Noise normalisation in capillary electrophoresis using a diode array detector

When using capillary electrophoresis with a diode array detector, the wavelength at maximum absorbance is often chosen to quantify a given analyte. However, the background noise for every wavelength should be taken into account as it is by maximising the signal to noise ratio that the lowest limit of detection will be obtained. Here, we proposed an algorithm allowing to correct an electropherogram from its background absorption and to estimate the background noise. Applying it to all the electropherograms obtained in each wavelength channel allows obtaining the background noise as a function of the wavelength, which can be used to calculate the signal to noise ratio. This not only allows selecting the best wavelength to maximise the limit of detection of a given analyte, but also to generate a noise normalised base peak electropherogram (nn-BPE). It is shown that the noise normalised base peak electropherograms substantially improve the peaks visualisation. The algorithm is part of a graphic user interface that runs under MatLab environment; it does not require any programming knowledge and is freely available.     

Enhancement of analyte detectability in isotachophoresis exploiting spectrophotometric diode‐array detection with chemometric data processing

The potentialities of capillary ITP combined with diode‐array detection (DAD) with subsequent chemometric data processing have been investigated in this work. A series of different migration configurations were created using model analytes, interferents and appropriate spacers. Special attention has been paid not only to constituents migrating in fully developed ITP zones but also to the spike mode of ITP migration. The purity assessment and identity confirmation of model analytes migrating in both modes were performed by means of multivariate curve resolution and target transformation factor analysis (TTFA). Their successful applications have revealed a smart way to increase in the analytical information obtained by ITP separation even in the instance of trace analysis.     

Thermal decompositions of some divalent transition metal complexes of triethanolamine

The thermal behaviours of the Ti(II), Mn(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of triethanolamine were studied by means of thermogravimetry, differential thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis infrared spectrophotometry and elemental analysis. The sequence of thermal stability of the metal complexes, determined by using the initial decomposition temperature, was found to be Ti(II)?Mn(II)>Fe(II)>Ni(II)>Zn(II)>Cu(II). Some of the kinetic parameters, such as the activation energy and order of reaction for the initial decomposition reaction, were calculated and the relationship between the thermal stability and the chemical structure of the complexes is discussed.     

Application of diode array detectors for solute identification in toxicological analysis

Summary The possibilities and limitation of automated solute identification via UV/VIS spectroscopy in HPLC are demonstrated and applications in toxicologic analysis are described. A standard isocratic system is used. The influence of various chromatographic parameters on retention time is shown. A retention time window of ±15% is required. In addition to retention time, derived spectral data are calculated (minima and maxima of derivatives, area counts under standardized spectral ranges, absorption at various wavelength) and used for positive solute identification. It is possible to identify solutes with a high degree of certainty in urine and plasma if their concentration is at least 10 ppm.     

Library search for HPLC diode array detection based on spectral interpolation

Summary A new method for spectral library search based on the dependences of absorbance on the modifier contents in binary mobile phases was developed. The normalisation of spectra by absolute and relative maximum and with respect to the area was tested. The correlation coefficient and the Euclidian distance were used to compare the spectra. The new method of library search allows interpolation of spectra at every composition of eluent in the model range. The range is bracketted by the upper and lower content of modifier in the eluent. In this range five reference spectra were recorded. For validation 34 spectra of pharmaceutical substances in water/methanol and water/acetonitrile mixtures were recorded. In the best case 97 % of spectra were identified correctly. The main problems encountered are that very similar substances e.g. dexa- and betamethasone, have similar spectra as well as similar spectral dependences on the composition of the mobile phase.     

HPLC determination of carminic acid in foodstuffs and beverages using diode array and fluorescence detection

Summary Carmine extracted from cochineal insects is one of the most used natural colorings for beverages and other foods. Its active ingredient is carminic acid (7-β-D-glucopyranosyl-9,10-dihydro-3,5,6,8-tetrahydroxy-1-methyl-9,10-dioxo-2-anthracenecarboxylic acid). This work describes a rapid HPLC determination of carminic acid and compares diode array and fluorescence detections for quantification. Samples with higher protein levels, such as milk and yogurt, are first treated with 1 mL of 8 M NH₄OH (5 min), the pH is reduced to 2 with 6 M HCl before centrifugation, the supernatant is then filtered and injected into the chromatograph. Low protein samples are simply filtered before injection. The separations were performed with a LiChroCART RP18 column using a mixture of acetonitrile and formic acid as mobile phase. The optimized conditions permit baseline quantification of the carminic acid even in the presence of other coloring agents. The sampling and analytical procedures are considerably faster than those of the literature and present excellent recuperation, selectivity, accuracy and precision. The method was applied to analysis of several yogurts and beverages. Presented at the 21^st ISC held in Stuttgart, Germany, 15^th–20^th September, 1996     

Determination of pKa values of quinolones from mobility and spectroscopic data obtained by capillary electrophoresis and a diode array detector

This work compares the values of dissociation constants obtained from electrophoretic mobilities of a series of quinolones at different pH values and those obtained using absorbance spectra at the maximum of the eletrophoretic peaks. The results obtained show that the two methods are complementary and constitute a valuable means of obtaining better precision. The two methods proposed can be used simultaneously without an increase in the experimental time and allow confirmation of the results obtained.     

Comparison of several curve resolution methods for drug impurity profiling using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection

The performance of five curve resolution methods was compared systematically for the identification and quantification of impurities in drug impurity profiling. These methods are alternating least-squares (ALS) with either random or iterative key-set factor analysis (IKSFA) initialisation, iterative target transformation factor analysis (ITTFA), evolving factor analysis (EFA), and heuristic evolving latent projections (HELP). Real and simulated high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) data were obtained for drug mixtures containing one main compound and two impurities. The elution order of the main compound and the impurities was varied. Furthermore, resolutions were varied from 0.56 to 3.36 and impurity levels from 30% down to 0.1%. For simulated data, ALS with IKSFA initialisation and HELP perform better than ITTFA and EFA, which perform better than ALS with random initialisation. ITTFA works better than EFA for almost completely separated data, while the opposite is true for moderately or strongly overlapping data. Only ALS with IKSFA initialisation and HELP were found to resolve the required 0.1% level for moderately overlapping data. For real data, comparison of the methods provides similar results. ITTFA performs clearly better than EFA. However, none of the curve resolution methods can identify or quantify impurities at the required 0.1% level. The results for real data are worse than for simulated data because of heteroscedasticity, nonlinearity, and the acquisition resolution of the A/D-converter.     

Determination of clofentezine in medical herb extracts by chromatographic methods combined with diode array scanning densitometry

The aim of this study is to report a new procedure for extraction, cleanup and determination of clofentezine in herb extracts by ultrasound‐assisted solvent extraction, SPE and multidimensional planar chromatography with diode array detector (MDPC‐DAD) and/or HPLC‐DAD. The application of various extraction solvents in SPE experiments conducted on octadecyl silane coupled with styrene‐divinylbenzene cartridges for fractionation and purification samples has been described. Normal‐phase systems were used in MDPC experiments on silica layer. The procedure described for the determination of compounds is inexpensive and can be applied to the routine analysis of analytes in plant extracts, after preliminary cleanup and concentration, e.g. by SPE. Application of MDPC‐DAD and HPLC‐DAD is especially useful for correct identification of components of difficult, complicated mixtures, e.g. analytes in medical herbs.     

Ternary complexes in the spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of silver(I) and cadmium(II)

The reaction of silver(I) and cadmium(II) with 1,10-phenanthroline (PHEN) and Eosin (2,4,5,7-tetrabromofluorescein) gives coloured association complexes. The solution spectra of the mixed-ligand complexes are characterised by high intensity (∈ ≈ 10⁴) metal-to-ligand charge-transfer bands at 540–555nm. The optimum conditions for the spectrophotometric determination of Ag(I) or Cd(II) have been established. A simple, sensitive and selective method was proposed for the determination of traces of the metal ions either in aqueous or organic media. In the presence of EDTA only aluminium and cyanide interfere.     

Analysis of methylglyoxal in water and biological matrices by capillary zone electrophoresis with diode array detection

We describe a new method for the determination of methylglyoxal in water and biological matrices, using o-phenylenediamine as derivatizing agent and solid-phase extraction followed by capillary zone electrophoresis with diode array detection. 25 mM sodium phosphate running buffers at pH 2.2, 30 kV, and 25 degrees C allowed the best instrumental conditions for the optimum separation of methylglyoxal in a suitable analytical time (< 10 min), using an uncoated fused-silica capillary of 75 microm inner diameter and an effective length of 45.1 cm with an extended light path and the wavelength set to 200 nm. Under optimized instrumental conditions, good reproducibility of the migration time (< 1.1%), precision (< 5%), an excellent linear dynamic range from 0.1 to 3.6 mg/L (r(2) = 0.9997), and low limits of detection (7.2 microg/L) were obtained for methylglyoxal measurements, using the internal standard methodology. Assays on laboratory-spiked tap and ground water samples allowed a remarkable accuracy, presenting yields of 95.0 +/- 4.3 and 94.0 +/- 1.1%, respectively, and good performance to determine methylglyoxal in beer and yeast cells suspensions matrices was also obtained at trace level. The present methodology is a cost-effective alternative for routine quality control analysis, showing to be reliable, sensitive, and with a low sample volume requirement to monitor methylglyoxal in water and biological matrices.     

New POCOP-type pincer complexes of Nickel(II)

The pincer complex [(POCOP)Ni(NCMe)][OSO₂CF₃] (1: POCOP = {2,6-(i-Pr₂PO)₂C₆H₃}) undergoes an acetonitrile substitution reaction in the presence of CN(t-Bu), KCN, and KOCN to give the new complexes [(POCOP)Ni{CN(t-Bu)}][O₃SCF₃] and (POCOP)Ni(X) (X = CN and NCO). The Ni-CN derivative is also obtained from a gradual decomposition of the Ni-CN(t-Bu) derivative, while the aquo derivative [(POCOP)Ni(OH₂)][O₃SCF₃] was obtained from slow hydrolysis of (POCOP)Ni(OSO₂CF₃). All new complexes have been characterized spectroscopically and by X-ray crystallography. IR and solid state structural data indicate that Ni-L/X interactions are dominated by ligand-to-metal σ-donation; presence of little or no π-backbonding is consistent with the electrophilicity of the cationic fragment [(POCOP)Ni]⁺.     

Determination of nine active components in Radix Hedysari and Radix Astragali using capillary HPLC with diode array detection and MS detection

A capillary HPLC (cHPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD) and MS method was developed for the simultaneously qualitative and quantitative determination of nine components, namely vanillic acid, calycosin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, (6alphaR,11alphaR)-9,10-dimethoxypterocarpan-3-O-beta-D-glucoside, ononin, calycosin, (3R)-2'-hydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxyisoflavan-7-O-beta-D-glucoside, isoliquiritigenin, formononetin, (3R)-8,2'-dihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavan, in Radix Hedysari (Hongqi) and Radix Astragali (Huangqi). Simultaneous separation of these nine compounds was achieved on a Zorbax C18 microcolumn (5 microm, 150 x 0.3 mm). The mobile phase consisted of (A) 0.3% aqueous formic acid and (B) ACN with a gradient elution. The identification of nine compounds in both Hongqi and Huangqi was confirmed by TOF-MS. All calibration curves showed good linearity (R(2) >0.998) within test ranges. This method showed good repeatability for the quantification of these nine components in Hongqi and Huangqi with intra- and inter-day variations of less than 1.89 and 3.13%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to quantify nine investigated components in eighteen samples of Hongqi and Huangqi. Hierarchical cluster analysis of 18 samples was performed using the peak area of nine analytes on cHPLC chromatograms. The result showed that Hongqi and Huangqi are significantly different, though the two species of Astragalus are very similar.     

光化学动力学分光光度法测定柠檬酸

本文基于柠蒙酸可以加速铁（Ⅲ）－邻菲罗啉还原为铁（Ⅱ）－邻菲罗啉溶液体系的光化学反应，建立了光化学动力学光度法测定柠檬的新方法。     

Photo-acoustic measurements of gas and aerosol absorption with diode lasers

The results of designing multipurpose high-sensitive photo-acoustic (PA) detectors and their application to high-resolution diode laser spectroscopy of molecular gases, gas analysis, and aerosol absorption measurements are summarized in this paper. The hardware and software of the diode laser spectrometer with a Helmholtz resonant PA detector providing an absorption sensitivity limit of better than 10(-7)Wm(-1)Hz(-1/2) are described. A procedure is proposed for an experiment involving the measurements of the rotational structure of hot vibrational bands of molecules. The results of the application of the nonresonant PA cell with temporal resolution of signals to measurements of weak nonresonant absorption of gases and soot aerosols are presented, and the possibility of creating a broad-band PA laser diode aerosol-meter is discussed.     

Rapid quantitative analysis of individual anthocyanin content based on high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection with the pH differential method

A new quantitative technique for the simultaneous quantification of the individual anthocyanins based on the pH differential method and high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection is proposed in this paper. The six individual anthocyanins (cyanidin 3‐glucoside, cyanidin 3‐rutinoside, petunidin 3‐glucoside, petunidin 3‐rutinoside, and malvidin 3‐rutinoside) from mulberry (Morus rubra) and Liriope platyphylla were used for demonstration and validation. The elution of anthocyanins was performed using a C₁₈ column with stepwise gradient elution and individual anthocyanins were identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Based on the pH differential method, the high‐performance liquid chromatography peak areas of maximum and reference absorption wavelengths of anthocyanin extracts were conducted to quantify individual anthocyanins. The calibration curves for these anthocyanins were linear within the range of 10–5500 mg/L. The correlation coefficients (r²) all exceeded 0.9972, and the limits of detection were in the range of 1–4 mg/L at a signal‐to‐noise ratio ≥5 for these anthocyanins. The proposed quantitative analysis was reproducible with good accuracy of all individual anthocyanins ranging from 96.3 to 104.2% and relative recoveries were in the range 98.4–103.2%. The proposed technique is performed without anthocyanin standards and is a simple, rapid, accurate, and economical method to determine individual anthocyanin contents.     

Determination of analytes in medical herbs extracts by SPE coupled with two-dimensional planar chromatography in combination with diode array scanning densitometry and HPLC-diode array detector

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate an application of 2-D high-performance planar chromatography-diode array detector (DAD) and HPLC-DAD after solid-phase extraction (SPE) for identification and quantitative analysis of pesticides (isoproturon, aziprotryne, hexazinone, flufenoxuron, methabenzthiazuron, procymidone, and α-cypermethrin) in Melissa officinalis L. (Labiatae) samples. The procedure described for the determination of compounds is inexpensive and can be applied to routine analysis of analytes in medical herbs' samples after preliminary cleanup and concentration by SPE. Average recoveries on C18 SPE cartridges of pesticides eluted with 5 mL tetrahydrofuran by the proposed HPLC-DAD method, before and after 2-D-high-performance planar chromatography separation of analytes from M. officinalis L. samples spiked with pesticide at a concentration level of 10 μg/g in plant material are presented. Method validation parameters for the quantification of pesticides by the proposed HPLC-DAD after SPE method are also presented.     

Capillary liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometry detection for heterocyclic aromatic amine determination in ready-to-eat food treated with electron-beam irradiation

In the present paper, we have developed a capillary liquid chromatography with MS detection for the determination at ng g⁻¹ levels of four heterocyclic aromatic amines (MeIQx, norharman, harman and harmine), a group of mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds that can potentially be produced in protein-rich food during processing operations. They have been determined in commercial ready-to-eat (RTE) smoked salmon and soft cheese treated with E-beam irradiation. On the basis of experimental design studies and operating conditions of MS detector, best chromatographic conditions were obtained using a Luna^® C₁₈ capillary column (150 mm × 0.3 mm I.D.) with a mixture of acetonitrile–ammonium formate 5 mM pH 3.6 buffer (13:87, v/v) as mobile phase. To improve sensitivity, large injection volumes (20 μL) and injection solutions of low elution strength were employed. Sample preparation procedure included a previous treatment with 1 M NaOH, followed by two solid-phase extraction steps; firstly on diatomaceous earth and then on mixed-mode cartridges. Heterocyclic amines were detected neither in irradiated and in non-irradiated samples, indicating that they were not formed by the radiation effect even at doses higher than those indicated in the Food Safety Objective established by regulatory agencies. RTE food samples were spiked at concentration levels in the range 10–30 ng g⁻¹. Recoveries higher than 85% (n = 3 for each spiked level) were obtained, showing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.