscosity.     

Comparison of C18 silica bonded phases selectivity in micellar liquid chromatography

The paper describes a new test designed in micellar LC (MLC) to compare the commercial C18 stationary phase properties. This test provides the total hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, steric selectivity, hydrogen bonding, and ion‐exchange capacity properties calculation of the ODS stationary phases. Both the test compounds and chromatographic separation conditions choice for column characterization in MLC are detailed. The chromatographic performance of several stationary phases that are used in MLC was evaluated with specific chromatographic test comprising nine test compounds, possessing different physico‐chemical properties, which were injected on different supports with two micellar mobile phases: one at pH 7.0 (0.075 mol/L SDS and 1.5% v/v 1‐pentanol), and other at pH 2.7 (0.075 mol/L SDS and 1.5% v/v 1‐pentanol adjusted to pH by TFA). Fundamental column chromatographic properties were obtained under these conditions and were treated by hierarchical cluster analysis. From the results of cluster analysis, two closely related groups of columns are distinguished, and it was shown that the chosen column characteristic parameters allow characterizing both sorbent and micellar chromatographic system properties. Eleven columns were analyzed by this test, which allows a comparison of columns with the aim of the selection of suitable and analogous column for the analysis with MLC.     

多维液相色谱分离技术及其在蛋白质组研究中的应用

对近年来多维液相色谱技术及其在蛋白质组学研究中的应用进行了系统综述。详细描述了由不同液相色谱模式构建的多维液相色谱系统,并介绍了其在蛋白质组表达谱、翻译后修饰、定量等方面的应用。此外,还对多维液相色谱的发展趋势和前景进行了展望。     

Hydrophobic solvent induced phase transition extraction to extract drugs from plasma for high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometric analysis

Novel sample preparation approaches for HPLC bioanalysis based on the phenomenon that acetonitrile can be separated from water by adding salts or cooling at subzero temperatures have been reported. These two methods are superior to conventional liquid–liquid extraction since the separated acetonitrile phase can be directly injected to the RP–LC system. However, the salting-out method suffers from a potential problem that the remained salt in the acetonitrile phase may harm the MS detector, while the subzero-temperature method is troublesome to operate. Here, we have reported a similar phase separation phenomenon that the acetonitrile aqueous mixture can be separated by adding a hydrophobic solvent; and capitalising on this phase transition phenomenon, we have proposed an alternative approach, named solvent induced phase transition extraction (SIPTE), to extract drug from plasma for HPLC–MS analysis. The proposed SIPTE method is much simpler and avoids contaminating the MS detector. Three structurally diverse drugs were selected as test compounds to design the SIPTE method and to validate the efficiency of this method. The four goals of plasma sample pretreatment for HPLC–MS analysis, i.e. removal of proteins, removal of other low-molecular interferences, preconcentration of the analytes of interest, and matching the sample solvent with the HPLC–MS system, can be rapidly performed in a very simple step by using the SIPTE method.     

The temperature convergence of biopolymers in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary Based on a stoichiometric displacement model for retention (SDM-R) in liquid chromatography, the two linear plots, log/(a constant relating to the affinity of one mole of solute to the stationary phase) andZ (the total moles of the displacing agent released at the interface between stationary phase and solute molecules as one mole of the solute is absorbed by the stationary phase) of small solutes and biopolymers versus the reciprocal of absolute temperature, l/T, in reversed-phase liquid chromatography were theoretically derived and experimentally proved to be linear and to have a common point called the temperature convergent point. The two linear plots could be used instead of the plot of logk to l/T which is normally only valid for small solutes but not for biopolymers for investigations of chromatographic thermodynamics and temperature convergence. The average convergence temperature (T _conv) of biopolymers was theoretically derived to equal the ratio between the slope and the intercept from either one of the two linear plots and to be 130.8±9.3°C for five proteins which are very close to those of biopolymers by calorimetry. A new methodology to investigate chromatographic thermodynamics and possibly for investigating the temperature convergence of biopolymers in the process of protein folding is also presented.     

Multidimensional liquid chromatography for the determination of chiral coumarins and furocoumarins in Citrus essential oils

In this work the enantiomeric distribution of chiral coumarins (meranzin and epoxyaurapten), and furocoumarins (oxypeucedanin, byakangelicol, and epoxybergamottin) in different Citrus essential oils (lemon, lime, grapefruit, and bitter orange) was determined by means of a heart-cutting multidimensional-liquid chromatography (MD-LC) system, equipped with a microsilica column in the first dimension in a combination to a cellulosic-based chiral column used in the second dimension. The normal phase-liquid chromatography-liquid chromatography (NP-LC-LC) instrumentation was equipped with a photodiode array detector and a multiport valve as interface. For method optimization and the determination of absolute configuration, natural compounds were isolated and racemic mixture was synthesized. The NP-LC-LC/PDA (where PDA is photodiode array) method provided a good baseline separation of chiral coumarins (meranzin and epoxyaurapten) and furocoumarins (epoxybergamottin and byakangelicol) present in cold-pressed Citrus essential oils without any sample pretreatment. Results obtained showed that for all the chiral compounds present in Citrus essential oils analyzed, there is always a clear prevalence of one of the two enantiomers, and do not appear influenced by the different geographical origin of the oils.     

Retention and column efficiency in reversed phase liquid chromatography as a function of pH for optimization purposes

Summary The effects of pH on both the solute retention and the peak shape of ionogenic compounds are studied in order to propose accurate models for pH optimization purposes. Several mathematical models (theoretical and empirical) for describing the variation of the retention factor versus pH are compared within different pH ranges. Limits of such models used for optimizing the pH by requiring only 3 preliminary experimental runs, are discussed in terms of deviations (≤±5%) of predicted retention times from experimental retention times. An original procedure is developed for selecting the most convenient retention model, from a given set of three retention data. This set is also applied to modeling the variation of both peak width and peak asymmetry with mobile phase pH conditions. Such a procedure is demonstrated as helpful for the separation of ionogenic solutes by considering mobile phase pH as an additional variable that can be useful during optimization procedures.     

Practical method for the definition of chromatographic peak parameters in preparative liquid chromatography

A practical method was established for the definition of chromatographic parameters in preparative liquid chromatography. The parameters contained both the peak broadening level under different amounts of sample loading and the concentration distribution of the target compound in the elution. The parameters of the peak broadening level were defined and expressed as a matrix, which consisted of sample loading, the forward broadening and the backward broadening levels. The concentration distribution of the target compound was described by the heat map of the elution profile. The most suitable stationary phase should exhibit the narrower peak broadening and it was best to broaden to both sides to compare to the peak under analytical conditions. Besides, the concentration distribution of the target compounds should be focused on the middle of the elution. The guiding principles were validated by purification of amitriptyline from the mixture of desipramine and amitriptyline. On the selected column, when the content of the impurity desipramine was lower than 0.1%, the recovery of target compound was much higher than the other columns even when the sample loading was as high as 8.03 mg/cm³. The parameters and methods could be used for the evaluation and selection of stationary phases in preparative chromatography.     

Simultaneous, sequential quantitative achiral-chiral analysis by two-dimensional liquid chromatography

In general, chromatographic analysis of chiral compounds involves a minimum of two methods; a primary achiral method for assay and impurity analysis and a secondary chiral method for assessing chiral purity. Achiral method resolves main enantiomeric pairs of component from potential impurities and degradation products and chiral method resolves enantiomeric pairs of the main component and diastereomer pairs. Reversed-phase chromatographic methods are preferred for assay and impurity analysis (high efficiency and selectivity) whereas chiral separation is performed by reverse phase, normal phase, or polar organic mode. In this work, we have demonstrated the use of heart-cutting (LC-LC) and comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC) in simultaneous, sequential achiral and chiral analysis and quantitation of minor, undesired enantiomer in the presence of major, desired enantiomer using phenylalanine as an example. The results were comparable between LC-LC and LC × LC with former offering better sensitivity and accuracy. The quantitation range was over three orders of magnitude with undesired D-phenylalanine detected at approximately 0.3% in the presence of predominant, desired L-phenylalanine (99.7%). The limit of quantitation was comparable to conventional high-performance liquid chromatography. A reversed-phase C18 achiral column in the primary and reversed-phase Chirobiotic Tag chiral column in the secondary dimension were used with a compatible mobile phase.     

Isocratic and gradient elution in micellar liquid chromatography with Brij‐35

Polyoxyethylene(23)lauryl ether (known as Brij‐35) is a nonionic surfactant, which has been considered as an alternative to the extensively used in micellar liquid chromatography anionic surfactant sodium lauryl (dodecyl) sulfate, for the analysis of drugs and other types of compounds. Brij‐35 is the most suitable nonionic surfactant for micellar liquid chromatography, owing to its commercial availability, low cost, low toxicity, high cloud temperature, and low background absorbance. However, it has had minor use. In this work, we gather and discuss some results obtained in our laboratory with several β‐blockers, sulfonamides, and flavonoids, concerning the use of Brij‐35 as mobile phase modifier in the isocratic and gradient modes. The chromatographic performance for purely micellar eluents (with only surfactant) and hybrid eluents (with surfactant and acetonitrile) is compared. Brij‐35 increases the polarity of the alkyl‐bonded stationary phase and its polyoxyethylene chain with the hydroxyl end group allows hydrogen‐bond interactions, especially for phenolic compounds. This offers the possibility of using aqueous solutions of Brij‐35 as mobile phases with sufficiently short retention times. The use of gradients of acetonitrile to keep the concentration of Brij‐35 constant is another interesting strategy that yields a significant reduction in the peak widths, which guarantee high resolution.     

Quantitative analysis of trace‐level benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene,and xylene in cellulose acetate tow using headspace heart‐cutting multidimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometry

This study describes a method for the quantification of trace‐level benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene in cellulose acetate tow by heart‐cutting multidimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode. As the major volatile component in cellulose acetate tow samples, acetone would be overloaded when attempting to perform a high‐resolution separation to analyze trace benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. With heart‐cutting technology, a larger volume injection was achieved and acetone was easily cut off by employing a capillary column with inner diameter of 0.32 mm in the primary gas chromatography. Only benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene were directed to the secondary column to result in an effective separation. The matrix interference was minimized and the peak shapes were greatly improved. Finally, quantitative analysis of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene was performed using an isotopically labeled internal standard. The headspace multidimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry system was proved to be a powerful tool for analyzing trace volatile organic compounds in complex samples.     

多维高效液相色谱技术在蛋白质分离研究中的进展

蛋白质组学出现之后,多维高效液相色谱(multidimensional HPLC,MD-HPLC)系统以其快速、高效、自动化程度高以及容易与质谱等其他技术联用等优势而成为蛋白质组学相关分析技术中研究应用的热点。本文主要以本实验室在蛋白质组学研究中的技术进展为主线,介绍了多维高效液相色谱技术的发展,包括经典的“bottom-up”技术和“top-down”式的多维高效液相色谱技术路线,以及为了提高系统的分离通量而自行设计搭建的阵列式多维高效液相色谱平台,这些技术路线在蛋白质组学研究中有着极大的潜在应用价值。     

Simultaneous quantification of five proteins and seven additives in dairy products with a heart‐cutting two‐dimensional liquid chromatography method

A heart‐cutting two‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography method was developed to simultaneously quantify five major proteins and seven food additives (maltol, ethyl maltol, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and saccharin sodium) in milk and milk powders. In this two‐dimensional system, a Venusil XBP‐C4 column was selected in the first dimension for protein separation, and a Hypersil ODS‐2 C18 column was employed in the second dimension for additive separation; a two‐position, six‐port switching valve was used to transfer the targets (additives) from the first dimension to the second dimension. Method validation consisted of selectivity, response function, linearity, precision, sensitivity, and recovery. In addition, a conventional one‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography method was also tested for comparison. The two‐dimensional method resulted in significantly improved recovery of the food additives compared to the conventional method (90.6–105.4% and 65.5–86.5%, respectively). Furthermore, this novel method has a simple one‐step sample preparation procedure, which shortens the analysis time, resulting in more efficient analysis and less solvent usage.     

Analysis of non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds in wine samples using high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection

A simple and rapid HPLC method with UV and fluorescence detection (FLD) for the separation of ten phenolic compounds including gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, caffeic acid, coumaric, trans-piceid, cis-piceid, trans-resveratrol, cis-resveratrol and quercetin is reported. The UV and fluorescence detector in series provided a high selectivity for the determination of these compounds. Precisions, recoveries and LODs achieved for all the analytes were satisfactory. The proposed method was applied to the determination of these compounds in commercially available red wines.