Optimization of artificial neural network for retention modeling in high-performance liquid chromatography

An artificial neural network (ANN) model for the prediction of retention times in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed and optimized. A three-layer feed-forward ANN has been used to model retention behavior of nine phenols as a function of mobile phase composition (methanol-acetic acid mobile phase). The number of hidden layer nodes, number of iteration steps and the number of experimental data points used for training set were optimized. By using a relatively small amount of experimental data (25 experimental data points in the training set), a very accurate prediction of the retention (percentage normalized differences between the predicted and the experimental data less than 0.6%) was obtained. It was shown that the prediction ability of ANN model linearly decreased with the reduction of number of experiments for the training data set. The results obtained demonstrate that ANN offers a straightforward way for retention modeling in isocratic HPLC separation of a complex mixture of compounds widely different in pK_a and log K_ow values.     

New practical algorithm for modelling retention times in gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Computer models have been widely used to predict the chromatographic behaviour of liquid chromatography systems. With the introduction of mass spectrometric detection and the use of lower mobile phase flow rates with conventional LC equipment, the influence of the dwell volume on the shape of the gradient curve becomes an issue in predicting the retention times. A new straight forward algorithm is proposed for the modelling of retention times in reversed-phase LC, taking the effect of the dwell volume on the gradient shape into account. The results show that the dwell volume has a large effect at lower flow rates and on the retention times of the analytes eluting at the end of fast gradient curves. The proposed model is able to make reliable predictions and can be helpful in LC-MS method development.     

Modeling the effect of solvation on solute retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The retention of a homologous series of alkylbenzenes was determined on octyl and octadecyl reversed-phase columns in several polar organic liquids. Free energies of transfer were calculated by the SM5.0R classical solvation model for each organic liquid tested and for several alkanes. The relationships between the measured retention factors and the calculated free energies of transfer were then investigated. Although the natural logarithms of the retention factor and the calculated free energies of transfer were linearly correlated, the obtained free energies of transfer of the solutes did not completely explain the retention behavior of the solutes. Nonetheless, even in these pure organic liquids, the energetics of RPLC retention behaved very similarly to those of partitioning.     

Models of retention of adamantylamidrazones in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Rules governing the chromatographic behavior of some amidrazones of the adamantane series were studied under the conditions of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The characteristics of the retention of sorbates in elution by aqueous-acetonitrile phases with various compositions were calculated. Correlations between the structure and physicochemical characteristics of sorbate molecules and their retention were studied.     

Ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of oligonucleotides: retention prediction

An ion-pair reversed-phase HPLC method was evaluated for the separation of synthetic oligonucleotides. Mass transfer in the stationary phase was found to be a major factor contributing to peak broadening on porous C18 stationary phases. A small sorbent particle size (2.5 microm), elevated temperature and a relatively slow flow-rate were utilized to enhance mass transfer. A short 50 mm column allows for an efficient separation up to 30mer oligonucleotides. The separation strategy consists of a shallow linear gradient of organic modifier, optimal initial gradient strength, and the use of an ion-pairing buffer. The triethylammonium acetate ion-pairing mobile phases have been traditionally used for oligonucleotide separations with good result. However, the oligonucleotide retention is affected by its nucleotide composition. We developed a mathematical model for the prediction of oligonucleotide retention from sequence and length. We used the model successfully to select the optimal initial gradient strength for fast HPLC purification of synthetic oligonucleotides. We also utilized ion-pairing mobile phases comprised of triethylamine (TEA) buffered by hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). The TEA-HFIP aqueous buffers are useful for a highly efficient and less sequence-dependent separation of heterooligonucleotides.     

Influence of stationary phase solvation on shape selectivity and retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

In the past few decades, shape selectivity has drawn a great deal of attention from chromatographers. The chemistry and characteristics of bonded stationary phases such as phase type, length of bonded phase, surface coverage, and silica surface material have an effect on the shape selectivity of the columns. Although the effects of bonded phase shape selectivity are relatively well understood, one remaining question is the effect of intercalated solvent on shape selectivity. The intercalation of organic modifier and water molecules into the stationary phase is believed to introduce more rigidity into bonded alkyl chains in RPLC. The use of gas chromatography (GC) opens a new dimension to approach this question. C18 columns 4 cm in length were prepared in our laboratory and used in both LC and GC experiments. Shape selectivity and thermodynamic constants for the transfer of a solute from the mobile phase to the stationary phase have been determined as a function of monomeric octadecyl stationary phase bonding densities over the range of 1.44-3.43 micromol/m2 and a polymeric phase (nominal surface coverage 4.77 micromol/m2). Comparing LC and GC experiments, we observed: (a) similar relationships between shape and phenyl selectivities with monomerically bonded C18 phase densities; (b) different correlation of thermodynamic quantities (DeltaH degrees , DeltaS degrees , and DeltaG degrees ) versus bonded phase densities. The effects of high temperature and residual silanol groups are sources of difficulty in elucidation of the intercalated mobile phase role in selectivity and retention for GC measurements.     

Prediction of peptide retention time in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Peptide retention in reversed-phase chromatography depends mainly on the amino acid composition of peptides and can therefore be predicted by summing the relative hydrophobic contributions of each constitutive amino acid residue. The prediction is correct for small peptides but overestimates the retention times of peptides larger than 10-15 residues. A new prediction model is proposed in which the contribution to peptide retention of each amino acid residue is not a constant but a decreasing function of peptide length. From the retention times of 104 peptides, the parameters of decreasing functions were estimated by a non-linear multiple regression analysis. The contribution to peptide retention of charged, polar and non-polar residues appears to be differently affected by peptide length. The secondary structure of most peptides during reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography could be responsible for this. The high correlation between the predicted and observed retention times of peptides which were not used to establish the model indicates a good predictive accuracy of the new model.     

Study on the retention behaviour of platinum metal complexes in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The separation and determination of Os(IV), Ir(IV), Pt(II), Ru(III), Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes with 2-(6-methyl-2-benzo-thiazolylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (MBTAE) was studied on RP-HPLC. The effects of methanol concentration, pH-value of the mobile phase, column temperature (T), total flow rate and foreign ions on the retention behaviour have been investigated in detail. It has been shown that the logarithm of the capacity factor (ln k) is in linear relation to the methanol concentration of the mobile phase and the reciprocal of the column temperature (T). The six complexes can be separated within 30 min in a methanol-buffer system.     

Effects of amine modifiers on retention and peak shape in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A systematic evaluation of the effects of 15 different amine modifiers on the retention and peak symmetry of three solutes, a primary, a secondary, and a tertiary amine, is presented. Using automated experimentation, mobile phase combinations for each modifier over a pH range of 2.5 to 8 were investigated. The effect of changing the sodium ion concentration of the mobile phase was also examined. The importance of hydrophobic, ion exchange, and hydrogen bonding interactions as mechanisms for retention and peak symmetry of positively charged solutes is discussed.     

Influence of eluent composition on the retention factor of azoles in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The linear dependence of the retention factor of indole, imidazole, triazole, and tetrazole derivatives on the acetonitrile content of the mobile phase was studied.     

Effect of eluant composition on the retention of water-soluble vitamins in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

The effects of the quantitative composition and pH of water-acetonitrile eluants and temperature on the retention of water-soluble vitamins in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography were studied. The retention parameters of the analytes were calculated and the limits of the applicability of the main adsorption models of retention to the test chromatographic system were discussed.     

Matrix effect on the retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary A polymer-based, reversed-phase column (VA-C18), prepared by grafting octadecyl chain onto vinyl alcohol copolymer gel, was investigated for its chromatographic characteristics. n-Alkanes and n-alkyl alcohols were found to be retained only by hydrophobic interaction between the solutes and the octadecyl chain. In the case of aromatic hydrocarbons, in addition to the hydrophobic interaction, - interaction between the solutes and the based material was elucidated to contribute to the retention. For aromatic tertiary amines which are known to strongly interact with the residual silanol group of the silica-based reversed-phase columns to produce broadened and skewed peakes, the VA-C18 column also retained these substrates strongly by the combination of hydrophobic, -, and ionic interactions. In this case, however, symmetrical peaks were observed. From these results, it was determined that in the case of VA-C18, the base material was found not to produce undesirable effect although the solutes interact with the base. Further conclusion obtained was that in reversed phase liquid chromatography, chromatographic properties of base matrix is highly responsible for the overall retention.     

Improved standardization in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using 1-nitroalkanes as a retention index scale

A retention index scale based on 1-nitroalkanes was introduced for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The retention behaviour of nitroalkanes was examined using two different ODS-silica columns. The nitroalkanes are stable compounds having high UV absorbances at 200-220 nm. The correlation between the logarithm of the capacity factor and the carbon number was linear from the second homologue. The compounds up to 1-nitrohexane are easily available commercially, and they cover the retention range for the majority of toxicologically relevant substances. The retention indices of several test compounds showed that the scale based on 1-nitroalkanes is comparable to that based on alkyl aryl ketones, and additionally may cover the early eluted compounds, for which reference compounds on the alkyl aryl ketone scale are not available.     

反相液相色谱中溶质保留与溶剂化结构参数间的定量关系

本文研究了等度条件下反相液相色谱中溶质保留与溶剂化结构参数间的定量关系;考察了反相液相色谱保留值变化规律式lnk'=a+cC~b中参数a.c 与溶剂化结构参数间的定量关系,结果表明能较好地预测等度和不同冲洗剂组成下溶质的保留值,将乙腈-水和甲醇-水冲洗剂下的a.c值定量关联,表明在考虑溶质的氢键作用参数后,其相关性有所提高.