Silica‐based zwitterionic monolithic stationary phase for separation of neutral and ionized solutes using pressurized CEC

A porous zwitterionic monolith was prepared by in situ covalent attachment of lysine to a γ‐glycidoxypropyltrimethosysilane‐modified silica monolith. The prepared column was used to perform neutral and ionized solutes separations by pressurized (pCEC). Due to the zwitterionic nature of the resulting stationary phase, the monolithic column provided both electrostatic attraction and repulsion sites for electrochromatographic retention for ionized solutes. Separation of several nucleotides was investigated on the monolithic column. It was shown that the nucleotides could be separated based on hydrophilic and electrostatic interactions between the stationary phase and analyte. Besides, the separation property of the zwitterionic silica monolith was compared with the use of diamine‐bonded silica monolith as stationary phase. As expected, the lysine monolith exhibited a lower retention for the five nucleotides, which was due to the dissociation of the external carboxylic acid groups, leading to electrostatic repulsion with negatively charged solutes. Under the same experimental conditions, separation of the five nucleotides on the zwitterionic column was in less than 8 min, while that on the diamine column was in approximately 60 min.     

Chromatographic evaluation using basic solutes of the silanol activity of stationary phases based on poly(methyloctylsiloxane) immobilized onto silica

The chromatographic behaviors of some basic solutes were evaluated on stationary phases based on poly(methyloctylsiloxane) immobilized onto silica (PMOS-SiO(2)). The test solutes present both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. Evaluations of the pH effect used 80:20 v/v methanol/buffered mobile phase over the pH range of 5-11.5 with inorganic buffers such as borate, carbonate and phosphate and with organic buffers such as citrate, tricine and triethylamine. Evaluations in acidic mobile phases used 50:50 v/v and 30:70 v/v methanol/buffer (pH 2.5; 20 mmol/L) mobile phases. The buffer concentration effect used 65:35 v/v methanol/phosphate (pH 7; 20 and 100 mmol/L) mobile phases. The results are compared with those obtained with two chemically bonded stationary phases. The immobilized phases show greater contributions from an ion-exchange mechanism than do the commercial phases. The results indicate that the silanol activity of PMOS-SiO(2) stationary phases can be adequately evaluated by using appropriate basic probes and mobile phases having different pH, using different buffers.     

Electrochromatographic performance of conventional and polar-embedded C16 silica monolithic stationary phases

A novel monolithic silica column that has a polar‐embedded amide‐secondary amine group linking with C16 functionality for RP‐CEC is described. The amide‐secondary aminealkyloxysilane was synthesized by the reaction of 3‐(2‐aminoethylamino) propyltrimethoxysilane with hexadecanoyl chloride. Then, the silylant agent was bonded to the silica monolith matrix to produce hexadecanamide‐secondary amine bonded silica (HDAIS) monolithic column. The electrochromatographic performance of HDAIS monolithic column for the separation of neutral, basic and polar solutes was studied, which was compared to that using the hexadecyl bonded silica monolithic column. The HDAIS monolithic column displayed reduced hydrophobic retention characteristics in the separation of five hydrophobic n‐alkylbenzenes and four polar phenols when compared to the hexadecyl bonded silica monolithic column. A very much reduced silanol activity of HDAIS monolithic column was observed in the separation of test basic mixture including four aromatic amines, atenolol and metoprolol with 10 mM borate buffer (pH 7.5) containing 30% v/v ACN as the mobile phase. The comparison results indicate good performance for both polar and basic mixtures on HDAIS monolithic column in RP‐CEC, and also show promising results for further applications.     

Fast separation and determination of coumarins in Fructus cnidii extracts by CEC using poly(butyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate‐co‐[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride) monolithic columns

A rapid CEC method with poly(butyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate‐co‐[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride) monolithic column has been developed for separation and determination of four coumarins (isopimpinelline, bergapten, imperatorin, and osthole) in Fructus cnidii extracts. The effect of polymerization condition including the monomers ratio and the porogens ratio were studied. The mobile‐phase composition, such as the composition of organic solvent, the concentration and pH of buffer, was also optimized. Under the same condition (50% ACN and 50% of a 10 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate electrolyte at pH 4.95), in contrast to 25 min of analysis time in HPLC and 10 min of analysis time in pCEC, a fast separation of these analytes was achieved in less than 5 min in CEC. Method validation was developed in accordance with the analytical procedures. Intra‐ and interday precisions (RSD) for relative retention time and peak area were less than 1.69 and 4.63%, and LODs were lower than 0.5 μg/mL. Calibration curves of four compounds also showed good linearity (r²>0.995). The mean recoveries ranged between 93.91 and 98.65%. With this CEC system, the quality of F. cnidii extracts from various resources was evaluated by determining the contents of the four coumarins.     

On-line concentration of neutral and charged species in capillary electrochromatography with a methacrylate-based monolithic stationary phase

A method involving self-concentration, on-column enrichment and field-amplified sample stacking for on-line concentration in capillary electrochromatography with a polymer monolithic column is presented. Since monolithic columns eliminate the frit fabrication and the problems associated with frits, the experimental conditions could be more flexibly adjusted to obtain higher concentration factor in comparison with conventional particulate packed columns. With self-concentration effect, the detection sensitivity of benzene and hexylbenzene is improved by a factor of 4 and 8, respectively. With on-column enrichment and ultralong injection, improvement as high as 22,000 times in detection sensitivity of benzoin is achieved. Furthermore, a combination of the three above-mentioned methods yields up to a 24,000-fold improvement in detection sensitivity for caffeine, a charged compound. Parameters affecting the efficiency of on-line concentration are investigated systematically. In addition, equations describing on-line concentration process are deduced.     

Preparation of a hybrid monolithic stationary phase with allylsulfonate for the rapid and simultaneous separation of cations in capillary ion chromatography

A hybrid monolithic column with sulfonate functionality was successfully prepared for the simultaneous separation of common inorganic cations in ion‐exchange chromatographic mode through a simple and easy single‐step preparation method. The strong cation‐exchange moieties were provided directly from allylsulfonate, which worked as an organic monomer in the single‐step reaction. Inorganic cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, Cs⁺, Rb⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Sr²⁺) were separated satisfactorily by using CuSO₄ as the eluent with indirect UV detection. The allysulfonate hybrid monolith showed a better performance in terms of speed and pressure drop than the capillary packed column. The number of theoretical plates achieved was 19 017 plates/m (in the case of NH₄⁺ as the analyte). The relative standard deviations (n = 6) of both retention time and peak height were less than 1.96% for all the analyte cations. The allysulfonate hybrid monolithic column was successfully applied for the rapid and simultaneous separation of inorganic cations in groundwater and the effluent of onsite domestic wastewater treatment system.     

Extraction of ketamine from urine using a miniature silica monolithic cartridge followed by quantification with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

The high surface area monolith with reactive hydroxyl group on its surface enables it to function as a miniature solid‐phase extraction (SPE) cartridge in size of 1 cm in diameter and 0.5 cm in length. The prepared silica monolith was characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Ketamine was selected as model analyte to validate the extraction efficiency of the prepared cartridge. The extracted ketamine from urine sample was quantitated by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) using positive electrospray ionization. The limit of detection and quantification for ketamine was found to be 0.5 and 1.6 ng/mL, respectively. The analysis exhibited linearity in the range of 10–500 ng/mL with coefficient of correlation >0.99. The recovery was found to be in the range of 89–107% with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 10%. The prepared cartridge was found robust in extracting ketamine efficiently and repeatedly without any significant deterioration in its performance. Moreover, the batch‐to‐batch variations in the performance of the prepared cartridges in terms of % ion suppression of the extracts and recoveries of samples were small, suggesting the consistency in the properties of the monolith.     

Preparation of chiral oxazolinyl‐functionalized β‐cyclodextrin‐bonded stationary phases and their enantioseparation performance in high‐performance liquid chromatography

A simple procedure for the synthesis of three new oxazolinyl‐substituted β‐cyclodextrins (6‐deoxy‐6‐R‐(–)‐4‐phenyl‐4,5‐dihydrooxazolinyl‐β‐cyclodextrin, 6‐deoxy‐6‐S‐(–)‐4‐phenyl‐4,5‐dihydrooxazolinyl‐β‐cyclodextrin, and 6‐deoxy‐6‐S‐(–)‐(4‐pyridin‐1‐ium‐4‐methyl‐benzenesulphonate)‐4,5‐dihy‐drooxazolinyl‐β‐cyclodextrin) and their covalent bonding to silica are reported. The ability of these chiral stationary phase columns for separating compounds is also presented and discussed. Twenty‐eight compounds were examined in the polar‐organic mobile phase mode, and 11 β‐nitroethanols were tested in the reversed‐phase mode. Excellent enantioseparations were achieved for most of the analytes, even for several challenging compounds. The rigid and flexible structures of mono‐substituted chiral groups and the fragments around the rim of the β‐cyclodextrin cavity played an important role in the separation process. Factors such as π–π stacking, dipole–dipole interactions, ion‐pairing, and steric hindrance effects were found to affect the chromatographic performance. Moreover, the buffer composition, and percentages of organic modifiers in the mobile phase, were investigated and compared. The mechanisms involved in the separation were postulated based on the chromatographic data.     

pCEC coupling with ESI‐MS for the analysis of β2‐agonists and narcotics using a poly‐(1‐hexadecene‐co‐TMPTMA) monolithic column

A pressure‐assisted CEC with ESI‐MS based on poly(1‐hexadecene‐co‐trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) monolithic column for rapid analysis of two β₂‐agonists and three narcotics was established in this article. After the organic polymer‐based monolithic column was prepared by an in‐situ polymerization procedure, a systematic investigation of the pressure‐assisted CEC separation and ESI‐MS detection parameters was performed. Baseline separation of the studied analytes could be obtained using the solution containing 75% ACN v/v and 20 mmol/L ammonium acetate with pH 8.0 as running buffer, when applying separation voltage of 20 kV and assisted pressure of 5 bar. Under the optimized conditions, two β₂‐agonists and three narcotics could be completely resolved and accurately determined within 15 min. Finally, the proposed method was successfully used for real urine samples detection.     

Determination of gold,palladium and copper by flame atomic absorption spectrometry after preconcentration on silica gel modified with 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl group

A preconcentration method of gold, palladium and copper based on the sorption of Au (III), Pd (II) and Cu (II) ions on a column packed with 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl bonded silica gel is described. The modified silica gel was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR and C, H, N elemental analysis. At column preconcentration, the effects of parameters such as pH, volume, flow rate, matrix constituents of solutions and type of eluent on preconcentration of gold, palladium and copper were studied. The recoveries of Au (III), Pd (II) and Cu (II) were 98.93±0.51, 98.81±0.36 and 99.21±0.42 % at 95 % confidence level, respectively. The detection limits (δ) of the elements were 0.032, 0.016 and 0.012 μg ml⁻¹, respectively. The preconcentration method was applied for determination of gold and palladium in certified reference material SARM 7B and copper in river and synthetic seawater by FAAS. Gold, palladium and copper were determined with relative error lower than 10 %.     

One‐pot synthesis of (3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium)‐silica hybrid monolith via thiol‐ene click chemistry for CEC

A novel (3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium)‐silica hybrid monolithic column for CEC has been prepared by a simple one‐pot approach based on efficient thiol‐ene click chemistry. In this process, the polycondensation of hydrolyzed alkoxysilanes and in situ click reaction of vinyl groups on 3‐sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium and thiol groups on the precondensed siloxanes simultaneously occurred in a pretreated capillary. Homogeneous monolithic matrix with large through‐pores tightly bonded to the inner wall of the capillary was shown by optical microscope and SEM. The minimum plate height of this hybrid monolithic column was determined as 3.9 μm for thiourea. Anilines, alkylbenzenes, and phenols were well separated on this hybrid monolithic column by CEC, which indicated typical reversed‐phase and cation‐exchange chromatographic retention mechanisms of the column.     

Thin layer chromatographic resolution of some 2-arylpropionic acid enantiomers using L-(-)-serine,L-(-)-threonine and a mixture of L-(-)-serine and L-(-)-threonine-impregnated silica gel as stationary phases

Impregnated silica TLC plates with L-(-)-serine and L-(-)-threonine and a mixture of L-(-)-serine and L-(-)-threonine (1:1) as chiral selectors were prepared to use as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) in thin layer chromatography. The resolution of the enantiomers of 2-arylpropionic drugs, including ibuprofen, ibuproxam, ketoprofen, pranoprofen, benoxaprofen, flurbiprofen and tiaprofenic acid was investigated on these CSPs. A mobile phase system of acetonitrile-methanol-water (16:4:0.5, v/v/v) was used. The spots were detected with iodine vapours and the detection limits were found to range between 0.25 and 0.5 micro g/mL for all racemic compounds investigated. The effect of temperature, pH and concentration of the impregnating chiral selectors on resolution has been studied.     

Study of adsorption and preconcentration by using a new silica organomodified with [3‐(2,2′‐dipyridylamine)propyl] groups

In this work, a silica surface chemically modified with [3‐(2,2′‐dipyridylamine)propyl] groups, named [3‐(2,2′‐dipyridylamine)propyl]silica (Si‐Pr‐DPA) was prepared, characterized, and evaluated for its heavy metal adsorption characteristics from aqueous solution. To our knowledge, we are the first authors who have reported the present modification. The material was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, SEM, and NMR ²⁹Si and ¹³C solid state. Batch and column experiments were conducted to investigate for heavy metal removal from dilute aqueous solution by sorption onto Si‐Pr‐DPA. From a number of studies the affinity of various metal ions for the Si‐Pr‐DPA sorbent was determined to follow the order Fe(III) > Cr(III) >> Cu(II) > Cd(II) > Pb(II) > Ni(II). Two standard reference materials were used for checking the accuracy and precision of the method. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of environmental samples. This ligand material has great advantage for adsorption of transition‐metal ions from aqueous medium due to its high degree of organofunctionalization associated with the large adsorption capacity, reutilization possibility, and rapidity in reaching the equilibrium.     

Selective solid phase extraction of trace Sc(III) from environmental samples using silica gel modified with 4-(2-morinyldiazenyl)-N-(3-(trimethylsilyl)propyl)benzamide

In this study, a new 4-(2-morinyldiazenyl)-N-(3-(trimethylsilyl)propyl)benzamide modified silica gel (SG-MTPB) sorbent was prepared and characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and studied for separation and preconcentration of Sc(III) prior to its determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of trace Sc(III) were optimized using both batch and column procedures. At pH 3, Sc(III) could be quantitatively adsorbed on the new sorbent. And the adsorbed Sc(III) could be completely eluted by using 2 mL of 6 mol L(-1) of HCl+2% CS(NH(2))(2). Most common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation and preconcentration of Sc(III) at optimal conditions. The maximum static adsorption capacity of the sorbent for Sc(III) was 600 micaromol g(-1) while the time of 95% adsorption was less than 2 min. The detection limit of present method was found to be 0.085 micarog g(-1), and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was lower than 1.3%. The method was also successfully applied to the preconcentration of trace Sc(III) in the environmental samples with satisfactory results.     

Separation of tryptic peptides of native and glycated BSA using open‐tubular CEC with salophene–lanthanide–Zn2+ complex as stationary phase

Open‐tubular CEC (OT‐CEC) with a new stationary phase, salophene–lanthanide–Zn²⁺ complex, has been applied to the separation of tryptic peptides of native BSA and BSA glycated by glucose and ribose. Glycation of proteins (non‐enzymatic modification by sugars) significantly affects their properties and it is of great importance from a physiological point of view. Separation of tryptic peptides of glycated BSA by CZE was poor because of their strong adsorption to the bare fused silica capillary. An improved separation of tryptic peptides of both native and glycated BSA was achieved by OT‐CEC in the fused silica capillary non‐covalently coated with salophene–lanthanide–Zn²⁺ complex, which suppressed the adsorption of peptides to the capillary and via specific interactions with some (glyco)peptides enhanced selectivity of the separation. Significant differences have been found in OT‐CEC analyses of tryptic hydrolysates of native and glycated BSA. In OT‐CEC‐UV profile of tryptic peptides of native BSA, 44 peaks could be resolved, whereas a reduced number of 38 peaks were observed in the profile of tryptic peptides of glucose‐glycated BSA and only 30 peaks were found in the case of ribose‐glycated BSA. The developed OT‐CEC can be potentially used for monitoring of protein glycation.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic enantioseparation of 1-(phenylethylamino)- or 1-(naphthylethylamino)methyl-2-naphthol analogs and a temperature-induced inversion of the elution sequence on polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases

The stereoisomers of five 1-(phenylethylamino)methyl-2-naphthol analogs or 1-(naphthylethylamino)methyl-2-naphthol analogs containing two chiral centers were directly separated on chiral stationary phases containing the chiral selectors cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenyl) carbamate (Lux Cellulose-1), cellulose tris-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl) carbamate (Lux Cellulose-2) and amylose tris-(5-chloro-2-methylphenyl) carbamate (Lux Amylose-2). Experiments were performed in normal-phase mode in a wide temperature range -5 to 70°C. Thermodynamic parameters and T(iso) values were calculated from plots of lnk or lnα vs. 1/T. -Δ(ΔH°) ranged from 1.0 to 4.7 kJ mol(-1), -Δ(ΔS°) from 1.6 to 11.0 J mol(-1) K(-1) and -Δ(ΔG°) from 0.1 to 1.5 kJ mol(-1). The sequence of elution of the stereoisomers was determined in all cases and in one case a temperature-induced inversion of the elution sequence was observed.     

Selective solid-phase extraction and separation of trace gold, palladium and platinum using activated carbon modified with ethyl-3-(2-aminoethylamino)-2-chlorobut-2-enoate

Activated carbon was chemically modified with ethyl-3-(2-aminoethylamino)-2-chlorobut-2-enoate to obtain a material for selective solid-phase extraction of trace Au(III), Pd(II) and Pt(IV) prior to their determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Experimental conditions such as effects of pH, shaking time, sample flow rate and volume, elution and interfering ions were studied. The ions Au(III), Pd(II) and Pt(IV) can be quantitatively adsorbed on the new sorbent from solution of pH 1. The adsorbed ions were then eluted with 0.1 mol L^?1 hydrochloric acid and containing 4% thiourea. Many common ions do not interfere. The adsorption capacity of the material is 305, 92, and 126 mg g^?1 for Au(III), Pd(II) and Pt(IV), respectively, and the detection limits are 5, 11 and 9 ng mL^?1. The relative standard deviation is less than 3.0% (n?=?8) under optimum conditions. The method was validated by analyzing two certified reference materials and successfully applied to the preconcentration and determination of these ions in actual samples with satisfactory results.

Preparation and evaluation of 1,3-alternate 25,27-bis-(pentafluorobenzyloxy)-26,28-bis-(3-propyloxy)-calix[4]arene-bonded silica gel high performance liquid chromatography stationary phase

A 1,3-alternate 25,27-bis-(pentafluorobenzyloxy)-26,28-bis-(3-propyloxy)-calix[4]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase (CalixBzF₁₀) was synthesized, structurally characterized, and used as a selector in liquid chromatography. The selectivity study of this phase was done by using fluorine-containing compounds (fluorobenzenes, fluoro-pyrimidine bases), as well as non-fluorinated analytes (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulfonamides, xanthines and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons). The effects of organic modifiers on the retention of various compounds possessing basic, acidic and neutral characteristics were studied. It was shown that only basic analytes exhibit a “U-shaped” retention profile and that retention depends on the mobile phase pH. Selectivity comparisons of the novel phase vs. the 1,3-alternate 25,27-bis-(benzyloxy)-26,28-bis-(3-propyloxy)-calix[4]arene phase (CalixBz) were performed. The retention mechanism is also discussed. The results indicate that the fluorinated calixarene stationary phase behaves like reversed-phase packing material; however, fluorine–fluorine interactions seem to be involved in the separation process of fluorine-containing analytes.     

Solid phase extraction of trace Hg(II) on silica gel modified with 2-(2-oxoethyl)hydrazine carbothioamide and determination by ICP-AES

In this work, a new 2-(2-oxoethyl)hydrazine carbothioamide modified silica gel (SG-OHC) sorbent was prepared and applied for preconcentration of trace mercury(II) prior to the measurement by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The optimization of some analytical parameters affecting the adsorption of the analyte such as acidity, shaking time, sample flow rate and volume, eluent condition, and interfering substances were investigated. At pH 3, the maximum static adsorption capacity of Hg(II) onto the SG-OHC was 37.5 mg g⁻¹. The quantitative recovery (>95%) of Hg(II) could be obtained using 2 mL of 0.5 mol L⁻¹ HCl and 1% CS(NH₂)₂ solution as eluent. Common coexisting substances did not interfere with the separation of mercury(II) under optimal conditions. The detection limit of present method was 0.10 ng mL⁻¹, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 4.0% (n = 8). The prepared sorbent was successfully applied for the preconcentration of trace Hg(II) in certified and water samples with satisfactory results.