Limits of separation of a multi-capillary column with mixtures of volatile organic compounds for a flame ionization detector and a differential mobility detector

The resolving power of a multi-capillary column (MCC) was evaluated using 14 mixtures of volatile organic compounds with known composition and complexity which was incremented stepwise up to 129 constituents. The number of constituents in these mixtures versus the number of components separated and detected with a flame ionization detector showed a proportional rise, with a decreasing slope, to 76 peaks after which a plateau was reached. This was improved 23.7% to 94 constituents, or 73% of all compounds in the mixture, after simplex optimization of carrier gas linear velocity, initial temperature and program rate. When the detection method was differential mobility spectrometry (DMS), additional selectivity was introduced through ion formation and separation. Fifty nine compounds were detected by DMS and 46 were separated by retention time; 13 were co-eluted and 7 of these were resolved by differential ion mobility (90% of all components ionized). A correlation of −0.412 between retention time for gas chromatography (GC) and differential mobility for DMS suggested a significant level of orthogonal character and the method of GC–DMS should not be seen as sequential only.     

Determination of trace organic chlorides in hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles by gas chromatography coupled with ion mobility spectrometry

A method for the determination of organic chlorides in hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles by gas chromatography coupled with ion mobility spectrometry was established. Organic chlorides were separated by a non-polar gas chromatography column and detected in the negative ion mode of the ion mobility spectrometer. The effect of operating parameters of ion mobility spectrometer including drift gas flow rate and drift tube temperature on sensitivity and resolution were evaluated. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of seven organic chlorides were from 0.65 to 6.73 nmol/mol, which met the requirement of detection for the specification limit of 50 nmol/mol of total halogen impurities in hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. Compared with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography coupled with electron capture detector under the same gas chromatography conditions, gas chromatography coupled with ion mobility spectrometry method demonstrated higher sensitivity for detection of organic chlorides under study. Based on the portability of the device and its detection capabilities, gas chromatography coupled with ion mobility spectrometry has the potential to perform online detection of impurities in hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles.     

Ion mobility detection after supercritical fluid chromatography

Using a unidirectional flow ion mobility detector, non-selective detection, tunable selective detection, and complete Fourier transformed ion mobility spectra were successfully obtained after supercritical fluid chromatography on compounds with higher molecular weights than have been previously investigated. In the most selective mode, single oligomers from polymeric material could be independently detected. Using the Fourier transform capabilities of this instrument, complete ion mobility spectra for each oligomer could be obtained in a single chromatographic separation. The collection of individual ion mobility spectra of the components of polymeric material has not been possible prior to the technique described in this paper. Only complex ion mobility spectra of polymeric mixtures are available in the literature. The spectra obtained in this study are all simple, uncomplicated spectra consisting of only one or two product ion peaks. K_o values reported in this work range from 0.633 to 1.61, which are some of the lowest values ever reported in ion mobility spectrometry. With the unidirectional flow design of the detector, the supercritical fluid mobile phase, carbon dioxide, was efficiently eliminated from the detector so that the ion mobility spectrometer could be operated in its normal manner. The fact that CO₂ did not interfere with normal ion mobility operation indicates that other supercritical fluids may also be compatible with this sensitive and versatile detection method.     

Micro-machined planar field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer as a gas chromatographic detector

A planar high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (PFAIMS) with a micro-machined drift tube was characterized as a detector for capillary gas chromatography. The performance of the PFAIMS was compared directly to that of a flame ionization detector (FID) for the separation of a ketone mixture from butanone to decanone. Effluent from the column was continuously sampled by the detector and mobility scans could be obtained throughout the chromatographic analysis providing chemical inforrmation in mobility scans orthogonal to retention time. Limits of detection were approximately I ng for measurement of positive ions and were comparable or slightly better than those for the FID. Direct comparison of calibration curves for the FAIMS and the FID was possible over four orders of magnitude with a semi-log plot. The concentration dependence of the PFAIMS mobility scans showed the dependence between ion intensity and ion clustering, evident in other mobility spectrometers and atmospheric pressure ionization technologies. Ions were identified using mass spectrometry as the protonated monomer and the proton bound dimer of the ketones. Residence time for column effluent in the PFAIMS was calculated as approximately 1 ms and a 36% increase in extra-column broadening versus the FID occurred with the PFAIMS.     

Selective detection of underivatized 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in soil by supercritical fluid chromatography with ion mobility detection

A simplified procedure was developed for the determination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in soils. Soil samples were separated by supercritical fluid chromatography after extraction without derivatization and without the use of column chromatography for cleanup. Interferences in the chromatographic separation were eliminated by using a tunably selective ion mobility detector. An atmospheric pressure ion formed by the free acid was selectively monitored so the detector could monitor 2,4-D in the presence of other electron-capturing compounds. For a randomly chosen soil sample, the level of 2,4-D detected was estimated at 500 ppb.     

Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/ion mobility spectrometry of chlorophenols with full flow from large bore LC columns

Chlorophenols (CPs) as a mixture of fourteen congeners from mono- to pentachlorophenol were determined using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/ion mobility spectrometry (LC/ESI/IMS) to describe the response and analytical performance of a mobility spectrometer as a detector for liquid chromatography. The mobility spectrometer was equipped with an interface so that flows from a large bore column could be electrosprayed directly into the drift tube at flow rates up to 500 μL/min without splitting of flow. A linear gradient of the mobile phase from 40% to 90% methanol and 60% to 10% acetic acid (AcOH)–ammonium acetate buffer solution over 40 min with a C18 column provided baseline separations though mobility spectra for CPs were influenced by mobile phase composition. Product ions formed from CPs with ESI included phenoxide anions CPO^?, AcOH·CPO^?, CPOH·CPO^?, and Na⁺·(CPO^?)₂ and were found to be governed by the drift gas temperature. Ions were identified using LC/ESI/mass spectrometry (MS) and supported by results from computational modeling. Quantitative response was affected by congener structure through the acidities of the OH moiety and by the composition of the mobile phase. Limits of detection ranged from 0.135 mg/L for 2,3,5-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol to 2.23 mg/L for 2-chlorophenol; corresponding linear ranges were 20 and 70.     

Enantiomeric separations of amino acids with inductively coupled plasma carbon emission detection

A chiral crown ether column with a pH 1.9 perchloric acid buffered aqueous mobile phase is used to separate amino acid enantiomers by high performance liquid chromatography. An inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer coupled to the chromatographic system is used as a detector by monitoring the carbon atomic emission line at 193.09 nm. Seven underivatized amino acids are separated and detected resulting in an average mass detection limit of 5 ng (2.5 ng carbon). The chiral crown ether column resolves compounds with a primary amino group near the chiral center by forming a complex between the crown ether and an ammonium ion moiety from the sample. The -form amino acid always elutes faster than its antipode. The carbon emission detector provides nearly identical sensitivities and similar detection limits for any compounds with comparable mass percents of carbon. Quantification is performed on unknown ratios of amino acids using an internal standard without the need for a calibration curve. Summing the calculated amounts of and amino acid and comparing to the known mixture quantity results in an average error of 1.0% for the seven amino acids separated.     

Evaluation of capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion mobility spectrometry with mass spectrometry detection

Due to the proteomics revolution, multi-dimensional separation and detection instruments are required to evaluate many peptides and proteins in single samples. In this study, electrospray ionization (ESI) ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) was evaluated as an additional separation after HPLC separations. Common HPLC mobile phase compositions (solvents, acid modifiers, and buffers) were assessed for the effect on ESI-IMS response. Up to 5 mM sodium phosphate, a non-volatile buffer, was able to be electrosprayed into the IMS without degradation of the instrumental performance. Due to the rapid separation times of IMS, multiple IMS spectra were obtained within a single HPLC peak. A five-peptide mixture was separated in a capillary HPLC column under isocratic conditions within 3 min. Coelution of two peaks due to non-optimal HPLC conditions occurred and these two peaks could not be distinguished by HPLC with UV detection. In contrast, the single ion mobility chromatograms provided separation of each peptide as well as providing a second degree of analyte identification (HPLC retention time and IMS mobility). Furthermore, IMS-MS analysis of the five peptides and comparison with HPLC retention times showed that each peptide had a unique retention time-ion mobility-mass to charge value. This work showed that IMS could be employed for direct separation and detection of HPLC eluents and also could be combined with HPLC-MS for three unique dimensions of separation.     

Fourier transform ion mobility spectrometry of barbiturates after capillary gas chromatography

This paper demonstrates a novel operating mode of an ion mobility detector (IMD) for obtaining both qualitative and quantitative data after capillary gas chromatographic separation of 5,5′-disubstituted barbiturates. Using a recently developed time dispersive Fourier transform method for ion mobility spectrometry, complete ion mobility spectra could be obtained for each component in the chromatogram. This type of spectra can be used for providing qualitative information on unknown compounds or for selecting the proper detector conditions needed when operating in the continuous mobility monitoring mode. In this study each of the five barbiturates investigated produced a Fourier transformed ion mobility spectrum containing one major product ion. When drift times corresponding to those of the product ions measured in the FT mode were monitored continuously, selective chromatographic detection of the barbiturates was achieved. In one case even isomers could be differentiated based on mobility characteristics.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of barbiturates using a hollow-fibre membrane for postcolumn pH modification

A sensitive, high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of barbiturates by postcolumn pH modification. The barbiturates (barbital, phenobarbital, hexobarbital and amobarbital) were separated on a C18 column using a mixture of methanol and water as an eluent. Then the pH of the eluent was raised to 10 by introducing ammonia or ammonium ion through a sulphonated hollow-fibre membrane inserted between the column and the detector. The detection was based on the primary ionized barbiturates at 240 nm. At barbiturate concentrations of 2.0 micrograms/ml, the within- and between-experiment precision (relative standard deviation) was 0.65-3.28 and 0.76-1.90%, respectively. The limits of detection were about 0.5-2.5 ng at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The method was applied to the determination of amobarbital in saliva.     

Electron capture ion mobility spectrometry for the selective detection of chlorinated and brominated species after capillary gas chromatography

This paper reports the first investigation of electron capture ion mobility spectrometry as a detection method for capillary gas chromatography. In previous work with negative ion mobility detection after gas chromatography, the principal reactant ion species were O₂^? or hydrated O₂^? due to the presence of oxygen in the drift gas. These molecular reactant ions have a mobility similar to chloride and bromide ions, which are the principal product ions formed by most halogenated organics via dissociative ion-molecule reactions. Oxygenated reactant ions thus interfere with the selective detection of chloride and bromide product ions. A recently described ion mobility detector design efficiently eliminated ambient impurities, including oxygen, from infiltrating the ionization region of the detector; consequently, in the negative mode of operation, the ionization species with N₂ drift gas were thermalized electrons. Thermalized electrons have a high mobility and their drift time occupies a region of the ion mobility spectrum not occupied by chloride, bromide, or other product ions. The result was improved selectivity for halogenated organics which ionize by dissociative electron capture. This was demonstrated by the selective detection of 4,4′-dibromobiphenyl from the components of a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture (Aroclor 1248).     

Evaluation of an ion mobility detector for supercritical fluid chromatography with solvent-modified carbon dioxide mobile phases

Summary An ion mobility detector (IMD) was evaluated for open tubular column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) when organic solvent-modified supercritical CO₂ was used as mobile phase. It was found that the SFC/IMD interface design in which the SFC capillaray restrictor was directly inserted into the ionization region of the IMD was not acceptable because of low sensitivity that resulted from the effect of the modifier on detector temperature and mechanism of detection. A new interface utilizing a heated nebulizer gas to provide heat to the restrictor and to minimize the formation of ion clusters, and a bent nozzle for enhancing the ionization efficiency of the solute in the IMD ion source are described. Using 5% acetonitrile in CO₂, the minimum detectable quantity (S/N=3) for pyrene was improved from 25.2 ng to 2.1 ng with the new detector design. This compares to a minimum detectable quantity of 0.1 ng when using neat CO₂ as mobile phase. The use of molecular connectivity calculations to predict the drift times of selected analytes is also successfully demonstrated.     

Column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic detection of pholcodine and its metabolites in urine with fluorescence and electrochemical detection.

A sensitive and selective method for the detection of pholcodine and its metabolite morphine in urine using high-performance liquid chromatography is described. It involves on-line clean-up of urine on a trace enrichment column packed with a polymeric strong cation-exchange material. Pholcodine and its metabolites were separated on two analytical columns with different selectivities. Pholcodine was detected by a fluorescence detector and morphine was detected electrochemically. One system, based on reversed-phase chromatography, applied a polystyrene-divinylbenzene column and gradient elution. The other system was based on normal-phase chromatography with a silica column and isocratic elution. Morphine was confirmed to be a metabolite of pholcodine by reversed-phase chromatography and electrochemical detection. Two unidentified metabolites of pholcodine were separated from pholcodine by normal-phase chromatography and detected by fluorescence detection.     

Quantitative determination of n-alkanethiols in air and in a blended gas mixture of methane with air by gas chromatography/differential mobility spectrometry

Mixtures of n-alkanethiols, in solution with equi-molar amounts from 0.5 to 360 ng per compound, were determined using gas chromatography (GC) with a differential mobility spectrometer, operated with a flow of air at ambient pressure, as the GC detector. A homologous series of n-alkanethiols with carbon number from two to six showed baseline resolution in the GC separation and positive and negative ion chromatograms were produced simultaneously for the alkanethiols. Differential mobility spectra showed compensation voltages characteristic of each alkanethiol and plots of ion intensity, retention time, and compensation voltage yield contour plots illustrating the second dimension of analytical selectivity provided by the detector. Another yet undeveloped dimension of analytical information was found in the dependence of mobility coefficients on electric field. Mass-analysis of ions from thiols showed a hydrogen abstracted ion, protonated monomers, and proton bound dimers. Linear ranges were narrow and the minimum detectable limits were ~1 ng. Response in positive polarity provided a ten-fold improvement in detection limits though spectra were more complex than for negative ions. In a methane-rich air atmosphere, intended to simulate ambient air or the detection of leaks from natural gas pipelines, the response to thiols with negative ions was not degraded by the methane up to 50% v/v, the highest level tested.     

离子色谱法定量检测酒曲发酵液中的河豚毒素

建立了一种离子色谱定量检测酒曲发酵液中河豚毒素的分析方法。样品经乙腈(含0.1%磷酸)溶液提取和阳离子交换柱净化后,采用离子交换色谱柱分离和紫外检测。在优化的条件下,酒曲样品中的河豚毒素在10～100 mg/L内呈良好的线性关系(r2=0.997),加标回收率为90%～103%,相对标准偏差小于4.9%,检出限(信噪比为3)为1.0 mg/L。结果表明,该方法能达到定量检测的目的。将该方法应用于实际样品的检测,验证了方法的可靠性。河豚毒素初步降解实验发现,随着时间的推移,酒曲中河豚毒素的含量逐渐减少,表明酒曲发酵液对河豚毒素的降解效果显著。     

Determination of triazine pesticides by high-performance liquid chromatography with swept-potential electrochemical detection

A swept-potential electrochemical detector, operating in the square-wave voltammetric mode, is used to detect a mixture of five triazine pesticides separated on a reverse-phase resin column. Limits of detection are below 1 ng injected. Two compounds, not completely separated by the column, are resolved on the potential axis.     

Evaluation of the Plasma Chromatograph as a Qualitative Detector for Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

The applicability of the plasma chromatograph as a sensitive, qualitative detector for liquid chromatography (LC) is demonstrated. Only a fraction of an LC column effluent directly introduced is needed to produce a qualitative mobility spectrum. Most LC carrier fluids either exhibit no response in plasma chromatographic spectra or do not interfere with LC peak components. Using an indirect technique, components separated by TLC can be identified by plasma chromatography.     

Simultaneous determination of twelve inorganic and organic arsenic compounds by liquid chromatography-ultraviolet irradiation-hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

A coupling between column liquid chromatography (LC) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry was developed for arsenic speciation. After separation, the compounds are oxidised on-line by UV irradiation, volatilised by hydride-generation and carried to the detector by a stream of argon. A combination of anion-exchange and hydrophobic interactions in a single column (Dionex AS7) was found suitable for the simultaneous separation of organic and inorganic species. Twelve compounds (arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, trimethylarsine oxide, tetramethylarsonium ion and four arsenosugars) were separated using an acetate buffer and a nitric acid solution as mobile phases. Limits of detection are 4-22 pg. The technique was applied to three marine samples. Arsenobetaine was detected as the main species in all samples, with concentrations varying from 59 to 1947 ng(As) g(-1) of fresh mass.     

Separation and characterisation of sphingoceramides by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry

We developed a simple and reliable analytical method for the quantification and the characterization of ceramides extracted from biological samples by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (ESI/MS/MS). The chromatographic separation of analytes was carried out in a RP8 column, eluting with a methanol-water mixture in gradient elution mode. The separated lipids were detected by total ion monitoring and characterised by MS/MS spectra; quantitative analysis was performed by integrating the extracted ion peaks obtained in the negative ion mode. Good repeatability was obtained for retention time (0.3-2%), peak area ratio (A(S)/A(IS), 2-8%), as well as limit of detection (LOD, 5-26 pg) and quantification (LOQ, 13-53 pg). The method was validated for the analysis of N-palmitoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (Cer16), N-stearoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (Cer18), N-tetracosanoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (N24:0, lignoceric ceramide, Cer24:0), and N-tetracos-15'-enoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (N24:1, nervonic ceramide, Cer24:1), giving good results. Lipid mixtures, extracted from skin and epidermal cells, were analysed for their content of the studied ceramides.     

纳升电喷雾-离子迁移谱及其与高效液相色谱的联用

搭建了一套纳升级电喷雾-离子源离子迁移谱仪。首先,分别对尾吹气流速、溶剂流速等影响仪器去溶剂化效果的参数进行了研究和优化。在此基础上,用一系列胺类化合物对该仪器的去溶剂化效果、分辨能力以及灵敏度进行了表征。实验结果表明,该仪器能够对电喷雾离子液滴实现完全去溶剂化;三辛胺的检出限可以达到10 μg/L。最后,将该仪器用作高效液相色谱的检测器,在无需衍生化的条件下对胺类混合物样品进行检测。由三乙胺、二乙胺以及丁胺组成的混合样品被成功分离并测定。该系统对三乙胺、二乙胺以及丁胺的线性响应范围均达到近两个数量级。