A spark modulator for correlation chromatography

Summary A spark modulator has been tested as an injection system for correlation gas chromatography. An air/hydrocarbon vapour mixture was used as the carrier gas. Single negative sample injections were performed using a single spark period. The experiments resulted in negative sample peaks and a positive product peak. The intensity of all peaks showed a characteristic dependence on the spark frequency and power used. Ghostpeaks were absent when a correlation experiment was performed with a high concentration of a test compound in pure air. The signal to noise ratio enhancement however, was lower than the theoretical value. More experiments are necessary to expalain this phenomenon.     

Comparison of methods to enhance flame ionization detector (FID) signals in gas chromatography

The performances of some numerical methods to improve the signal to noise ratio are compared and applied to enhance noisy signals obtained in gas chromatography with capillary columns and a flame Ionization detector. Several methods have been considered: cutoffs In the Fourier transform of the recorded signal; real time numerical filtering; theoretical model curve fitting; and the correlation of a chromatogram recorded from a pseudorandomly injected sample with the pseudorandom injection function. Numerical real time filtering is shown to be the most convenient method when the main periodic component of the noise has been determined by Fourier analysis.     

Control of column influence on the wide range pH gradient in ion-exchange chromatography

Summary A method for optimization of the mobile phase composition in ion exchange chromatography with a wide range external pH gradient (approx. over 5 pH units) has been formulated. It is shown that programming of various wide range pH profiles which are not impaired by buffer interactions of the mobile phase with sorbent is possible. Utilization of the wide range external pH gradient in cation-exchange chromatography of bovine haemoglobin is also demonstrated.     

High performance microcolumn exclusion chromatography of proteins and peptides

A new method for the determination of the molecular weight of proteins and peptides has been developed. It is based on microcolumn exclusion chromatography in trifluoroacetic acid on silica gel sorbents of different porosities with a linear molecular-weight calibration dependence in the range of 5 × 10² - 7 × 10⁴ Da. It was shown that in this eluent proteins and peptides adopt the random-coil conformation and do not undergo hydrolysis for 2–3 days at room temperature.     

Comprehensive analysis of fatty alcohol ethoxylates by ultra high pressure hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled with ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry using a custom‐designed sub‐2 μm column

Comprehensive analysis of fatty alcohol ethoxylates has been conducted by coupling ultra high pressure hydrophilic interaction chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry. A custom‐designed sub‐2 μm column was used for the chromatographic separation of fatty alcohol ethoxylates by hydrophilic interaction chromatography. Ion mobility spectrometry provided a post‐ionization resolution during a very short period of 6.4 ms. Distinguishable families of singly, doubly, and triply charged fatty alcohol ethoxylates were clearly observed. By virtue of the combination of hydrophilic interaction chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry, comprehensive resolution based on both hydrophobicity difference and mobility disparity has been achieved for fatty alcohol ethoxylates. The orthogonality of the developed separation and analysis system was evaluated with the correlation coefficient and peak spreading angle of 0.0224 and 88.72°, respectively. The actual peak capacity obtained was individually 40 and 193 times than those when hydrophilic interaction chromatography and ion mobility spectrometry were used alone. The collision cross‐sections of fatty alcohol ethoxylates were calculated by calibrating the traveling wave ion mobility device with polyalanine.     

Theoretical considerations for zone electrophoretic sample treatment in liquid chromatography

Summary In this paper a concept is proposed for the selective isolation of ionogenic, low-molecular weight compounds from biological samples prior to a determination by liquid chromatography. The basis for this sample treatment method is free zone electrophoresis in a system of capillaries connected by switching valves. The influence of various parameters (the geometry of the capillaries, the conductivity of the sample and the buffers used, protein binding) on the selectivity of the method is discussed. A strategy to study reversible protein binding of ionogenic compounds is indicated. Calculations have been performed to estimate the temperature increase of the solutions during the electrophoretic process. It is shown that for a given amount of sample to be introduced and a maximum time allowed for the procedure, the temperature increase is the smallest when wide capillaries are used. Equations are given describing the zone broadening caused by diffusion, by differences in temperature and by unequal migration path lengths in bent capillaries. It is shown that in this respect the use of narrow capillaries is usually preferable. A compromise has to be found starting from the boundary conditions on loadability and speed imposed by the chromatographic determination.     

Comparison of methods for the determination of diffusion coefficients of polymers in dilute solutions: The influence of polydispersity

A comparison between various methods to determine diffusion coefficients of polymers in dilute solutions has been made. It is shown that Taylor dispersion analysis (TDA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), hydrodynamic chromatography (HDC), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) can all be used to accurately determine diffusion coefficients when the polymer samples have low polydispersities. By the analysis of a series of practically representative styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) samples, it is shown that polydispersity of the samples and the presence of low‐molecular‐mass material cause considerable differences between the methods. It was found that TDA is mostly disturbed by the presence of low‐molecular‐mass material, whereas DLS is more sensitive to the polydispersity of the polymer. With broad samples, DLS gives the Z‐average diffusion coefficient. SEC can be used to obtain a diffusion coefficient distribution as well as an average diffusion coefficient of a polydisperse sample. Although, the same was expected for HDC, it was found that this method could only be successfully used for polymer samples having low polydispersities. Deviations between SEC, HDC, and TDA found for narrow samples were not related to the chemical composition of the samples. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 593–603, 1999     

Screening of cannabinoids in industrial‐grade hemp using two‐dimensional liquid chromatography coupled with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection

Widely known for its recreational use, the cannabis plant also has the potential to act as an antibacterial agent in the medicinal field. The analysis of cannabis plants/products in both pharmacological and forensic studies often requires the separation of compounds of interest and/or accurate identification of the whole cannabinoid profile. In order to provide a complete separation and detection of cannabinoids, a new two‐dimensional liquid chromatography method has been developed using acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection, which has been shown to be selective for cannabinoids. This was carried out using a Luna 100 Å CN column and a Poroshell 120 EC‐C₁₈ column in the first and second dimensions, respectively. The method has utilized a large amount of the available separation space with a spreading angle of 48.4° and a correlation of 0.66 allowing the determination of more than 120 constituents and mass spectral identification of ten cannabinoids in a single analytical run. The method has the potential to improve research involved in the characterization of sensitive, complex matrices.     

Simplex-optimization with a new criterion. Applications to dual-column ion chromatography

A new optimization criterion for chromatography is presented. It was designed to evaluate the quality of chromatograms in a way similar to human estimation. Selectivity, efficiency, and time of analysis as well as the number of peaks were taken into account. The criterion has been tested in comparison with expert estimations and some modern criteria. A better agreement of the new criterion with human estimation of chromatographic quality compared to some literature criteria is shown. A number of successful optimization runs has been performed using the criterion together with simplex optimization.     

Investigation of some modes of flat-bed chromatography

A comparison of different chromatographic methods is presented: column liquid chromatography (CLC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and continuous-elution flat-bed chromatography (CEFBC), which is in fact a combination of the first two methods. In CEFBC a sample is applied to a sorbent layer in a steady flow of eluent, and the components are detected directly on the layer, or immediately upon leaving it, during the separation process. It is shown that evaluation of the separation processes in CEFBC is best accomplished in terms of the parameters applicable in CLC. The reproducibility of the analytical results obtained by CEFBC is better than in the case of TLC by a factor of 6 to 10, and approaches that known for CLC.     

Determination of micelle-solute association constants of some benzene and naphthalene derivatives by micellar high-performance liquid chromatography with butanol and sodium chloride additives to mobile phase

Summary The interaction between some benzene and naphthalene derivatives and sodium dodecyl sulphate and hexadecyltri-methylammonium bromide in the presence of n-butanol and sodium chloride has been evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography using micellar mobile phases. Micelle-solute association constants are given for the compounds investigated. The results show that addition of n-butanol to the mobile phase decreases the association constant values relative to those in the absence of any additive. Conversely, when sodium chloride is added to the mobile phase, an increase of the association constant is obtained in most cases. Good correlation between free energy of transfer for water-micelles and for octanol-water has been observed.     

Characterization of Compounds Acting on the α1A Adrenergic Receptor from Caulis spatholobi by Cell Membrane Chromatography with Possible Application for Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Tamsulosin hydrochloride is a commonly used drug for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia which is a disease affecting elderly men. However, adverse reactions may occur when tamsulosin hydrochloride is used for long-term treatment. Caulis spatholobi is a traditional Chinese medicine with many pharmacological effects. In this study, a cell membrane chromatography column was combined with high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to determine the active compounds acting on α1A adrenergic receptor from Caulis spatholobi. Formononetin was shown to be active on the α1A adrenergic receptor. This was investigated by a competitive binding assay that demonstrated that tamsulosin hydrochloride and formononetin employ the same binding sites. Thus, formononetin is a potential α1A adrenergic receptor antagonist for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia.     

Resolution and assignment of the configuration of secondary aliphatic alcohols by gas chromatography on chiral phase

Summary The study of the resolution of sixteen secondary aliphatic alcohols by gas chromatography on (+)-dodecyl (2R, 3R)-tartrate, trapping the ascending part of the peak from a conventional filled column, has allowed the determination in a single operation of the sign and order of emergence of enantiomers. A correlation between the configuration of these secondary alcohols and their order of emergence has been established.     

亲和色谱中配基的筛选与应用

亲和配基的选择与筛选是发展新的亲和色谱填料或构建一个新的亲和色谱体系所必须解决的首要问题。该文结合作者所在实验室的工作,对配基的选择、筛选与应用方面的一些进展进行了简要评述。作者所在实验室针对特定蛋白质和多肽的多肽亲和配基的筛选,开展了反义肽简并性的研究,发展了基于反义肽的组合化学筛选新方法。与常规的组合合成法相比,该方法简单、快捷、有效,极大地减小了合成和筛选的工作量,降低了筛选后亲和组分结构鉴定的难度。所建立的筛选策略已应用于流感病毒、严重急性呼吸道综合征(SARS)病毒亲和抑制剂的筛选和用于人β-干扰素测定的石英晶体微天平（QCM）生物传感器的构建,均取得了有意义的结果。     

气相色谱法测定口服液中神经酸的含量

提供了一种准确测定口服液中神经酸含量的方法。样品经预处理后,用BF3－CH3OH酯化,以邻苯二甲酸二壬酯为内标测定口服液中神经酸含量。所提供的方法线性范围为0．3～3g／L,平均回收率为97．04％,RSD为0．90％,经空白试验,对神经酸含量测定无干扰。     

Monolithic columns based on a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-methacrylic acid) copolymer for capillary liquid chromatography of small organic molecules

A very simple and readily performed method is described for the preparation of poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-methacrylic acid) monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography. The effect of the methacrylic acid content on the morphological and chromatographic properties has been investigated. Methacrylic acid is shown to be essential for isocratic separations of small organic analytes by capillary liquid chromatography. Column efficiencies of about 28,000 theoretical plates/m have been obtained for all the test compounds. The batch-to-batch and run-to-run repeatability of the retention times is better than 1.5%.     

High Temperature Interaction Chromatography of Olefin Copolymers

Summary: The synthesis and characterization of polyolefins continues to be one of the most important areas for academic and industrial polymer research. One consequence of the development of new “tailor-made” polyolefins is the need for new and improved analytical techniques for the analysis of polyolefins with respect to molar mass and chemical composition distribution. The present article briefly reviews different new and relevant chromatographic techniques for polyolefin analysis. For the fast analysis of the chemical composition distribution of polyolefins a new high-temperature gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system has been introduced. The efficiency of this system for the separation of various olefin copolymers is demonstrated. The correlation between elution volume and chemical composition can be accessed by on-line coupling of high temperature HPLC with FTIR spectroscopy. For the elucidation of the chemical composition as a function of molar mass high-temperature size exclusion chromatography and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy can be coupled. It is shown that the on-line NMR analysis of chromatographic fractions yields information on microstructure and chemical composition in addition to molar mass distribution.     

Siloxane/silarylene copolymers as stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography. Part II: Phenylsubstituted polymers

A commercially available silanol terminated silicone stationary phase, OV-61-OH (33% phenyl), and two phenyl-substituted siloxane/silarylene copolymers, Sila 3 (27% phenyl) and 4 (35% phenyl), have been evaluated for use as stationary phases in fused silica capillary columns for gas chromatography. Ulterations in column adsorptive activity, separation efficiency, stationary phase film thickness and selectivity after column conditioning for 50 h at 370°C have been studied. A high thermal stability was experienced with the stationary phases tested here. For OV-61-OH, the best thermal stability was obtained when coated on untreated fused silica, which illustrates the importance of grafting reactions here. The heat treatment resulted in some deactivation of adsorptive sites in the column. A higher degree of column deactivation was achieved when surface silylation was performed prior to coating. High thermal stability was achieved with Sila 3 when coated on such surfaces. Sila 3 would thus be preferred in cases when high thermal stability in combination with high dsorptive inertness is desired. Sila 4 showed low column bleeding at 370 °C, but prolonged heating at this temperature resulted in the broadening of n-alkane peaks when eluted at 90 °C. This indicates that excessive crosslinking has taken place during the heat treatment and the minimum allowable column operation temperature is thereby increased to ca. 120 °C. The separation of aza-arenes and of triglycerides are shown as applications.     

Unified chromatography: Fundamentals,instrumentation and applications†

The concept of unified chromatography has been in existence for 50 years after the work of Giddings proposing that all modes of chromatography (gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and so on) may be treated together under a single unified theory. His idea was partially fulfilled 23 years later by Ishii, Takeuchi and colleagues, who demonstrated for the first time the possibility to analyze a complex sample containing substances with a wide range of boiling points and polarities in the same instrument and column, just by varying the mobile phase pressure and temperature to change from one chromatographic mode to another. This approach has been demonstrated through application to the separation of complex mixtures in several areas including crude oil, edible oils and polymers. Still, unified chromatography has not yet been fully developed. In the present work, we will review the fundamentals, instrumentation and several applications of the technique. Also discussed are the drawbacks that still hinder development, as well as the recent developments and trends in instrumentation and columns that suggest the most feasible ways forward to the full development of unified chromatography.