Role of the charge in continuous beds in the chiral separation of hydroxy acids by ligand-exchange capillary electrochromatography

This paper deals with the chiral separation of hydroxy acids using diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride as a positive charge-providing agent in the continuous bed. The chiral continuous bed was prepared by in situ copolymerization of monomers, including an L-4-hydroxyproline derivative as a chiral selector. This phase was applied to the chiral separation of hydroxy monocarboxylic acids and hydroxy dicarboxylic acids, respectively. The influence of both the selector concentration and the charge-providing agent on retention and separation was investigated.     

Chiral separation of amino acids by ligand-exchange capillary electrochromatography using continuous beds

A chiral ligand-exchange phase for capillary electrochromatography based on continuous bed technology was developed. The chiral stationary phase is prepared by a one-step in situ copolymerization procedure using methacrylamide, piperazine diacrylamide, vinylsulfonic acid and N-(2-hydroxy-3-allyloxypropyl)-L-4-hydroxyproline. These chiral continuous beds are inexpensive and easy to prepare. They also have several advantages over silica-based packed capillaries. Since the bed is covalently attached to the capillary wall, no frit is required. The applicability of this new approach to the chiral separation of underivatized amino acids is demonstrated.     

Polyrotaxane approach for synthesis of continuous beds for capillary electrochromatography

The polyrotaxane formation approach was evaluated for synthesis of continuous beds for capillary electrochromatography. This approach has the advantage of generating diverse electroosmotic and chromatographic properties without chemical reactions. The polyrotaxane derivatized continuous beds were formed adding the macrocyclic compounds to the solution of neutral acrylic monomers and crosslinker prior to the initiation of the polymerisation. Cationic and anionic derivatives of beta-cyclodextrin were used as macrocyclic compounds. Investigation of the electroosmotic properties indicated a template directed and enthalpy controlled self-assembly of the polyrotaxanes during the polymerisation of the continuous beds. This process was monomer-composition dependent and favored by the hydrophobicity of the polymeric skeleton. The morphology of the continuous beds was evaluated using high-resolution optical microscopy with CCD camera and atomic force microscopy. Reversed-phase capillary chromatography driven by electroosmosis, originating from the polyrotaxane structure, was performed using several test mixtures. Not primarily designed for the chiral chromatography the polyrotaxane derivatized continuous beds demonstrated enantioselective separation of D,L-metoprolol. The stability of the polyrotaxane derivatized continuous beds was tested. The beds demonstrated reproducible electroosmotic properties in the range from pH 4 to pH 9 (RSD=0.69%).     

Microchip-based capillary electrochromatography using packed beds

Integration of a packed column onto a microchip for performance of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is described. The quartz device incorporated a cross-injector, and a double weir trapping design for formation of 1, 2 and 5 mm long CEC columns. Three fluorescent dyes were baseline-resolved with plate numbers of 330,(330,000 plates/m; height equivalent to a theoretical plate, H = 3.0 microm) for BODIPY 493/503, 360 (360,000 plates/m; H = 2.8 microm) for rhodamine 123 and 244 (244,000 plates/m; H = 4.1 microm) for acridine orange (AO) with 500 V applied on a 1 mm long column. The 2 mm column yielded approximately 1.8 times more theoretical plates than did the 1 mm column, when operated at the same flow rate. Van Deemter plots were obtained for the three column lengths, showing increased plate height for the 5 mm length. A 2 mm column gave peak height and area relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 2.5 and 3.3%, respectively, as averages for the three dyes (n = 15). The RSD for the dye retention times was 1% (n = 6) over one day, and 3% (n = 30) over five days. Indirect fluorescence detection of thiourea and of amino acids was possible using a neutral indicator dye (BODIPY 493/503), with a detection limit of 10 microM for amino acids.     

Capillary electrochromatography of hydrophobic amines on continuous beds

The capillary electrochromatographic separation performance of hydrophobic amines and a related quaternary ammonium compound on continuous beds based on polymers of acrylamide has been studied. The chromatographic bed is polymerized in situ and the character of the polymers with regard to hydrophobicity and charge has been systematically changed by regulating its content of isopropyl and sulfonate ligands, respectively. The best performance was obtained for columns with a molar ratio of 1:80 for the sulfonate and isopropyl groups, and resulted in efficiencies up to 200000 plates per meter. The effects on retention, resolution and elution order by ionic strength, pH, and content of acetonitrile in the mobile phase have been investigated. The quaternary ammonium compound was always the least retained irrespective of pH. By increasing the pH, a reversal of the migration order between the tertiary and secondary amine was obtained. The results indicate a complex migration/retention mechanism where ion-exchange, adsorption and electrophoretic mobilities play a role. The concentration limit of detection could be lowered from 1.3 microg/mL to 50 pg/mL by using a high content of 2-propanol (96%) in the sample compared to dissolving the analytes in the mobile phase.     

Enantioseparation on cellulose dimethylphenylcarbamate-modified zirconia monolithic columns by reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography

This work reports the preparation of monolithic zirconia chiral columns for separation of enantiomeric compounds by capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Using sol–gel technology, a porous monolith having interconnected globular-like structure with through-pores is synthesized in the capillary column as a first step in the synthesis of monolithic zirconia chiral capillary columns. In the second step, the surface of the monolith is modified by coating with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC) as the chiral stationary phase to obtain a chiral column (CDMPCZM). The process of the preparation of the zirconia monolithic capillary column was investigated by varying the concentrations of the components of the sol solution including polyethylene glycol, water and acetic acid. CDMPCZM is mechanically stable and no bubble formation was detected with the applied current of up to 30 μA. The enantioseparation behavior of the CDMPCZM columns was investigated by separating a set of 10 representative chiral compounds by varying the applied voltage and pH and organic composition of the aqueous organic mobile phases.     

Continuous beds with vancomycin as chiral stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography

Enantiomeric separations in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) carried out using a continuous-bed chiral stationary phase (CSP) based on the macrocyclic antibiotic, vancomycin, is presented. The continuous beds were prepared from methacryloxypropyl modified fused silica capillaries (100 microm ID) by in situ copolymerization of N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide and piperazine diacrylamide with vinyl sulfonic acid comonomer used to introduce ionic functionality and thus a strong electroosmotic flow (EOF). The CSP was subsequently prepared by immobilizing the vancomycin stationary phase by reductive amination. Preliminary results have indicated that an extremely strong EOF is obtained in both the nonaqueous polar organic (15.2 x 10(-5) cm2 V(-1) s(-1) and the aqueous reversed-phase modes of operation (8.5 x 10(-5) cm2 V(-1) s(-1)). Enantioselectivity was obtained for four racemic compounds, the best of which was in the case of thalidomide which was separated in 10 minutes with high resolution (Rs = 2.5) and efficiency (120,000 plates meter(-1)) values.     

Enantioseparation of 2-aryloxypropionic acids on chiral porous monolithic columns by capillary electrochromatography. Evaluation of column performance and enantioselectivity

The enantioseparation of 2-aryloxypropionic acids by capillary electrochromatography was tested on columns with a monolithic stationary phase prepared from silanized fused-silica capillaries (100 microm I.D.) by in situ copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and methyl methacrylate in the presence of formamide and 1-propanol as the porogen solvents. The porous chiral monolithic stationary phases were prepared by reaction of the epoxy-groups at the surface of the monolith with (+)-1-(4-aminobutyl)-(5R,8S,10R)-terguride. To attain the minimum HETP values for the enantiodiscrimination of 2-phenoxypropionic acid, the influence of the composition of polymerization solution on column total porosity and efficiency was investigated. Optimum mobile phase conditions were found for all analytes tested using acetonitrile-methanol mixtures containing triethylamine and acetic acid as the buffer components. Furthermore, the chemical and mechanical stabilities of the columns were satisfactory, allowing hundreds of analyses.     

Enantioseparation of dipeptides by capillary electrochromatography on a teicoplanin aglycone chiral stationary phase

This work deals with investigations on the enantioseparation of glycyl-dipeptides by capillary electrochromatography (CEC) on a capillary packed with teicoplanin aglycone immobilized on 3.5 μm silica gel. The results were compared to those obtained with micro-HPLC using the same chiral stationary phase. Polar organic and reversed-phase mode were checked, whereby the latter showed better results. Out of 12 glycyldipetides investigated, all compounds showed baseline separation with R_s values up to 20. Plate numbers were in the range of 10 000–300 000/m. The choice of organic modifier was found to be crucial. While methanol increased retention time, acetonitrile reduced it. A ternary mixture of ethanol–acetonitrile–aqueous triethylamine acetate solution pH 4.1 was found to be a useful compromise, providing excellent resolution with retention times less than 25 min. Efficiency and resolution were generally found to be higher in CEC than with micro-HPLC.     

Chemically L-prolinamide-modified monolithic silica column for enantiomeric separation of dansyl amino acids and hydroxy acids by capillary electrochromatography and mu-high performance liquid chromatography

A silica-based chiral monolithic column prepared by sol-gel process and chemical modification of chiral selector was used for enantioseparation of dansyl amino acids and hydroxy acids by capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and mu-high-performance liquid chromatography (mu-HPLC). L-Prolinamide was modified as a chiral selector. The chiral stationary phase (CSP), the chiral complex of Cu(II) with L-prolinamide, provides an anodic electroosmotic flow (EOF) in CEC. The EOF was found to be dependent on applied electric field strength, the pH, and the composition of mobile phases. Scanning electron micrograph showed that monolithic columns have the morphology of continuous skeleton and large through-pore. D-Enantiomers migrated before L-enantiomers except for dansyl-(Dns)-DL-Ser. The separation efficiencies of up to 17600 (D) and 13,200 plates m(-1) (L) were achieved for the separation of DL-indole-3-lactic acid.     

Use of short-end injection capillary packed with a glycopeptide antibiotic stationary phase in electrochromatography and capillary liquid chromatography for the enantiomeric separation of hydroxy acids

A new chiral stationary phase (CSP) was prepared by reacting MDL 63,246 (Hepta-Tyr), a glycopeptide antibiotic belonging to the teicoplanin family, with 5-μm diol-silica particles. The CSP mixed with 5-μm amino silica particles (3:1) was packed into 75-μm fused-silica capillaries for only 6.6 cm and used for electrochromatographic experiments analyzing several hydroxy acid enantiomers. A reversed electroosmotic flow carried both analytes and mobile phase towards the anode in a short time (1–3 min), being baseline resolved all the studied analytes. In order to achieve the fastest enantiomeric resolution of the studied hydroxy acids, the effect of several experimental parameters such as mobile phase composition (organic modifier type and concentration, pH of the buffer and ionic strength), capillary temperature and applied voltage on enantioresolution factor, retention time, enantioselectivity were evaluated. The packed capillary column allowed the separation of mandelic acid enantiomers in less than 72 s with resolution factor R_s=2.18 applying a voltage of 30 kV and eluting with a mobile phase composed by 50 mM ammonium acetate (pH 6)–water–acetonitrile (1:4:5, v/v). The CSP was also tested in the capillary liquid chromatography mode resolving all the studied enantiomers applying 12 bar pressure to the mobile phase [50 mM ammonium acetate (pH 6)–water–methanol–acetonitrile, 1:4:2:3, v/v)], however, relatively long analysis times were observed (12–20 min).     

Separation of phenylthiohydantoin amino acids by capillary electrochromatography

Capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was employed as a rapid and high-efficiency method for the isocratic separation of all 20 important phenylthiohydantoin (PTH) amino acids, the end products of Edman degradation during N-terminal protein sequencing. For this purpose, 75 microm ID fused-silica capillaries were packed with standard 3 microm Hypersil octadecyl silica (ODS) particles using a two-step column fabrication process, which represents a fast, reliable and efficient means of producing long-term stable columns. The influence of solvent composition, pH, type of buffer cation, buffer concentration, and temperature on retention behavior of PTH amino acids was investigated. Same-day and day-to-day reproducibility of the retention times (over a period of two months) were found to be better than 3%. When comparing this new technique with traditional reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) methods applied in automated protein sequenators, CEC shows essentially shorter separation times and superior resolution.     

Instrumentation for capillary electrochromatography

One of the reasons for the immense interest in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is its feature to combine chromatographic selectivity with the high efficiency and the miniaturization potential of capillary electrophoresis (CE). The capability of commercial CE instruments to run CEC has enforced the readiness of users and researchers to work on this separation technique. Nevertheless, to fully exploit the potential of CEC, a routine CE device can certainly not fulfill all requirements. Two different approaches have been made to overcome this problem. The first was to modify commercial CE instruments for various demands. Pressurization of the packed capillary to prevent "air" bubble formation, gradient elution capabilities and thermostating devices allowing a greater flexibility in column designs have been implemented in CE instruments of several manufacturers. A completely different approach is the development of modular laboratory-made instrumentation dedicated to special CEC requirements. In order to increase mobile phase velocity and thus the speed of analysis the availability of voltages higher than 30 kV was accomplished in some of these devices. Gradient elution was achieved by either coupling of gradient LC systems or an electroosmotic generation of the changing eluent composition. When a pressure gradient is applied between both column ends in addition to the voltage gradient, a hybrid between capillary HPLC and CEC results. This chromatographic mode is named pressure-assisted electrochromatography (PEC). Either CE instruments equipped with additional HPLC pumps or modular laboratory-made devices are suitable for PEC. In CEC, sensitivity for UV detection is rather poor due to the short optical path length for on-column detection in capillary separation techniques. A special cell design with enhanced light path is presented and further principles like, e.g., fluorescence detection and coupling to mass spectrometry are discussed.     

A glycopeptide antibiotic chiral stationary phase for the enantiomer resolution of hydroxy acid derivatives by capillary electrochromatography

Separation of hydroxy acid enantiomers was achieved by using capillary electrochromatography (CEC) employing a chiral stationary phase (CSP) based on MDL 63,246 (Hepta-Tyr), a macrocyclic antibiotic of the teicoplanin family. The chiral selector was chemically bonded to 5 num diol-modified silica particles and the CSP mixed with amino silica (3:1 w/w) was packed into a 75 num ID fused-silica capillary. The CEC experiments were carried out by using an aqueous reversed-phase mode for the enantiomeric resolution of hydroxy acid compounds. Good enantioresolution was achieved for mandelic acid (MA), m-hydroxymandelic acid (m-OH-MA), p-OH-MA, and 3-hydroxy-4-methoxymandelic acid (3-OH-4-MeO-MA). The CEC system was less enantioselective towards 2-phenyllactic acid (2-PhL) and 3-PhL while mandelic acid methyl ester (MA-Et-Est) enantiomers were not resolved. Several experimental parameters, such as organic solvent type and concentration, buffer pH, capillary temperature, on enantioresolution factor, retention time, and retention factor were studied.     

Homogeneous gels for capillary electrochromatography

Homogeneous gels represent a new type of (electro)chromatographic media possessing unique separation properties unmatched with any other chromatographic beds. It is important to emphasize that they principally differ from continuous beds, polymer rods (better known as monoliths), which are particulate separation media with pores permitting hydrodynamic flow through the columns. Monoliths, thus, are more similar to beds conventionally packed with beads, although the particles building up monolithic columns are usually smaller in size (few submicometers) and covalently linked together. Consequently, homogeneous gels deserve better the term "monoliths" having a non-particulate structure formed by crosslinked free polymer chains (according to a dictionary a monolith is a non-modularized column). The goals of this minireview are to clarify the position of homogeneous gels among the separation media (including polymer solutions), to explain and to exemplify their outstanding (electro)chromatographic properties. This review gives hopefully a complete list of references to homogeneous gels developed for capillary electrochromatography.     

Stationary phases for capillary electrochromatography

This review summarizes the variety of stationary phases that have been employed for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) separations. Currently, about 70% of reported CEC research utilizes C18 stationary phases designed for liquid chromatography, but an increasing number of new materials (e.g., ion-exchange phases, sol-gel approaches, organic polymer continuous beds) are under development for use in CEC. Novel aspects of these different materials are discussed including the ability to promote electroosmotic flow, phase selectivity and activity for basic solutes. In addition, new column designs (polymer continuous beds and silica-sol-gel monoliths) are described.     

Column technology for capillary electrochromatography

Column technologies for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) are reviewed. To achieve high efficiency, the inner diameters of open-tubular and packed columns should be less than 25 and 200 μm, respectively. To obtain acceptable separation speed under typical CEC conditions (e.g. 30 kV, 1 mm s⁻¹ electroosmotic flow velocity, and 2–4×10⁻⁸ m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ electroosmotic mobility) the column lengths for open-tubular and packed columns should be less than 120 and 60 cm, respectively. Capillary CEC columns are generally classified into three types: packed, open-tubular, and continuous-bed or monolithic. The various column preparation procedures and the advantages and disadvantages of each column type are discussed in detail.     

Packing columns for capillary electrochromatography

Considering the current interest in capillary electrochromatography (CEC), performed in packed columns, we present the different methods used to pack capillary columns for use in CEC. General considerations on column packing are given and the column fabrication process is discussed in sufficient detail to allow instruction to those who are not experienced in the field. Five different packing methods are discussed to deliver packing material into the capillary column from a practical view point: slurry pressure packing, packing with supercritical CO2, electrokinetic packing, using centripetal forces, and packing by gravity. Entrapment of particulate material by sintering and sol-gel technology is also mentioned. Although slurry pressure packing procedures are most common, higher separation efficiencies are obtained using other packing approaches. Electrokinetic packing seems to be the simplest technique to deliver the packing material into the capillary columns. Nevertheless, as with the other packing techniques, skill and experience are required to complete all the steps involved in the fabrication of packed columns for CEC.     

The use of derivatized cyclodextrins as solubilizing agents in the preparation of macroporous polymers employed as amphiphilic continuous beds in capillary electrochromatography

Employing solubilization by complexation with CDs, new mixed-mode monolithic stationary phases for CEC and micro-LC were synthesized. Free radical copolymerization was performed in aqueous solution with a CD-solubilized hydrophobic monomer, a water-soluble crosslinker (piperazinediacrylamide), and a charged monomer (vinylsulfonic acid). Different hydrophobic methacrylate monomers (isobornyl, adamantyl, cyclohexyl, and phenyl methacrylate) were investigated. Chromatographic properties of the synthesized monoliths were studied with aqueous and nonaqueous mobile phases with hydrophobic and polar analytes. Due to the amphiphilic nature of the polymers synthesized, the elution orders obtained correspond to the RP mode and to the normal-phase mode dependent on the polarity of the mobile phase. However, observations made with polar solutes and polar mobile phase can only be explained by a mixed-mode retention mechanism. The influence of the total monomer concentration (%T) on the chromatographic properties and on the specific permeability was elucidated. Run-to-run, day-to-day, and capillary-to-capillary reproducibility of electroosmotic mobility and retention factors were determined. Comparison of retention data with those of a commercial octadecyl silica gel HPLC column reveals that the methylene selectivity of the monolithic capillaries prepared in this study is very similar to that of routinely used octadecyl silica gels.     

A new easy-to-prepare homogeneous continuous electrochromatographic bed for enantiomer recognition

Completely homogeneous polyacrylamide-based gels were used for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) of drug enantiomers. Like continuous beds (also called continuous polymer rods, silica rods, monoliths) they do not require frits to support the bed because it is covalently linked to the capillary wall. A long lifetime is an important feature of the beds. The gel matrices can be prepared in any laboratory and for specific interactions they can be derivatized with appropriate ligands. The application range is, therefore, broad. For chiral electrochromatography, negatively and positively charged polyacrylamide gels copolymerized with 2-hydroxy-3-allyloxy-propyl-beta-cyclodextrin (allyl-beta-CD) were prepared. The latter monomer was synthesized from beta-CD and allylglycidyl ether by a very simple one-step procedure. Eight acidic, neutral and basic drug compounds were resolved into their enantiomers, most of them with baseline separation. Interestingly, the resolution is independent of the electroendosmotic velocity, i.e., rapid analyses will not give low resolution. Upon increasing this velocity, the plate height for the fast enantiomer did not change (or decreased slightly), whereas that for the slow enantiomer increased. Only the last term in the van Deemter equation contributed significantly to the total plate height. The composition of the gel was chosen such that the "pores" became large enough to guarantee a satisfactory electroendosmotic flow (EOF). This open gel structure explains why acetone diffused as in free solution, i.e., independently of the presence of the gel matrix. This finding also indicates that the separation of small molecules in polyacrylamide gels cannot be explained by "molecular-sieving", but rather by some type of adsorption ("aromatic adsorption"?).