Poly(ethylene oxide)-bonded stationary phase for capillary ion chromatography

Methyl-capped poly(ethylene oxide) moieties were chemically bonded to silica gel using an amine-reactive modification reagent and evaluated as the stationary phase for ion chromatography. In this work, primary amino groups of an aminopropylsilica packing material were reacted with methyl-PEO₁₂-NHS ester (succinimidyl-{[N-methyl]-dodecaethyleneglycol} ester) in phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) at room temperature. The prepared poly(ethylene oxide)-bonded stationary was evaluated for the separation of inorganic anions, and the retention behavior of inorganic anions on the prepared stationary phase was examined. The elution order of the investigated anions was the same as that observed in common ion chromatography. Both cations and anions of the eluent affected the retention of the analyte anions. Ion exchange was involved for the retention of analyte anions, although the present stationary phase does not possess any discrete ion-exchange sites. The stationary phase was applied to the separation of trace anions contained in tap water and a rock salt.     

Evaluation of a methacrylate-bonded cyclodextrins as a monolithic chiral stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography (CEC)-UV and CEC coupled to mass spectrometry

Glycidyl methacrylate-bonded β-cyclodextrin (GMA-β-CD) is synthesized as a new chiral monomer by direct chemical bonding with GMA using a fast and simple alternative procedure. Next, rigid and homogenous monolithic columns were prepared by polymerization of GMA-β-CD monomer with ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA), in the presence of commonly used porogens and a charged achiral monomer to form a versatile chiral monolith. This is the first report in which a preparation procedure for a methacrylate-bonded CD is introduced for chiral separations in CEC. The degree of substitution of GMA-β-CD monomer and mobile-phase parameters were optimized to achieve the highest enantioselectivity and plate number. To evaluate the GMA-β-CD monolithic column, different classes of chiral compounds were screened. Under the optimized β-CD monolith phase and the optimum mobile-phase conditions, 30 neutral and basic chiral compounds and two acidic compounds could be separated. The high chemical and mechanical stability, homogenous microflow and no loss of material at the interface allows for the first time the feasibility of applying this polymer-based monolithic column for CEC coupled to ESI-MS. Compared with CEC-UV, CEC-ESI-MS showed higher sensitivity and lower resolution. However, resolution greater than 1.0 can still be obtained for majority of the select tested compound in CEC-ESI-MS with at least three out of seven compound providing Rs≥1.5. The results reinforce the potential of GMA-β-CD monolithic columns for chiral separations with high sensitivity in CEC-ESI-MS. Finally, using hexobarbital as the model chiral analyte, the monolithic column demonstrated excellent stability and reproducibility of retention time and enantioselectivity.     

Methacrylate-based monolithic column with mixed-mode hydrophilic interaction/strong cation-exchange stationary phase for capillary liquid chromatography and pressure-assisted CEC

A novel porous polymethacrylate-based monolithic column by in situ copolymerization of 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPMA) and pentaerythritol triacrylate in a binary porogenic solvent consisting of cyclohexanol/ethylene glycol was prepared. The monolith possessed in their structures bonded sulfonate groups and hydroxyl groups and was evaluated as a hydrophilic interaction and strong cation-exchange stationary phases in capillary liquid chromatography (cLC) and pressure-assisted CEC using small polar neutral and charged solutes. While the SPMA was introduced as multifunctional monomer, the pentaerythritol triacrylate was used to replace ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker with much more hydrophilicity due to a hydroxyl sub-layer. The different characterization of monolithic stationary phases were specially designed and easily prepared by altering the amount of SPMA in the polymerization solution as well as the composition of the porogenic solvent for cLC and pressure-assisted CEC. The resulting monolith showed the different trends about the effect of the permeabilities on efficiency in the pressure-assisted CEC and cLC modes. A typical hydrophilic interaction chromatography mechanism was observed at higher organic solvent content (ACN%>70%) for polar neutral analytes. For polar charged analytes, both hydrophilic interaction and electrostatic interaction contributed to their retention. Therefore, for charged analytes, selectivity can be readily manipulated by changing the composition of the mobile phase (e.g., pH, ionic strength and organic modifier). With the optimized monolithic column, high plate counts reaching greater than 170 000 plates/m for pressure-assisted CEC and 105 000 plates/m for cLC were easily obtained, respectively.     

Aptamer stationary phase for protein capture in affinity capillary chromatography

The thrombin-binding DNA aptamer was used with thrombin as a model system to investigate protein capture using aptamer stationary phases in affinity capillary chromatography. The aptamer was covalently attached to the inner surface of a bare fused-silica glass capillary to serve as the stationary phase. Proteins were loaded onto the capillary via an applied pressure. The capillary was then washed to remove unbound and non-specifically associated proteins. Finally, the bound protein was released and eluted using 20 mM Tris buffer containing 8 M urea, pH 7.3, at 50 degrees C. Eluate was collected after each step (load, wash and elute) and relative amounts of protein each were compared using fluorescence spectroscopy. The identity of the protein in the collections was confirmed using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. The experiment was repeated for thrombin on a bare (unmodified) capillary and a capillary coated with a scrambled-sequence, non-G-quartet forming oligonucleotide that does not bind with thrombin. The results show that the aptamer stationary phase captures approximately three times as much thrombin as the control columns. The experiment was also repeated using human serum albumin (HSA) alone and in an equimolar mixture with thrombin. HSA was not retained on the aptamer capillary, nor did it affect the capture of thrombin from the mixture.     

Vitamin U-bonded stationary phase in capillary ion chromatography

A vitamin U-bonded stationary phase was prepared and the retention behavior of inorganic anions was examined using ion chromatography. Inorganic anions were retained on the vitamin U-bonded stationary phase under acidic as well as neutral eluent conditions in the ion-exchange mode. The elution order of the examined anions under neutral eluent conditions was nearly the same as that observed in common ion exchange mode, while the elution order observed under acidic eluent conditions was completely different from that observed in common ion exchange mode. The retention of the analyte anions under the neutral eluent conditions was due to the sulfonium groups of the vitamin U, while protonated primary amino groups caused retention of the analyte anions with different selectivity under acidic conditions. The retention factor of the analyte anions increased with decreasing eluent concentration under both eluent conditions. The present system was applied to the determination of bromide and nitrate contained in seawater.     

Polarizable biphenyl polysiloxane stationary phase for capillary column gas chromatography

A crosslinkable biphenylmethylpolysiloxane stationary phase was synthesized for capillary column gas chromatography and compared with methyl, phenyl, and cyanopropyl polysiloxane stationary phases for the separation of isomeric polycyclic aromatic compounds. While the new phase gave similar separations of nonpolar isomers when compared to the nonpolar phases, separations of polar isomers were greatly improved because of the induced polarity of the biphenyl group of the stationary phase by the solute molecules. This polarizable stationary phase offers a unique selectivity which is not available in other stationary phases.     

CEC with monolithic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-vinylsulfonic acid) as the stationary phase

In this study, poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-vinylsulfonic acid) monolithic columns, prepared by singlestep in situ polymerization, were first used as separation columns for CEC in which vinylsulfonic acid was employed as the charge-bearing monomer. The effects of the polymerization conditions (compositions of monomer and porogenic solvent, and polymerization time) on the chromatographic property of the polystyrene-based monolithic column were examined. Furthermore, an increase in water content of the porogenic solvent markedly altered the retention behaviors of these analytes, where the monolithic column was able to be produced in a higher ratio of vinylsulfonic acid. Finally, the study demonstrated that acidic analytes could be successfully separated by the polystyrene-based monolithic column under an acidic mobile phase.     

Cyclodextrin dimer derivatives used as stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography

Summary Four cyclodetrin dimer derivatives were synthesized by linking two single cyclodextrin derivatives with difunctional spacer at the primary side of cyclodetrin. The separation properties of these cylodextrin dimer derivatives as CGC stationary phases were investigated and compared with those of the unbridged native cyclodextrin derivative. The results show that two recognition sites and one link spacer of these cyclodextrin dimer derivatives cooperate in separation and affect the separation of disubstituted benzene positional isomers.     

一种新型主链杯芳冠醚聚硅氧烷毛细管气相色谱固定相(英文):

选用特殊的硅氢加成试剂（ＣＨ３）２ＳｉＨＣｌ,首次合成了一种杯芳冠醚单元位于聚硅氧烷主链的新型毛细管气相色谱固定相（Ｍ－Ｃ［４］Ｃ－５ＰＳＯ）。新型固定相具有很好的热稳定性,并对酚类、硝基及氯取代类芳香族位置异构体有良好的分离。其进一步的应用及分离机理有待于深入研究。     

Recent highlights in stationary phase design for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

This review examines the most recent innovations made to achieve high performance in open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) separations, focusing on the ingenious chemical and physical solutions made to increase the surface area and equip the stationary phase with exploitable selectivity. Among the approaches taken are chemically bonded ligands, etching with chemical bonding, sol-gels, molecularly imprinted polymers, porous layers, physically attached or adsorbed phases, and nanoparticle coatings. Particularly noteworthy are modern developments with macrocyclic receptor ligands, nanoparticles and open channel electrochromatography on-chip.     

Autocrosslinkable methyl-2-phenylethylpolysiloxane stationary phase for capillary column gas chromatography

Methyl-2-phenylethylpolysiloxane polymers have been synthesized for comparison with methylphenylpolysiloxane stationary phases for gas chromatography. The 50% 2-phenylethyl polysiloxane was found to be autocrosslinkable at 260°C without addition of free redical initiator. Although the selectivity of this phase appears to be similar to the 50% phenyl polysiloxane, its thermal stability is not as high.     

Enantioseparations in nonaqueous capillary liquid chromatography and capillary electrochromatography using cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) as chiral stationary phase

The potential of the widely used chiral stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enantioseparations, cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC, sold under the trade name Chiralcel OD) was evaluated under the conditions of nonaqueous capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The effect of the particle size of the silica gel, the loading of CDMPC on the silica gel and nature of the organic solvent, as well as electrolyte salts on the separation characteristics were investigated. This study illustrates the applicability of CDMPC for obtaining highly efficient enantioseparations under the conditions of nonaqueous CEC. Comparative study of enantioseparations in capillary liquid chromatography (CLC) and CEC indicated the significant advantages of CEC such as higher plate number at the similar linear flow rates of the mobile phase as well as better tolerance of higher linear flow rates.     

Separation performance of graphene oxide as stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography

Graphene oxide(GO) has attracted extensive attention due to its unique properties and potential applications.Here,we report the investigation of GO nanosheets as a stationary phase for capillary gas chromatographic(GC) separations.The GO column,fabricated by a new one-step coating approach,showed average McReynolds constants of 308,suggesting the medium polar nature of the GC stationary phase.The GO stationary phase achieves good separation for analytes of different types with good peak shapes,especially for H-bonding analytes,such as alcohols and amines.The different retention behaviors of GO stationary phase from the conventional stationary phase may originate from its multiple interactions with analytes,involving H-bonding,dipole-dipole,π-π stacking and dispersive interactions.Moreover,GO column showed good separation reproducibility with relative standard deviation(RSD%) less than 0.24%(n = 5) on retention times of analytes.     

Rayleigh instability of stationary phase films in capillary column chromatography

The film of stationary phase on the wall of a capillary column and that of the phase solution during both static and dynamic coating is subject to Rayleigh instability, which is quite independent of so-called wettability. A theory is developed which shows that the logarithmic growth rate of Rayleigh instabilities is proportional to the surface tension and to the third power of the film thickness, and inversely to the viscosity and to the fourth power of the capillary diameter. Determination of the variation of the viscosities of stationary phase solutions with concentration in coating solvents, and the variation of the viscosities of neat stationary phases with temperature, both revealed that heating and/or diluting changed the viscosities of phases with π-electron-containing, groups much more than for polydimethylsiloxanes. Rayleigh instability is therefore more important during coating of phenyl-containing phases such as OV-17, and later during column operation. The efficiencies of capillary columns of different diameters coated with a number of phases under different conditions of temperature and coating rate, and then operated at different temperatures were in good agreement with the predictions of the theory.     

The statistical theory of linear capillary chromatography with uniform stationary phase

Based on the random walk model and probability theory, general relations between the moments of column residence time and the moments of step sojourn time and step displacement are established. And starting from the mass-balances principle of solute molecules in the mobile and stationary phases, the moments of step sojourn time and step displacement are derived and expressed in terms of the basic parameters. Substituting the step moments into the general relations, the moments of column residence time are then obtained. The expression of retention time is completely identical to the well-known, the expressions of second moment or HETP unite and generalize various expressions of stochastic theory and mass balance theory, and the third and forth moments are given in more exact form.     

Ionic liquid‐bonded polysiloxane as stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography

Ionic liquid (IL) stationary phase is especially suitable for separation of complex samples, owing to the “dual nature” of IL. In this study, a synthetic method of ionic liquid‐bonded polysiloxane (PSOIL) as stationary phase of GC was proposed. Then, the PSOIL was used to prepare an 8 m capillary column by static method. The column efficiency was measured to be about 4000 plates/m (k=3.55, naphthalene) after the column had been conditioned at 210°C. The durability of PSOIL column was better than that of the mixed stationary phase of IL and OV‐1. Moreover, the Abraham solvation parameter model was employed to characterize the PSOIL. The result revealed that the PSOIL had stronger dispersion force (l) than neat IL and stronger hydrogen bond basicity (a) than DB‐1. That meant the PSOIL might offer good selectivity for both polar and non‐polar analytes. The column exhibited unique selectivity for various organic substances, such as the homologous compounds of alkanes, esters, alcohols and aromatic compounds. It was also found that some aromatic positional isomers could be separated better on the PSOIL column than on the DB‐1 column. Furthermore, the stationary phase was suitable for separation of high‐boiling point compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalic esters, etc. All of these demonstrated that the PSOIL offered good selectivity and high separation efficiency for a wide range of analytes.     

Comparative study of capillary electroendosmotic chromatography and electrically assisted gradient nano-liquid chromatography for the separation of peptides

Capillary electroendoendosmotic chromatography (CEC), being a hybrid of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis, offers considerable changes to enhance column efficiency, speed of analysis and additional selectivity as compared to the parent methods. The analytes are driven by the electroendosmotic flow (EOF) and separated by surface-solute interactions as well as by differences in electromigration. In this paper on the separation of peptides on C18 reversed-phase and mixed-mode (sulphonic acid-n-alkyl) packings in CEC and electrically assisted reversed-phase gradient nano-LC are investigated. It is shown that mixed mode packings generate a higher EOF than reversed-phase packings that is scarcely dependent on the pH of the eluent. Applying a potential in gradient elution reversed-phase nano-LC of peptides shortens the analysis time as compared to separations without a potential. Electrically assisted reversed-phase gradient elution nano-LC is a powerful separation tool for analysis of tryptic digests. Peptides can be successfully resolved in acidic organic mobile phase at pH 2-3 with and without trifluoroacid as ion pairing reagent under isocratic conditions. It is demonstrated that CEC with mixed mode packing and an eluent of pH 2.3 with varying acetonitrile content can be applied to monitor impurities in a synthetic peptide.