Evaluation and comparison of n‐alkyl chain and polar ligand bonded stationary phases for protein separation in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography

Protein retention is very sensitive to the change of solvent composition in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography for so called “on–off” mechanism, leading to difficulty in mobile phase optimization. In this study, a novel 3‐chloropropyl trichlorosilane ligand bonded column was prepared for protein separation. The differences in retention characteristics between the 3‐chloropropyl trichlorosilane ligand bonded column and n‐alkyl chain modified (C₂, C₄, C₈) stationary phases were elucidated by the retention equation . Retention parameters (a and c) of nine standard proteins with different molecular weights were calculated by using homemade software. Results showed that retention times of nine proteins were similar on four columns, but the 3‐chloropropyl trichlorosilane ligand bonded column obtained the lowest retention parameter values of larger proteins. It meant that their retention behavior affected by acetonitrile concentration would be different due to lower |c| values. More specifically, protein elution windows were broader, and retentions were less sensitive to the change of acetonitrile concentration on the 3‐chloropropyl trichlorosilane ligand bonded column than that on other columns. Meanwhile, the 3‐chloropropyl trichlorosilane ligand bonded column displayed distinctive selectivity for some proteins. Our results indicated that stationary phase with polar ligand provided potential solutions to the “on–off” problem and optimization in protein separation.     

C<Subscript>18</Subscript>-Free Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Silica Particles Derived from Sole Silsesquioxane for Reversed-Phase HPLC

Ethyl-bridged organic–inorganic hybrid silica particles were prepared via a sol–gel and hydrothermal synthesis approach using 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE) as the sole precursor, and triblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (P123) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) as combined templates. The morphology, pore structure, chemical composition and liquid chromatographic performance of the obtained materials were investigated in detail. The particles exhibit a high surface area of 1136.40 m²/g, together with a pore volume of 0.39 cm³/g and an average pore size of 2.30 nm. Used as stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the particles without extra bonding either C₁₈ or C₈ can successfully separate a mixture of uracil, phenol, pyridine, methylbenzene, ethylbenzene and tert-butylbenzene. The obtained materials also show practical application in the separation of phthalate acid esters (PAEs), which are harmful to environment and human health. Although the columns packed with ethyl-bridged organic–inorganic hybrid silica show lower column efficiency and peak symmetry compared to commercial column, they have considerably higher chemical stability in alkaline mobile phase. The HSS column also possesses high mechanical stability which is similar to that of the commercial column.     

“Sock-Ball” Chromatographic Separation of High Molecular Weight Fullerenes with Sock-Shaped Stationary Phase

A method for “Sock-Bail” chromatographic separation of high molecular weight fullerenes is described. A prepared sock-shaped stationary phase (Sock-SAF-phase) was used for HPLC separation of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes. Fullerenes, as ball-shaped molecules, are much more strongly retained than PAHs on this stationary phase and have the eluted order C₅₀ < C₇₀ < C₇₆ < C₇₈ < C₈₄ in the mobile phase of n-hexane/dichloromethane (100/0 ～ 80/20). In contrast, chromatography on the corresponding unmodified silica phase or SC-3OH-phase (an intermediate phase of Sock-SAF-phase) gave no separation of fullerenes. This fact indicated that the separation of fullerenes on Sock-SAF-phase was related to the selective interaction with the sock moiety.     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography and argentation chromatography of the minor capsaicinoids

An investigation of the liquid chromatography of the minor capsaicinoids in a commercial capsaicinoid mixture is reported. Twelve stationary phases including C₈, C₁₈, C₃₀, phenyl, and cation-exchange chemistries were examined in combination with isocratic aqueous methanol and aqueous acetonitrile mobile phases. A phenyl stationary phase and aqueous acetonitrile mobile phase baseline-resolved 7 of 11 capsaicinoids, and selected ion chromatograms (LC–ESI-MS) demonstrated this was the most effective reversed-phase separation. Argentation chromatography with an alkyl or phenyl column and aqueous silver nitrate–methanol mobile phase revealed the presence of the 6-ene-8-methyl and 6-ene-9-methyl homocapsaicin isomers and the absence of 7-ene-9-methyl homocapsaicin. A mixed phenyl–cation-exchange stationary phase (charged with silver ion) enabled unique and useful separations of the capsaicinoids.     

Automated screening of reversed‐phase stationary phases for small‐molecule separations using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry

There are various reversed‐phase stationary phases that offer significant differences in selectivity and retention. To investigate different reversed‐phase stationary phases (aqueous stable C₁₈, biphenyl, pentafluorophenyl propyl, and polar‐embedded alkyl) in an automated fashion, commercial software and associated hardware for mobile phase and column selection were used in conjunction with liquid chromatography and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer detector. A model analyte mixture was prepared using a combination of standards from varying classes of analytes (including drugs, drugs of abuse, amino acids, nicotine, and nicotine‐like compounds). Chromatographic results revealed diverse variations in selectivity and peak shape. Differences in the elution order of analytes on the polar‐embedded alkyl phase for several analytes showed distinct selectivity differences compared to the aqueous C₁₈ phase. The electron‐rich pentafluorophenyl propyl phase showed unique selectivity toward protonated amines. The biphenyl phase provided further changes in selectivity relative to C₁₈ with a methanolic phase, but it behaved very similarly to a C₁₈ when an acetonitrile‐based mobile phase was evaluated. This study shows the value of rapid column screening as an alternative to excessive mobile phase variation to obtain suitable chromatographic settings for analyte separation.     

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography: A promising alternative to reversed‐phase liquid chromatography systems for the purification of small protonated bases

The overloaded band profiles of the protonated species of propranolol and amitriptyline were recorded under acidic conditions on four classes of stationary phases including a conventional silica/organic hybrid material in reversed‐phase liquid chromatography mode (BEH‐C₁₈), an electrostatic repulsion reversed‐phase liquid chromatography C₁₈ column (BEH‐C₁₈+), a poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) monolithic column, and a hydrophilic interaction chromatography stationary phase (underivatized BEH). The same amounts of protonated bases per unit volume of stationary phase were injected in each column (16, 47, and 141 μg/cm³). The performance of the propranolol/amitriptyline purification was assessed on the basis of the asymmetry of the recorded band profiles and on the selectivity factor achieved. The results show that the separation performed under reversed‐phase liquid chromatography like conditions (with BEH‐C₁₈, BEH‐C₁₈+, and polymer monolith materials) provide the largest selectivity factors due to the difference in the hydrophobic character of the two compounds. However, they also provide the most distorted overloaded band profiles due to a too small loading capacity. Remarkably, symmetric band profiles were observed with the hydrophilic interaction chromatography column. The larger loading capacity of the hydrophilic interaction chromatography column is due to the accumulation of the protonated bases into the diffuse water layer formed at the surface of the polar adsorbent. This work encourages purifying ionizable compounds on hydrophilic interaction chromatography columns rather than on reversed‐phase liquid chromatography columns.     

Comparison of a C30 Bonded Silica Column and Columns with Shorter Bonded Ligands in Reversed-Phase LC

The Carotenoid S is a new C₃₀ bonded silica stationary phase, intended for reversed-phase chromatographic applications, which is more hydrophobic and consequently shows stronger retention in comparison to conventionally used C₁₈ stationary phases. We compared the non-polar selectivities of the columns for homologous alkylbenzenes in acetonitrile—water and methanol–water mobile phases and polar reversed-phase selectivities employing the interaction indices and the Linear Free Energy Relationship models. Further, we investigated possibilities of separations of structurally closely related compounds in the groups of phenolic acids, flavones, phthalic acids and related compounds and of acylglycerols on the new C₃₀ column and with different types of columns for reversed-phase chromatography, including shorter alkyl C₄, C₈, C₁₈ and phenyl bonded stationary phases. The C₃₀ column has in some aspects properties similar to the non-endcapped Nova-Pak column for separation of some acylglycerols with equal equivalent carbon numbers, but enables separations of longer chain triacylglycerols in a single gradient run.

     

Preparation of High‐capacity,Monodisperse Polymeric Weak Cation Exchange Packings Using Surface‐initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization and Its Chromatographic Properties

A novel stationary phase for weak cation exchange (WCX) chromatography was prepared by "grafting from" strategy. Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of acrylic acid (AA) was conducted in toluene medium, starting from the macromolecule initiators of poly(4‐vinylbenzyl chloride‐co‐divinylbenzene) (P_CMS/DVB) beads. The amounts of poly(acrylic acid) grafted chains with different ATRP formulations were calculated based on the elemental analyses. The poly(acrylic acid) grafted beads obtained with different ATRP formulations were tried as chromatographic packings in the separation of proteins by ion‐exchange chromatography. The effect of the poly(acrylic acid) grafted chain lengths on P_CMS/DVB beads for the separation of proteins was investigated in details. Simultaneously, characterization of the column was investigated as ion chromatographic stationary phase for the separation of inorganic cations. The results show that poly(acrylic acid) grafted columns had excellent performance for separation of proteins and inorganic cations. The highest of the dynamic capacity of the column was 35.55 mg/mL. The columns were provided with high column efficiency.     

Siliceous mesocellular foam for high-performance liquid chromatography: Effect of morphology and pore structure

Spherical siliceous mesocellular foam (MCF) particles with an average particle size of 4.8 μm have been successfully prepared. These spherical particles were tailored in pore sizes and surface areas. They were functionalized with C₈ or C₁₈ groups, and applied towards reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column separations. Their high surface areas gave rise to very good retention characteristics, as illustrated in the separation of a series of alkylbenzene solutes with increasing chain length. The highly interconnected porous structure and ultralarge pore size of MCF allowed the columns to be used at high flow rates without much loss in column efficiency. The column efficiency and peak symmetry were further improved by eliminating the micropores of the stationary phase. The reversed phase column packed with C₁₈-modified spherical MCF particles provided for excellent separation of different deoxynucleosides, illustrating the broad applicability of these materials due to their controlled pore size.     

Column Switching Technique for Group-Type Separation of Different Pah Classes by use of C18-Modified Silica and Polystyrene Packings

Abstract

A column switching technique was developed to realize a group-type separation of PAHs and nitrogen containing PAHs (N-PAHs) applying a C₁₈-immobilized polystyrene packing as well as a C₁₈-modified silica stationary phase. On the first column the group-type separation and also the separation of the N-PAH fraction in single compounds was performed. After backflush and transfer to a second column, the separation of the PAH fraction could be achieved.     

Aqueous solution of phosphoric acid as the stationary liquid phase for selective separation of fatty acids under conditions of steam chromatography

An aqueous solution of phosphoric acid was used as a selective stationary liquid phase for the separation of volatile fatty acids under conditions of steam chromatography. Organic acids C₂–C₈ are eluted from the column as symmetric peaks, and the order of their elution is reverse to that observed commonly on other phases. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 497–499, March, 1997.     

Ion‐exchange vs reversed‐phase chromatography for separation and determination of basic psychotropic drugs

Ion exchange chromatography, an alternative to reversed‐phase (RP) chromatography, is described in this paper. We aimed to obtain optimal conditions for the separation of basic drugs because silica‐based RP stationary phases show silanol effect and make the analysis of basic analytes hardly possible. The retention, separation selectivity, symmetry of peaks and system efficiency were examined in different eluent systems containing different types of buffers at acidic pH and with the addition of organic modifiers: methanol and acetonitrile. The obtained results reveal a large influence of the salt cation used for buffer preparation and the type of organic modifier on the retention behavior of the analytes. These results were also compared with those obtained on an XBridge C₁₈ column. The obtained results demonstrated that SCX stationary phases can be successfully used as alternatives to C₁₈ stationary phases in the separation of basic compounds. The most selective and efficient chromatographic systems were applied for the quantification of some psychotropic drugs in fortified human serum samples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution coefficients in the water-dodecane system and the heats of adsorption of C<Subscript>1</Subscript>-C<Subscript>8</Subscript> alcohols on silica

Distribution coefficients in the water-dodecane system and the heats of adsorption of C₁-C₈ alcohols on silica (Silochrom S-80) were determined by gas chromatography. At low temperatures, C₁-C₄ alcohols were largely distributed in the aqueous phase, and C₆-C₉ alcohols were predominantly dissolved in the organic phase; C₅ alcohols had intermediate properties. Permittivity was found to correlate with log K _d, which allowed us to predict the character of the distribution of alcohols in the water-oil system. The heats and isotherms of adsorption were determined for the alcohols studied. The heats of adsorption of alcohols on silica monotonically increased in the series under consideration. For C₅-C₈ alcohols, they exceeded the heat of adsorption of water. The isotherms of adsorption were described by the Freundlich equation.     

Chiral Separation of Racemic Tetrahedral Transition Metal Carbonyl Cluster SFeCoMo(CO)8(C2H5OCOCp) by Liquid Chromatography on Tribenzoylcellulose

Abstract

Direct separation of racemic tetrahedral transition metal carbonyl cluster SFeCoMo(CO)₈(C₂H₅OCOC_p) has been conducted by liquid chromatography using tribenzoylcellulose as chiral stationary phase. The effects of concentration of 2-propanol, various primary alcohols in the mobile phase and column temperature on the rentention and enantioselectivity of SFeCoMo(CO)₈(C₂H₅OCOC_p) cluster enantiomers were studied. The maximum resolution factor obtained was 2.306 when hexane/2-propanol(99.5/0.5,v/v) was used as solvent at 23°C.     

Evaluation of Alkyl Bonded Silica and Solvent Phase Modifiers for the Efficient Elution of Basic Drugs on HPLC

Abstract

Nine representative drugs were used to evaluate the effects of alkyl bonded stationary phases containing type A and type B silica and the effects of an amine modifier on the efficiency of high performance liquid chromatographic elution of basic and acidic drugs. The theoretical plate count and asymmetry factor of the eluted peaks were compared to that of acetophenone as a reference to the maximal efficiency of each system evaluated. Zorbax^R C₈ was used as the stationary phase prepared from type A silica and Zorbax RX^R was used as the stationary phase prepared from the type B silica. The theoretical plate count and asymmetry factor of acetophenone was observed to be the same on both columns when analyzed in an acidic aqueous/acetonitrile mobile phase. An improvement in the efficiency and peak shape of the amine containing compounds was observed using the Zorbax RX^R stationary phase as compared to the efficiency and peak shape of these compounds on the Zorbax^R C₈ stationary phase. Interestingly, the acidic compounds salicylic acid and mefenamic acid showed better peak shapes on the Zorbax RX^R column than on the Zorbax C₈. For all drugs studied the theoretical plate count and asymmetry factor was better on both the Zorbax^R C₈ and the Zorbax RX^R stationary phases when the amine modifier triethylamine was used in the mobile phase. Except for salicylic acid, the theoretical plate count and asymmetry factor for each drug was similar on the Zorbax^R C₈ and the Zorbax RX^R columns when the amine modifier     

Quantum-chemical DFT calculations of the molecular structure of N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> in the gas and solid phases

By functional density quantum-chemical method (DFT/B3LYP using the 6-311++G(3df)) it has been shown that the molecular structures of N₂O₅ with C_s and C₂ symmetries are energetically equivalent. It follows from calculations of the vibrational frequencies that both structures are characterized by potential energy minima and correspond to stationary states of the N₂O₅ molecule. It is proposed, on the basis of a comparison of the calculated and experimental vibrational spectra of N₂O₅, that dinitrogen pentaoxide exists in the gas phase as an equimolecular mixture of N₂O₅ molecules with Cs and C₂ symmetry, while in the solid phase it is characterized by the C₂ molecular structure. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya I éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 58–63, January–February, 2007.     

Octafluorocyclohexa derivatives of [60]fullerene: C<Subscript>60</Subscript>(C<Subscript>4</Subscript>F<Subscript>8</Subscript>)<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> = 2, 3, 4, and 6)

Fluorocyclohexa adducts C₆₀(C₄F₈) _n were synthesized by high-temperature reaction of fullerene C₆₀ with 1,2-C₂F₄I₂ or 1,4-C₄F₈I₂ in sealed tubes. Their separation by HPLC allowed us to determine molecular structure (X-ray diffraction) of four new compounds C₆(C₄F₈) _n (n = 2, 3, 4, and 6). Structures of isomers C₆₀(C₄F₈) _n were discussed in terms of a concept of consecutive addition of C₄F₈ groups to the fullerene cage.     

Multidimensional separation of tryptic peptides from human serum proteins using reversed‐phase,strong cation exchange,weak anion exchange,and fused‐core fluorinated stationary phases

Proteome profiling of crude serum is a challenging task due to the wide dynamic range of protein concentrations and the presence of high‐abundance proteins, which cover >90% of the total protein mass in serum. Peptide fractionation on strong cation exchange, weak anion exchange in the electrostatic repulsion hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC) mode, RP C₁₈ at pH 2.5 (low pH), fused‐core fluorinated at pH 2.5, and RP C₁₈ at pH 9.7 (high pH) stationary phases resulted in two to three times more identified proteins and three to four times more identified peptides in comparison with 1D nanoChip‐LC–MS/MS quadrupole TOF analysis (45 proteins, 185 peptides). The largest number of peptides and proteins was identified after prefractionation in the ERLIC mode due to the more uniform distribution of peptides among the collected fractions and on the RP column at high pH due to the high efficiency of RP separations and the complementary selectivity of both techniques to low‐pH RP chromatography. A 3D separation scheme combining ERLIC, high‐pH RP, and low‐pH nanoChip‐LC–MS/MS for crude serum proteome profiling resulted in the identification of 208 proteins and 1088 peptides with the lowest reported concentration of 11 ng/mL for heat shock protein 74.     

Laterally attached liquid-crystalline polymers as stationary phases. Effect of temperature in RP HPLC and comparison with a commercial C18 stationary phase

Summary Specific side-on-fixed liquid-crystalline polymers (SOLCP) have been synthesized for use in silica-modified stationary phases in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mesogenic side group of the SOLCP is composed of three benzoate-type phenyl rings with terminal alkoxy chains and is laterally linked to a polysiloxane backbone via an alkyl ester spacer arm. The dependence of the logarithm of the retention factor on the reciprocal temperature showed that the liquid-crystalline anisotropic order was conserved in the small pores (200 ? diameter) of the silica gel. The first-order nematic-isotropic transition is lost and probably becomes second-order. Adsorption enthalpies for the liquid-crystalline stationary phases have been measurement for three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon isomers (ortho-terphenyl, triphenylene, and chrysene) and compared with those for a commercial C₁₈ phase. The adsorption enthalpies never exceeded 30 kJ mol⁻¹, i.e. ten times the thermal agitation energy,RT. They were always less on the SOLCP stationary phase than on the C₁₈ column, emphasizing the more rigid structure of the liquid crystalline phase and its mechanism based upon adsorption. Better separation of steroids, pesticides and amino acids were obtained with the LCP-coated silica than the commercial bonded C₁₈ column. Four small peptides were successfully separated by using pure water as mobile phase.     

Evaluation of the Chromatographic Performance of Conventional, Polar-Endcapped and Calixarene-Bonded Stationary Phases for the Separation of Water-Soluble Vitamins

The performance of four different reversed-phase columns which included a conventional C₁₈ phase, a C₁₈ polar-endcapped phase, an ether-linked phenyl polar-endcapped phase and a calixarene-bonded phase has been systematically compared for the separation of mixture of some water-soluble vitamins containing basic, neutral and acidic compounds of different polarities, as well as different functional groups at three pH levels and different proportions of buffer/methanol. The characteristics of water-soluble vitamins make this combination of compounds very useful as a test mixture to check column performance with real samples. Due to the physical and chemical differences between these compounds, the type of chosen column has a significant influence on the chromatographic behavior. Results of this comparison show that the C₁₈ polar-endcapped phase was the most suitable for the separation of this group of vitamins. The presence of a polar group as an endcapping agent does not seem to influence the overall hydrophobic nature of the polar-endcapped stationary phases. At the same time, these phases displayed enhanced hydrogen bonding and silanol activity.