An approach for measuring peak area of an overlapped peak pair

Summary Based on the exponentially modified Gaussian (EMG) function, a new approach is presented for the quantitation of a partially overlapped peak pair. This approach can be employed in a wide range of peak area ratio and asymmetry, provided that the relative valley between the two peaks is not greater than 55%. The first peak area is calculated by the use of the ratio of the front half-width at height fraction 0.1 to that at heigt fraction 0.5. The second peak area is calculated by subtracing the first peak area from the total area which is provided by a microprocessor-based integrator. The relative error for the first peak never exceeds ±5%, but this is not always the case for the second peak. The relative error for the second peak depends not only on the accuracy of the total area and that of the first peak area but on area ratio as well.     

Semi-automated peak trapping recycle chromatography instrument for peak purity investigations

A peak trapping recycle chromatography system has been developed and optimized for peak purity assessment of active pharmaceutical ingredients analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After being analyzed using a reversed phase analytical column, peaks of interest are trapped and are subsequently introduced to a recycle chromatography system. In addition to the increased effective length afforded the recycling system, the small selectivity difference between the analytical and recycling methods help separate potential impurities under the main peak. For more difficult to separate components, the increased efficiency of recycle chromatography provides the necessary resolution. Over 227,000 theoretical plates have been obtained in the recycle dimension for some compounds. The sensitivity of the system fell short of the target (0.1%), but it did show sensitivity (0.5%) comparable to other peak purity techniques commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. The recovery and repeatability have also been shown to be adequate for peak purity assessment. The system has also been automated using a Visual Basic macro, simplifying the interface allowing it to be used as an open access instrument.     

Specific rotation measurements from peak height data, with a Gaussian peak model

A method is described whereby a sensitive laser-based polarimeter can be used to make very accurate and precise specific rotation measurements on microgram quantities of optically active materials. Flow-injection or liquid chromatography systems provide reproducible introduction of the sample into the polarimetric system. If a Gaussian distribution of the analyte concentration is assumed, the peak height can be used in the determination of specific rotation. This method provides a direct calibration with an absolute standard which yields more accurate and precise results than those obtainable by using peak area.     

Information theory of optimization in chromatography: Optimum peak separation and dependency on peak area

Summary If a peak (j=2) moves along the time axis of a chromatogram with no change in the position ₁ of the other peak (j=1) or in areas A₁ and A₂, the optimum separation, _s, is defined as the resolution R_s which provides the maximum information, called FUMI, among all possible positions ₂ of the peak (₂₁). This paper demonstrates that optimum separation, _s, of chromatographic peaks critically depends on the peak areas. As the area ratio A₂/A₁ of overlapped peaks increases, greater separation (higher resolution R_s) is needed to obtain maximum information. The quantitative relationship between _s and A₂/A₁ is derived by computer simulation.     

Analysis of peak asymmetry in chromatography

The knowledge of the symmetry of chromatographic peaks is extremely important regarding the digital signal processing. The significant deviation of the peak shape from the symmetrical peak makes hardly possible the acquisition of chromatographic signal information, such as the retention time, the peak area, the peak width at half peak height, the peak overlapping, etc. In the literature one can find many methods for the determination of the asymmetry factor. For example it is suitable to calculate the skewness from the third central moment. However in case of noisy baseline the value of the skewness oscillates highly depending on the number of points used for the mathematical calculation. In this work a new method is presented for the determination peak shape asymmetry. We order mathematical function to the chromatographic peaks by fitting, and then symmetrical curve is generated with the same peak maximum position and height, the peak width is fitted. The difference of the two functions is constituted and areas of the data differences are calculated, which are really characteristics of the peak asymmetry. Correlation between the area of the difference signal and the asymmetry factor is established. The method was applied for different types of chromatographic peak shapes and the results were interpreted.     

The scope of metastable peak observations

This short review focuses attention upon the present status of metastable ion studies with emphasis upon the relationship between metastable peak shapes, ion structur and fragmentation mechanisms. Some recommendations are made concerning nomenclature and the reporting of observations on Gaussian-type metastable peaks. Experimental methods for recording relative abundances of metastable peaks are critically appraised. The relationship between metastable ion phenomena and isomerization of gaseous ions is reviewed with particular attention drawn to the effect of rate-determining isomerizations. The shapes of Gaussian-type metastable peaks are discussed in some detail and selected examples from recent studies are used to show that such peaks may, by appropriate experiments, be separated into two Gaussian-type components thus revealing new features of the fragmentation reaction. The magnitude and significance of released kinetic energies, T, are considered and it is stated that few conclusions can be drawn from the evaluation of T alone; the importance of accurate thermochemical data as an aid to understanding and interpreting kinetic energy release data is emphasized. Other topics discussed include composite metastable peaks, metastable peaks produced in chemical ionization and field ionization and the partitioning of internal energy of the fragmenting ion into translational degrees of freedom of the products, for reactions with and without a reverse energy barrier.     

Thermophysical theory of DSC melting peak

Melting peak for metals is described with expressions derived from thermophysical consideration of DSC operation. Three parameters govern the shape of the peak: thermophysical coefficient derived from the DSC design, enthalpy of fusion of a sample, and heating rate. Rigorous evaluation yields rather complex expressions, but simplified expressions can be used in common practice. The peak shape is described by two different expressions for two separate stages in the process of metal melting (1) the melting itself and (2) heat relaxation after the melting completion. The validity of the expressions was demonstrated after the experiments on gallium melting. The thermophysical coefficient is shown be affected to small variations by the changes in sample preparation or experimental conditions (melting Ga, In, Zn).     

Automatic peak detection in chromatography

Summary A modified derivative of chromatographic signal is proposed for detection of the appearance of a new peak. The method is shown to yield peak areas of good precision even in very noisy systems.This paper is dedicated to Dr. Leslie Ettre on his 60th birthday.     

Influence of the peak height distribution on separation performances: Discrimination factor and effective peak capacity

Summary A new index of performance of the chromatographic separation between two adjacent peaks, the discrimination factor, d₀, is defined. It is normalized between 0 and 1 and is directly and easily determined from the chromatogram. It does not depend on any assumption regarding peak shape, except that the peak profiles of individual sample components have a single mode. Its value depends on the relative heights of the two peaks as well as on their separation. The separation power of a chromatographic system is classically measured by its peak capacity, defined on the basis of constant resolution between adjacent peaks. A previously developed statistical theory of the composition of mixtures makes it possible to extend the concept of peak capacity by taking into account the peak height distribution in typical average chromatograms. A new parameter, the effective peak capacity, is defined for this purpose on the basis of a constant discrimination factor between adjacent peaks. It allows to take into account the distribution of peak heights in statistical theories of the evaluation of complex chromatograms and in the measurement of the limit of determination in quantitative analysis. The characteristics of the two new parameters, the discrimination factor and effective peak capacity, are discussed and compared with those of their classical homologs, resolution and peak capacity, in the case of gaussian component peaks of equal widths.     

Criterion for an EMG peak

Summary The criterion for an exponentially modified Gaussian (EMG) peak presented is based on the rule of the peak width for an EMG peak. An EMG peak can be judged by the agreement between the value of the peak width calculated from this rule and that measured from a real chromatographic peak.     

Parcel model for peak shapes in chromatography numerical verification of the temporal distortion effect to peak asymmetry

The traditional plate concept has been reassessed and improved to a parcel matrix model, which can be used to imitate the chromatographic behavior of a hypothetic column on a computer worksheet. Under programmed conditions, various peak shapes (nearly Gaussian, and with prolonged or fronting tails) are generated. The peak tailing has been separated into two major fractions: spatial and temporal. The former fraction is caused by the retention nature of a column, whereas the latter is induced by the observer's relative position and the changing of the zone broadening rate. The temporal distortion effect can be identified qualitatively and quantitatively through a normalized peak-overlapping process. In general, a chromatographic peak may carry a prolonged (or normal type) tail under linear isotherms, while both prolonged and fronting tails will appear under non-linear conditions. The temporal distortion is proved to be significant, and may be regarded as the major cause of peak asymmetry in most cases. This is in contrast to the conclusions of many previous studies. The model is also eligible to simulate chromatographic peaks for various injection sizes.     

Theory of peak capacity in gradient elution

Peak capacity is the best measure of the performance of a gradient separation. In this paper, the theory of peak capacity for the standard operating conditions of reversed-phase and ion-exchange chromatography is outlined. The influence of the operating conditions on the peak capacity of a separation are discussed. Finally, bandspreading phenomena in gradient chromatography are analyzed.     

Gamma peak search and peak fitting algorithm for a low-resolution detector with applications in gamma spectroscopy

A Savitzky–Golay filtering for smoothing and peak search written in Python is presented in this paper alongside its applications in the list-mode digital data acquisition dual gamma–gamma coincidence bismuth germanate (BGO) detector. The study has demonstrated that the software provides a reliable and effective way to quantify trace amounts of ²²Na and ⁷Be in aerosol samples collected at Resolute Bay, Canada with a critical limit of 3 mBq and 5 Bq respectively for a 20 h counting interval, which are believed to be the inherent limitations of the dual-BGO system.

     

The peak width of nearly Gaussian peaks

Summary In chromatography the peak shape is often described by the method of statistical moments and therefore the second central moment is considered as the correct measure of peak width. Using the exponentially modified Gaussian peak model as an example and a criterion more related to chromatography, the extent of separation, it is shown that for nearly Gaussian peaks the width measured at 1/8 of the peak height is a more meaningful width parameter to evaluate the efficiency of chromatography and the resolution. The second central moment gives too much weight to the remote parts of the tail of the usual, somewhat skewed, peak.     

Simulation of peak profiles in non-linear HPLC

Summary The possibilities and domain of applicability of the ideal chromatography model for calculating peak profiles in non-linear chromatography are analyzed. For this purpose we used the main conclusion of the model of a layer of equilibrium adsorption (LEA model), which determines the difference between ideal and non-ideal chromatography in terms of the relative length of a chromatographic column. It is shown that the experimental data of non-linear high-performance liquid chromatography can be approximated in terms of the elementary analytical relations known in the theory of ideal chromatography.     

Metastable peak study in methylactophenone isomers

The relative intensity of the metastable peaks at 70 eV appearing at m/z 105.7 and 69.6 in the mass spectra of methylacetophenone isomers, as well as the kinetic energy (T_1/2) released with the peaks at 14 and 70 eV respectively, are reported. The profile of all the metastable peaks studied has been found to be approximately flat-topped. For the same transition it is found that the kinetic energy released with the metastable peaks formed by unimolecular decomposition of the three isomers decreases from the ortho to the para isomer. In addition, the kinetic energy released during the same transition is found to be roughly directly proportional to their corresponding intensity ratios. This result, together with the observation that the energy released with each metastable peak decreases by lowering the electron energy, may reveal the role of the internal energy of the reacting ions in producing the kinetic energy associated with the metastable peaks produced from methylacetophenone isomers.     

Use of high-performance liquid chromatographic peak deconvolution and peak labelling to identify antiparasitic components in plant extracts.

Artemisia absynthium L. is a commonly used medicinal plant for parasitic diseases all over the world. By means of high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection and the PU6100 solvent optimization system, two sesquiterpene lactones, alpha-santonin and ketopelenolid-A, were tentatively identified in methanolic extracts of this plant. alpha-Santonin is a well known antiparasitic compound and could be one of the active principles of this plant species. Reconstructed spectra are potentially useful in scanning a complex chromatogram for pharmacologically active compounds.     

Feasibility of peak volume,side pixel and multiple peak registration in high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry

In high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS AAS) with a pixel detector, such as a charge-coupled device array for signal registration, the absorbance A not only depends on the absorption coefficient, the length of the absorbing layer and the number of absorbing atoms therein, but also on the spectral interval over which the signal is recorded, i.e., the spectral bandwidth per pixel and the number of pixels evaluated. Although the problem of different (absorption and emission) line widths is known for several decades already to exist in conventional line source AAS, it is usually disregarded. By choosing a certain number of pixels in HR-CS AAS a defined wavelength interval can be selected over which the absorbance is recorded. As the numerical values obtained this way are not directly comparable with the conventional absorbance, it is necessary to define new terms and symbols for this kind of signal evaluation. With a steady-state signal the individual pixel absorbance values can be added or integrated, resulting in the unit-free wavelength-selected absorbance (WSA, symbol A_Σ), or the wavelength-integrated absorbance (WIA, symbol A_λ) having a wavelength unit, such as picometers (pm). Similarly, with transient signals one can add-up or integrate (over wavelength) the individual integrated (in time) absorbance values of the selected pixels to obtain the volume under the absorbance peak. This results in the peak volume selected absorbance (PVSA, symbol A_Σ,int), and the peak volume integrated absorbance (PVIA, symbol A_λ,int), with the units second (s) and second times picometer (s pm), respectively. For comparison purposes, however, the integrated absorbance values, i.e., WIA or PVIA, should be used since they are instrument-independent.