Separation of neutral and basic enantiomers by cyclodextrin electrokinetic chromatography using anionic cyclodextrin derivatives as chiral pseudo-stationary phases

Separations of neutral and basic racemates were performed using five different anionic cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives as chiral selectors, viz. carboxymethylated β-CD, β-CD phosphate sodium salt, sulfobutyl ether β-CD sodium salt, carboxymethylated γ-CD, and γ-CD phosphate sodium salt. For the separation of neutral racemates, an untreated fused silica capillary was employed and various neutral racemates were successfully separated. Since the pH of the buffer affected the electroosmotic flow (EOF), the resolution was improved by changing the buffer pH. A polyacrylamide coated capillary was employed for the separation of basic racemates to suppress EOF and to prevent adsorption of cationic analyte on the capillary surface. By choosing an appropriate type and concentration of anionic CD, about 40 basic racemates were successfully separated. Some rough binding constants of basic analytes with an anionic β-CD were measured to discuss the optimum concentration of the CD. The migration direction was dependent on the binding constants and the concentration of the CD. The analyte strongly bound to the anionic CD migrated towards the anode but the weakly bound one moved towards the cathode. Anionic γ-CDs were also very useful for the separation of basic enantiomers. Five neutral CDs were employed as chiral selectors to compare selectivity between charged and neutral CDs, and eleven racemates could only be resolved using anionic CDs. The separation of some basic racemates in human plasma was also described. The direct injection of plasma samples was possible for some enantiomers that did not interact strongly with plasma proteins.     

Determination of flavonoids in Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Bail. by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

Four flavonoids (rutin, hyperoside, quercitrin and quercetin) in Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Bail. were determined by capillary electrophoresis with wall-jet amperometric detection. The working electrode was a 500 μm diameter carbon disc electrode and the detection potential was +0.95 V (versus Ag/AgCl). Effects of several important factors, such as the running buffer and its corresponding pH and concentration, separation voltage, injection time were investigated to acquire the optimum conditions for separation of these four flavonoids. Baseline separation for the four flavonoids was obtained within 21 min in a 60 cm length capillary at a separation voltage of 15 kV with a 60 mmoL/L Na₂B₄O₇-120 mmoL/L NaH₂PO₄ buffer (pH 8.8) as running buffer. The relationship between peak currents and analyte concentrations was linear over about two orders of magnitude with detection limits (defined as S/N = 3) ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 μg/mL for all analytes. This method was applied for the determination of the above four flavonoids in H. cordata Thunb. and S. chinensis (Lour.) Bail. with simple extraction procedures, and the assay results were satisfactory.     

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography of drugs varying in charge and hydrophobicity: I. Impact of parameters on separation performance evaluated by multiple linear regression models

The separation of anionic, cationic and neutral drugs in microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) was studied with a statistical experimental design. The concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, surfactant), 1-butanol (co-surfactant) and borate buffer and the factors Brij 35 (surfactant), 2-propanol (organic solvent) and cassette temperature were varied simultaneously, while the parameters pH (9.2), the concentration of octane (oil, 0.8% w/w), the voltage (10 kV) and the dimension of the fused-silica capillary, were kept constant. Eight different model substances were chosen with different hydrophobicities. Two of the analytes were positively charged, two were negatively charged, and the remaining four were neutral or close to neutral at the pH explored. The importance of each parameter on the separation window, the plate height and the retention factor for each of the analytes was studied by means of multiple linear regression (MLR) models. A new response was evaluated for anions, the quotient between the effective mobility in the microemulsion and the effective mobility in the corresponding buffer. Factors affecting selectivity changes were also explored, and it was found that SDS and 2-propanol had the largest effect on selectivity.     

Mixed-mode reversed-phase and ion-exchange separations of cationic analytes on polybutadiene-coated zirconia

The retention and selectivity of the chromatographic separation of basic (cationic) analytes on a polybutadiene-coated zirconia (PBD-ZrO2) stationary phase have been studied in greater detail than in previous studies. These separations are strongly influenced by the chemistry of the accessible surface of zirconia. In the presence of buffers which contain hard Lewis bases (e.g., phosphate, fluoride, carboxylic acids) zirconia's surface becomes negatively charged due to adsorption of the buffer anion at the hard Lewis acid sites. Consequently, under most conditions (e.g., neutral pH), cationic analytes undergo both hydrophobic and cation-exchange interactions. This mixed-mode retention process generally leads to greater retention factors for cations relative to those on silica-based reversed phases despite the lower surface areas of the zirconia phase, but, more importantly, adsorption of hard Lewis bases can be used to control the chromatographic selectivity for cationic analytes on these zirconia-based stationary phases. In contrast to our prior work, here we show that when mixed-mode retention takes place, both retention and selectivity are easily adjusted by changing the type of hard Lewis base buffer anion, the type of buffer counter-ion (e.g., sodium, potassium, ammonium), the pH, and the ionic strength of the eluent as well as the type and amount of organic modifier.     

Liquid membrane transport of cytochrome c using a calix[6]arene carboxylic acid derivative as a carrier

The present study examined the liquid membrane transport of the cationic protein cytochrome c, using the macrocyclic compound calix[6]arene, which is a carboxylic acid derivative, as a carrier. The transport rate was governed by carrier concentration and the pH gradient between the feed and the receiving phases, as well as the salt concentration in the aqueous phases. Transport of cytochrome c was examined using a series of calix[n]arene carboxylic acid derivatives (n = 4, 6 and 8). Cytochrome c successfully permeated membranes in the presence of the calix[6]arene derivative. Liquid membrane separation of cytochrome c from a mixture of cationic proteins was demonstrated under optimal conditions. Cytochrome c was selectively extracted by the calix[6]arene carboxylic acid derivative and 77% of the extracted cytochrome c was recovered into the receiving phase. In this liquid membrane system, which discriminates between the number of lysine residues on the surface of proteins, cationic proteins with similar molecular weights and pIs were separated with macrocyclic compounds.     

Separation and determination of nitroaniline isomers by capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection

In this paper, capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection (CZE-AD) was firstly applied to the simultaneous separation and determination of nitroaniline positional isomers. The three analytes could be perfectly analyzed by using the buffer of extreme pH. The effects of several important factors were investigated to find optimum conditions. A carbon-disk electrode was used as working electrode. The optimal conditions were 40 mmol/L tartaric acid-sodium tartrate (pH 1.2) as running buffer, 17 kV as separation voltage and 1.10 V (versus saturated calomel reference electrode, SCE) as detection potential. Under the optimum conditions, o-, m- and p-nitroaniline were separated successfully and good linearity, reproducibility and recovery results were obtained. The detection limit for m-nitroaniline was as low as at 9.06 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L. This proposed method demonstrated long-term stability and reproducibility with relative standard deviations of less than 1.8% for migration time and 1.1% for peak areas. The utility of this method was demonstrated by monitoring dyestuff wastewater and the assay results were satisfactory.     

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography separation mechanisms of tetracyclines on amino-bonded silica column

Effects of mobile-phase variations on the chromatographic separation on amino-bonded silica column in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) were investigated for four zwitterionic tetracyclines (TCs): oxytetracycline, doxycycline, chlortetracycline, and tetracycline. A mixed-mode retention mechanism composed of partitioning, adsorption, and ion exchange interactions was proposed for the amino HILIC retention process. Buffer type and pH significantly influenced the retention of TCs, but showed similar separation selectivity for the tested analytes. Experiments varying buffer salt concentration and pH demonstrated the presence of ion exchange interactions in TCs retention. The type and concentration of organic modifier also affected the retention and selectivity of the analytes, providing direct evidence supporting the Alpert retention model for HILIC. The retention time of the analytes increased in the following order of organic modifiers: tetrahydrofuran < methanol < isopropanol < acetonitrile. The linear relationships of logk' versus %water (v/v) curve and logk' versus logarithm of %water (v/v) in the mobile phase indicated that TCs separation on the amino phase was controlled by partitioning and adsorption. The developed method was successfully utilized in the detection of TCs in both river water and wastewater samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) for sample cleanup.     

Microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography of corticosteroids. Effect of surfactants and cyclodextrins on the separation selectivity

The separation of neutral hydrophobic corticosteroids (cortisone, cortisone acetate, hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone acetate, prednisolone and prednisolone acetate) by microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) was studied. In the preparation of microemulsion, heptane was the solvent, n-butanol the co-surfactant and, as anionic surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or taurodeoxycholic acid sodium salt (STDC) were employed. Using an acidic running buffer, (phosphate pH 2.5) a strong suppression of the electroosmotic flow (EOF) was observed; this resulted in a fast anodic migration of the analytes partitioned into the negatively charged microemulsion droplets. Under these conditions, STDC showed better separation of corticosteroids than the conventional SDS; however, the use of a single anionic surfactant did not provide the required selectivity. The addition of the neutral surfactant polyoxyethylene glycol octadecyl ether (Brij 76) significantly altered the migration of each analytes allowing a better tuning of separation; however, in order to obtain adequate resolution between couples of adjacent critical peaks, the addition of neutral cyclodextrins (CDs) was found to be essential. This apparently complex system (CD-MEEKC), was optimized by studying the effect of the most important parameters affecting separation: STDC concentration, Brij 76 concentration, nature and concentration of cyclodextrins. Following a rational step-by-step approach, the optimised conditions providing the complete separation of the analytes were found to be: 4.0% STDC, 2.5% Brij 76, 6.6% n-butanol, 1.36% heptane and 85.54% of a solution 5 mM beta-CD in 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5). The optimized system was preliminary applied to the detection of corticosteroids related substances at impurity level and it could be considered a useful orthogonal alternative to HPLC methods.     

HPLC Analysis of the Isomeric Thioether Metabolites of Styrene Oxide

Abstract

An efficient separation of the isomeric thioether metabolites of styrene oxide was achieved under reversed-phase conditions. The column was eluted isocratically with 15% methanol in buffered solutions of phosphoric acid-tris-hydroxymethylaminomethane. The thioether conjugates were separated by class, and the order of elution was cysteine, cysteinylglycine, glutathione, and N-acetylcysteine. The effect of pH and buffer salt concentration on the HPLC separation was examined. Optimal conditions for a separation were either found at low pH (pH 3 or 4) or neutral pH, both at a high buffer salt concentration (75mM). The positional isomers and stereoisomers comprising each amino acid conjugate sample were separated into two peaks. The variations in k¹ and α observed with changes in pH were interpreted as reflecting the degree of interaction of the ionizable groups in the amino acid residue and the hydrophobic portion of the molecule. This interaction was found to be strongly influenced by the relative stereochemistry of the benzylic carbon center, thus allowing the separation of diastereoisomeric thioethers.     

Separation of phthalates by cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography: Quantitation in perfumes

A new CE method has been developed for the simultaneous separation of a group of parent phthalates. Due to the neutral character of these compounds, the addition of several bile salts as surfactants (sodium cholate (SC), sodium deoxycholate (SDC), sodium taurodeoxycholate (STDC), sodium taurocholate (STC)) to the separation buffer was explored showing the high potential of SDC as pseudostationary phase. However, the resolution of all the phthalates was not achieved when employing only this bile salt as additive, being necessary the addition of neutral cyclodextrins (CD) and organic modifiers to the separation media. The optimized cyclodextrin modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) method consisted of the employ of a background electrolyte (BGE) containing 25 mM β-CD-100 mM SDC in a 100 mM borate buffer (pH 8.5) with a 10% (v/v) of acetonitrile, employing a voltage of 30 kV and a temperature of 25 °C. This separation medium enabled the total resolution of eight compounds and the partial resolution of two of the analytes, di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP) and diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) (Rs ~ 0.8), in only 12 min. The analytical characteristics of the developed method were studied showing their suitability for the determination of these compounds in commercial perfumes. In all the analyzed perfumes the most common phthalate was diethyl phthalate (DEP) that appeared in ten of the fifteen analyzed products. Also dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diallyl phthalate (DAP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCP), and di-n-pentyl phthalate (DNPP) were found in some of the analyzed samples.     

Methoxypropylamino β-cyclodextrin clicked AC regioisomer for enantioseparations in capillary electrophoresis

In this work, a novel methoxypropylamino β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) clicked AC regioisomer, 6^A-4-hydroxyethyl-1,2,3-triazolyl-6^C-3-methoxypropylamino β-cyclodextrin (HETz-MPrAMCD), was synthesized via nucleophilic addition and click chemistry. The chiral separation ability of this AC regioisomer cationic CD was evaluated toward 7 ampholytic and 13 acidic racemates by capillary electrophoresis. Dependence of enantioselectivity and resolution on buffer pH (5.5–8.0) and chiral selector concentration (0.5–7.5 mM) was investigated. Enantioselectivities (α ≥ 1.05) could be achieved for most analytes under optimal conditions except dansyl-dl-noreleucine and dansyl-dl-serine. The highest resolutions for 2-chloromandelic acid p-hydroxymandelic acid were 15.6 and 9.7 respectively. The inclusion complexation between HETz-MPrAMCD and each 3-phenyllactic acid enantiomer was also revealed with nuclear magnetic resonance study.     

Development and validation of a capillary zone electrophoresis method for the determination of propranolol and N-desisopropylpropranolol in human urine

A simple, rapid and sensitive procedure using solid phase extraction and capillary zone electrophoresis for the determination of propranolol (a beta-blocker) and one of its metabolites, N-desisopropylpropranolol, has been developed and validated. The optimum separation of both analytes was obtained in a 37 cm × 75 μm fused silica capillary using 20 mmol/L phosphate buffer (pH 2.2) as electrolyte, at 25 kV and 30 °C, and hydrodynamic injection for 5 s. Prior to the electrophoretic separation, the samples were cleaned up and concentrated using a C₁₈ cartridge and then, eluted with methanol, allowing a concentration factor of 30.Good results were obtained in terms of precision, accuracy and linearity. The limits of detection were 28 and 30 μg/L for N-desisopropylpropranolol and propranolol, respectively. Additionally, a robustness test of the method was carried out using the Plackett-Burman fractional factorial model with a matrix of 15 experiments.The presented method has been applied to the determination of both compounds in human urine.     

Ionic liquids as additives for separation of benzoic acid and chlorophenoxy acid herbicides by capillary electrophoresis

Ionic liquids (ILs) were tested as additives to phosphate-acetate buffer for the separation of chlorophenoxy and benzoic herbicide acids. The effects of buffer concentration, buffer pH, IL concentration, and concentration of organic solvent were investigated. It was found that in the presence of 40 mM phosphate-acetate containing 10% acetonitrile at pH 4.5, addition of 10 mM 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoium could reverse EOF. The shoulder-merged peaks of two herbicide acids, 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid and 3,5-dichlorobenzoic acid, were successfully resolved by the addition of IL cation. Apart from these, results showed different IL cations had different influences on the migration behavior of some of the analytes, while IL anions did not lead to obvious difference on the separation.     

Enhanced separation of seven quinolones by capillary electrophoresis with silica nanoparticles as additive

This paper describes the enhanced separation of lomefloxacin, sparfloxacin, fleroxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, gatifloxacin and pazufloxacin by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) using silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) as running buffer additive. The impact of SiNPs concentration on the resolution and selectivity of separation was investigated and a given value of SiNPs was finally chosen under the optimum conditions. The addition of the SiNPs to the running buffer enabled electroosmotic flow (EOF) decrease and permitted full interaction between SiNPs and analytes. The influence of separation voltage, pH and buffer concentration on the separation in the presence of SiNPs was examined. Interactions between drugs and nanoparticles during the separation are discussed; the determination of interaction constants is also achieved. A good resolution of seven quinolones was obtained within 15 min in a 50 cm effective length fused-silica capillary at a separation voltage of +10 kV in a 12 mM disodium tetraborate-phosphate buffer (pH 9.08) containing 5.2 μg mL⁻¹ SiNPs.     

Far infrared-assisted extraction followed by capillary electrophoresis for the determination of bioactive constituents in the leaves of Lycium barbarum Linn.

In this work, a method based on capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection and far infrared-assisted extraction has been developed for the determination of rutin, gentisic acid, and quercetin in the leaves of Lycium barbarum Linn. The effects of detection potential, irradiation time, and the voltage applied on the infrared generator were investigated to acquire the optimum analysis conditions. The detection electrode was a 300-μm-diameter carbon disc electrode at a detection potential of +0.90 V. The three analytes could be well separated within 12 min in a 40 cm length fused-silica capillary at a separation voltage of 12 kV in a 50 mM borate buffer (pH 9.2). The relation between peak current and analyte concentration was linear over about 3 orders of magnitude with the detection limits (S/N = 3) of 0.31, 0.48, and 0.78 μM for rutin, gentisic acid, and quercetin, respectively. The proposed method has been applied to determine the three bioactive constituents in real plant samples.     

Study of a new chiral selector: Sodium arsenyl-(l)-(+) tartrate for capillary electrophoresis

Sodium arsenyl-(l)-(+) tartrate (Na₂[As₂(+)-tart₂]·3H₂O) was examined and evaluated as a chiral selector using capillary electrophoresis. This chiral selector showed enantioselective associations with many cationic analytes, including primary, secondary, and tertiary amines. Also, baseline separations of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes were achieved within 10 min. The effect of buffer type, chiral selector concentration, voltage applied, buffer concentration, buffer pH and organic modifier concentration were examined and optimized.     

Analysis of environmental pollutants metabolized from pesticides using capillary electrophoresis with multiphoton-excited fluorescence detection

Multiphoton-excited fluorescence by diode laser of continuous wave was uniquely developed for capillary electrophoresis to determine aniline species metabolized from pesticides. To achieve 2-photon excitation fluorescence, derivatization procedure was performed using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The concentration ratio of FITC to the analytes was discussed for quantitative analysis. Several parameters that influenced separation quality of capillary zone electrophoresis were investigated, such as applied voltage, buffer pH value and concentration, etc. Under the optimized conditions, four pesticide residues were completely separated and determined within 4 min, with detection limit down to zepptomole level (calculated detection volume: 45.0 aL). Quantitative analyses exhibited excellent linear dynamic relationship in the range of about two orders of magnitude. The established method was further validated by testing spiked lake water sample.     

Separation of multiply charged anions by capillary electrophoresis using alkyl phosphonium pairing agents

Two newly developed UV transparent phosphonium-based cationic reagents were evaluated as background electrolyte additives for capillary electrophoresis for the separation of multiply charged anions, including several complex anions. These cationic reagents showed moderate suppression of the electroosmotic flow, interacted with the analytes to improve their separation and often improved the peak shape. The effects of the additives and their concentration on the separation were studied, as well as the buffer type, pH, and voltage. The dicationic reagent effectively separated eight divalent anions within 17 min and the tetracationic reagent best separated nine trivalent anions, as well as a mixture of all the anions.     

Separation of negatively charged nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography

Reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography in a 5-microm C18 fully packed capillary was employed to optimize the separation of negatively charged nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The effect of the physico-chemical parameters and different analysis modes on the separation of 2-arylpropionic acids was studied and evaluated. The mobile phase composition, buffer type, concentration and pH differently influenced the peak efficiency and resolution, selectively modulating the analytes interaction with the stationary phase. The use of zwitterionic MES or acetate mobile phases strongly modulated the analytes migration order and peak efficiency. The optimum experimental conditions were found in MES buffer, pH 5.0, containing the 75% acetonitrile-methanol (1:1). All the analytes were baseline separated in a mixture in less than 13 min with peak efficiencies in the range of 78,500-84,200 N/m. Under these conditions the analytes were negatively charged and their effective electrophoretic mobilities played a role in the separation. The analysis of different pharmaceutical preparations containing anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. drops and tablets, is also presented after a very simple sample pretreatment.     

Preparation and evaluation of a neutral methacrylate-based monolithic column for hydrophilic interaction stationary phase by pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A polar and neutral polymethacrylate-based monolithic column was evaluated as a hydrophilic interaction capillary electrochromatography (HI-CEC) stationary phase with small polar–neutral or charged solutes. The polar sites on the surface of the monolithic solid phase responsible for hydrophilic interactions were provided from the hydroxy and ester groups on the surface of the monolithic stationary phase. These polar functionalities also attract ions from the mobile phase and impart the monolithic solid phase with a given zeta potential to generate electro-osmotic flow (EOF). The monolith was prepared by in situ copolymerization of a neutral monomer 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and a polar cross-linker with hydroxy group, pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA), in the presence of a binary porogenic solvent consisting cyclohexanol and dodecanol. A typical HI-CEC mechanism was observed on the neutral polar stationary phase for both neutral and charged analytes. The composition of the polymerization mixture was systematically altered and optimized by altering the amount of HEMA in the polymerization solution as well as the composition of the porogenic solvent. The monoliths were tested in the pCEC mode. The resulting monoliths had different characteristics of hydrophilicity, column permeability, and efficiency. The effects of pH, salt concentration, and organic solvent content on the EOF velocity and the separation of nucleic acids and nucleosides on the optimized monolithic column were investigated. The optimized monolithic column resulted in good separation and with greater than 140,000 theoretical plates/m for pCEC.