Reversed phase liquid chromatography of alkyl-imidazolium ionic liquids

Eleven 1-alkyl-3-methyl imidazolium ionic liquid (IL) salts were analyzed in reversed phase mode with a Kromasil C18 column. The mobile phases were water-rich acetonitrile solutions (water content > or =70%, v/v) without any added salts. It is shown that it is possible to separate different ILs sharing the same cation and differing by the anion when salt-free mobile phases are used. When a buffer, acetate or phosphate salt, or any salt, such as sodium chloride or sodium tetrafluorobarate, is added to the mobile phase, the ILs differing only by their anions cannot be separated. ILs with different alkyl chains in the imidazolium cation are separated by mobile phases with or without added salts following a hydrophobic interaction behavior: log k is proportional to nC, the carbon number of the alkyl chain. Important differences in ion/stationary phase interactions are observed depending on the ionic content of the mobile phase. With salt-free mobile phases, the IL/C18 stationary phase interactions correspond to concave isotherms associated with fronting peaks for all ILs. With mobile phase containing 0.01 M of salt, tailing IL peaks correspond to convex adsorption isotherms. Also, the IL retention factor depends on the concentration and nature of the added salt. Hexafluorophosphate chaotropic anions can adsorb on the Kromasil C18 surface dramatically increasing the imidazolium cation retention factors.     

Effect of ionic liquid additives to mobile phase on separation and system efficiency for HPLC of selected alkaloids on different stationary phases

The silica-based stationary phases with favorable physical characteristics are the most popular in liquid chromatography. However, there are several problems with silica-based materials: severe peak tailing in the chromatography of basic compounds, non-reproducibility for the same chemistry columns, and limited pH stability. Ionic liquids (ILs) as mobile phase components can reduce peak tailing by masking residual free silanol groups. The chromatographic behavior of some alkaloids from different classes was studied on C18, phenyl, and pentafluorophenyl columns with different kinds and concentrations of ionic liquids as additives to aqueous mobile phases. Ionic liquids with different alkyl substituents on different cations or with different counterions as eluent additives were investigated. The addition of ionic liquids has great effects on the separation of alkaloids: decrease in band tailing, increase in system efficiency, and improved resolution. The retention, separation selectivity, and sequence of alkaloid elution were different when using eluents containing various ILs. The increase of IL concentration caused an increase in silanol blocking, thus conducted to decrease the interaction between alkaloid cations and free silanol groups, and caused a decrease of alkaloids retention, improvement of peak symmetry, and increase of theoretical plate number in most cases. The effect of ILs on stationary phases with different properties was also examined. The different properties of stationary phases resulted in differences in analyte retention, separation selectivity, peak shape, and system efficiency. The best shape of peaks and the highest theoretical plate number for most investigated alkaloids in mobile phases containing IL was obtained on pentafluorophenyl (PFP) phase.     

碱性药物在硫醚嵌入苯磺酸硅胶固定相上的色谱行为

混合模式色谱（MMC）在复杂样品的分离分析方面具有独到的优势,相比于单一模式色谱,MMC受到多种作用控制,保留机理更为复杂。利用巯基-烯点击化学方法分别制备了单配体和双配体两种硫醚嵌入苯磺酸硅胶固定相,通过改变pH、离子强度和有机溶剂强度等流动相条件,以4种碱性药物为模型,对其保留机理进行了探讨。结果表明,两种固定相都具有反相和离子交换的混合保留机理。通过改变流动相中盐浓度、考察溶质保留因子与盐浓度倒数的关系,证明了反相、单纯离子交换和反相协同离子交换三种作用形式的保留模型更为合理。定量研究表明,在两个固定相上,由单纯离子交换和反相协同离子交换构成的总离子交换作用占主导,各作用占比与溶质、流动相组成、固定相配体的类型及其比例等密切相关,并且协同作用对溶质的保留和分离选择性影响很大。混合模式色谱保留机理的研究对于新型固定相设计和复杂体系的分离优化具有重要理论指导意义。     

Chocolate HILIC phases: development and characterization of novel saccharide-based stationary phases by applying non-enzymatic browning (Maillard reaction) on amino-modified silica surfaces

Novel saccharide-based stationary phases were developed by applying non-enzymatic browning (Maillard Reaction) on aminopropyl silica material. During this process, the reducing sugars glucose, lactose, maltose, and cellobiose served as “ligand primers”. The reaction cascade using cellobiose resulted in an efficient chromatographic material which further served as our model Chocolate HILIC column. (Chocolate refers to the fact that these phases are brownish.) In this way, an amine backbone was introduced to facilitate convenient manipulation of selectivity by additional attractive or repulsive ionic solute–ligand interactions in addition to the typical HILIC retention mechanism. In total, six different test sets and five different mobile phase compositions were investigated, allowing a comprehensive evaluation of the new polar column. It became evident that, besides the so-called HILIC retention mechanism based on partition phenomena, additional adsorption mechanisms, including ionic interactions, take place. Thus, the new column is another example of a HILIC-type column characterized by mixed-modal retention increments. The glucose-modified materials exhibited the relative highest overall hydrophobicity of all grafted Chocolate HILIC columns which enabled retention of lipophilic analytes with high water content mobile phases.     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography analysis of alkyl-imidazolium ionic liquids II. Effects of different added salts and stationary phase influence

Two mixtures of four 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) salts associated to the anions tetrafluoroborate or hexafluorophosphate were analyzed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with three different stationary phases: Kromasil C(8), Zorbax Extend C(18) and Zorbax Sb-Aq. The effect on retention of various inorganic salts (NaCl, NaH(2)PO(4,) NaBF(4), NaClO(4) and NaPF(6)) added to acetonitrile/water mobile phases was studied. The three columns gave similar separation profiles. In all cases, the retention of ILs increased with the increasing affinity of the inorganic anions for the apolar stationary phases; a phenomenon called chaotropicity. The chaotropic anion order is Cl(-) approximately H(2)PO(4)(-) < BF(4)(-) approximately ClO(4)(-) < PF(6)(-). It is established that the presence of chaotropic anions in the mobile phase do not permit to differentiate between ILs associated to different anions. However, chloride or dihydrogenphosphate added salts do not fully screen the retention differences between ILs associated with different anions. Distorted and even split peaks may appear in the chromatogram depending on the nature and concentration of the injected ILs. In the RPLC analysis of imidazolium-based IL, it is recommended to add to the mobile phase significant amounts of a salt containing a chaotropic anion. This salt addition will improve the IL peak shapes and give reproducible retention factors. LODs in the low microgram range ( approximately 5 nmol) were obtained with the Kromasil C(8) column with a 50/50 acetonitrile-water mobile phase containing 0.01 M NaPF(6) added salt and 230 nm UV detection.     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation of antiretroviral drugs on a monolithic column using ionic liquids as mobile phase additives

The use of 3-methylimidazolium cation-based ionic liquids (ILs) was evaluated as mobile phase additives for separation of antiretroviral drugs on a monolithic column by RP-HPLC. Separation of eight commonly used antiretroviral drugs was achieved on a Chromolith Flash, RP-18e column (25 × 4.6 mm, porous material) using water (pH 4.0 adjusted with acetic acid)/methanol v/v as a mobile phase containing ILs in a gradient elution mode. The effects of concentrations of ILs on retention, resolution and peak shape were studied and a regression equation correlating the interactions between stationary phase and the ILs was established. The retention of all the drugs was decreased notably by using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, while 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate reduced gradient drift drastically when compared to triethylamine.     

Selectivity of stationary phases based on pyridinium ionic liquids for capillary gas chromatography

A number of capillary columns with stationary liquid phases based on mono- and dication pyridinium ionic liquids (ILs) were prepared. Their polarity was evaluated using McReynolds system and the selectivity was estimated from intermolecular interactions. The parameters of intermolecular interactions were obtained from retention data using the (Abraham) model of the linear free energy relationship. The dependences of intermolecular interactions on the structure of the cation in the ILs under study were revealed. The results were compared with the data for the traditional phases (HP-5, ZB-WAX). Examples of separation of mixtures of oxygen-containing compounds on the phases under study are given.     

On the use of ionic liquids as mobile phase additives in high-performance liquid chromatography. A review

The popularity of ionic liquids (ILs) has grown during the last decades in several analytical separation techniques. Consequently, the number of reports devoted to the applications of ILs is still increasing. This review is focused on the use of ILs (mainly imidazolium-based associated to chloride and tetrafluoroborate) as mobile phase additives in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In this approach, ILs just function as salts, but keep several kinds of intermolecular interactions, which are useful for chromatographic separations. Both cation and anion can be adsorbed on the stationary phase, creating a bilayer. This gives rise to hydrophobic, electrostatic and other specific interactions with the stationary phase and solutes, which modify the retention behaviour and peak shape. This review updates the advances in this field, with emphasis on topics not always deeply considered in the literature, such as the mechanisms of retention, the estimation of the suppressing potency of silanols, modelling and optimisation of the chromatographic performance, and the comparison with other additives traditionally used to avoid the silanol problem.     

Naphthalene sulphonic acids--new test compounds for characterization of the columns for reversed-phase chromatography

Non-substituted naphthalene sulphonic acids are strong acids, which are completely ionised in aqueous and aqueous-organic solutions. Because of repulsive electrostatic interactions, they are more or less excluded from the pores of the column packing materials commonly used in reversed-phase chromatography. The ionic exclusion can be suppressed by increasing the ionic strength of the mobile phase. In aqueous sodium sulphate solutions, very good selectivity was observed for isomeric naphthalene di- and tri-sulphonic acids, allowing reversed-phase separations of these strongly ionic compounds without addition of ion-pairing reagents to the mobile phase. The retention of the isomeric acids increases proportionally to the dipole moment, which can be explained by its effect on increasing exposure of the naphthalene ring to hydrophobic interactions with the non-polar stationary phases. Chromatographic behaviour of isomeric naphthalene di- and trisulphonic acids was investigated on 25 different columns for reversed-phase chromatography. The elution order of the isomers is the same on all the columns, but very strong stationary phase effects were observed on the retention and on the band asymmetry, depending on polar interactions with residual silanol groups and other polar adsorption centres in the stationary phases. These effects are independent of the organic solvents, as the tests are performed in purely aqueous mobile phases and allow classification of the columns into several groups.     

The role of the dual nature of ionic liquids in the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separation of basic drugs

The cationic nature of basic drugs gives rise to broad asymmetrical chromatographic peaks with conventional C18 columns and hydro-organic mixtures, due to the ionic interaction of the positively charged solutes with the free silanol groups on the alkyl-bonded reversed-phase packing. Ionic liquids (ILs) have recently attracted some attention to reduce this undesirable silanol activity. ILs are dual modifiers (with a cationic and anionic character), which means that both cation and anion can be adsorbed on the stationary phase, giving rise to interesting interactions with the anionic free silanols and the cationic basic drugs. A comparative study of the performance of four imidazolium-based ILs as modifiers of the chromatographic behaviour of a group of β-blockers is shown. The ILs differed in the adsorption capability of the cation and anion on C18 columns. Mobile phases without additive and containing a cationic (triethylamine, TEA) or anionic (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) additive were used as references for the interpretation of the behaviours. The changes in the nature of the chromatographic system, at increasing concentration of the additives, were followed based on the changes in retention and peak shape of the β-blockers. The silanol suppressing potency of the additives, and the association constants between the solutes and modified stationary phase or additive in the mobile phase, were estimated. The study revealed that SDS and the ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate are the best enhancers of chromatographic peak shape among those studied.     

Retention properties of internal-surface reversed-phase silica packing and recovery of drugs from human plasma

The properties of internal-surface reversed-phase silica packings developed for use in high-performance liquid chromatography, were investigated with regard to the effects of mobile phase conditions (pH, ionic strength, nature and concentration of organic modifiers, ion-pairing agent and surfactant) on the retention of some selected compounds having different polarities. The results indicated that pi-electron interactions play the main role in solute retention, although it is weaker than that on phenylsilica supports, and that weak cation-exchange properties exert a secondary effect on the retention of ionic solutes. The ion-pairing effect was found to be markedly weakened in mobile phases containing an anionic counter ion. In contrast, the addition of a surfactant (SDS) caused a marked increase in the retention of certain drugs at low pH and expanded the pH range of the mobile phase applicable to plasma samples. Based on these findings, the separation and recovery of several drugs (probenecid, lidocaine, cefpiramide and cefaclor) from human plasma were investigated, with emphasis on their protein bindings. The contour chromatogram of human plasma is also demonstrated in relation to the selection of the detection wavelength.     

嘌呤衍生物在葫芦［6］脲单轮烷键合固定相上的色谱行为

在反相和正相色谱模式下,研究了几种嘌呤衍生物在葫芦［6］脲单轮烷键合硅胶固定相上的高效液相色谱行为,并在反相模式下与ODS固定相进行了比较,考察了流动相中甲醇含量、流动相pH值和离子强度对嘌呤化合物保留的影响。研究结果表明:在反相模式下,嘌呤化合物与葫芦［6］脲单轮烷键合相之间存在多种相互作用,除疏水作用外,分离过程中还存在与ODS不同的色谱分离机制。在正相条件下,多作用力的色谱分离机制同样存在。葫芦［6］脲单轮烷键合相与溶质之间存在疏水、氢键、π-π和偶极-偶极等多种作用力,协同作用提高了固定相对嘌呤化合物的分离选择性。     

一种可控离子比例的两性亲水色谱固定相的制备及性能研究

将不同比例的氨基和巯基的硅烷偶联剂键合到硅胶表面，再利用巯基与乙烯基膦酸之间的点击化学反应将膦酸基团引入到硅胶表面，制备了一种可调节正负离子比例的两性亲水色谱固定相。通过测定固定相中C、H、N、P元素的含量，证明了氨基与膦酸基团已成功键合到固定相的表面，同时通过N元素与P元素的质量分数确定固定相表面氨基与膦酸基团的比例。制备了3种不同电荷比例的氨基膦酸固定相，将其作为亲水模式下的固定相填料填装在150 mm×4.6 mm不锈钢色谱柱中。以一系列经典的极性小分子作为探针，研究了流动相中乙腈含量、缓冲盐pH值及缓冲盐浓度等因素对探针分子在3种色谱柱上的保留的影响，结果表明，分析物在固定相上是多重保留机理。最后通过比较核苷、水溶性维生素、碱性化合物、苯甲酸这几类标准物质在3种色谱柱上的保留行为来对比3种不同电荷比例的固定相的分离选择性与色谱性能。结果表明，对于不同的分析物，3种固定相表现出完全不同的分离选择性和色谱行为。可以根据分析物的特征选取不同电荷比例的固定相，表明此种固定相在极性化合物的分离上具有良好的应用前景。     

Liquid chromatography and characterization of ether-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids on mixed-mode reversed-phase/cation exchange stationary phase

A new series [C_nO_mmim]Cl of imidazolium cation-based ionic liquids (ILs), with an ether functional group on the alkyl side-chain, has been prepared. The possibility of analyzing the ionic liquids by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was investigated on mixed-mode reversed/cation exchange stationary phase with the aqueous-acetonitrile mobile phase. Elution parameters, such as retention factor, selectivity and column efficiency, were studied as functions of mobile phase composition and pH. The ILs were characterized by elemental analysis, and infrared, UV and ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.     

Retention characteristics of organic compounds on molten salt and ionic liquid-based gas chromatography stationary phases

The interest of using ionic liquids (ILs) as stationary phases in gas chromatography (GC) has increased in recent years. This is largely due to the fact that new classes of ILs are being developed that are capable of satisfying many of the requirements of GC stationary phases. This review highlights the major requirements of GC stationary phases and describes how molten salts/ILs can be designed to largely meet these needs. The retention characteristics of organic solutes will be discussed for ammonium, pyridinium, and phosphonium-based molten salts followed by imidazolium, pyridinium, pyrollidinium, and phosphonium-based IL stationary phases. The versatility of ILs allows for the development of stationary phases based on dicationic ILs, polymeric ILs, and IL mixtures. To aid in choosing the appropriate IL stationary phase for a particular separation, the reader is guided through the different types of stationary phases available to identify those capable of providing the desired separation selectivity of organic solutes while allowing for flexibility in ranges of temperature used throughout the separation.     

Suitability of ionic liquids as mobile‐phase additives in HPLC with fluorescence and UV detection for the determination of heterocyclic aromatic amines

The effects of several ionic liquids (ILs) as mobile‐phase additives in HPLC with fluorescence and UV–Vis detection for the determination of six heterocyclic aromatic amines were evaluated using two different C₁₈ stationary phases with moderate silanol activity. The studied ILs were 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and 1‐methyl‐3‐octylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. The optical behaviour of heterocyclic aromatic amines in presence of ILs was studied and the silanol‐suppressing potency of ILs was evaluated for the two stationary phases studied. Several chromatographic parameters were evaluated in the presence or absence of ILs, or using triethylamine, the most common mobile‐phase additive. The best results were achieved using 1 mM 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as mobile‐phase additive and NovaPak^® column. In these conditions and with 18% of ACN in the mobile phase, analytical performance of the chromatographic methods using fluorescence and UV–Vis were evaluated, obtaining good precision in all cases (RSD lower than 6.6%) and low LOD (0.001–0.147 μg/mL with UV–Vis and 0.001–0.006 ng/mL with fluorescence detection).     

硅烷基咪唑双三氟甲烷磺酰亚胺离子液体气相色谱固定相的性能评价

以双三氟甲烷磺酰亚胺离子([NTf₂]^-)为阴离子,合成阳离子烷基取代不同(C1、C2和C4)的硅烷基咪唑离子液体,以其为固定相制备气相色谱填充柱。 硅烷基咪唑离子液体为强极性固定相;阳离子结构影响固定相的热稳定性、极性和分离性能。 在这些离子液体固定相中,1-丁基-3-[(3-三甲氧基硅基)-丙基]咪唑双三氟甲烷磺酰亚胺([PBIM]NTf₂)对Grob试剂分离性能较好。 利用溶剂化作用参数模型,评价[PBIM]NTf₂固定相特性,研究固定相-组分分子之间相互作用机制;同时考察[PBIM]NTf₂色谱柱对不同类型化合物的分离性能。 结果表明,[PBIM]NTf₂固定相主要作用力是氢键碱性和偶极作用,对烷烃、醇、酯和胺等不同类型的样品组分表现出良好的分离能力。     

Selectivity of calixarene‐bonded silica phases in HPLC: Description of special characteristics with a multiple term linear equation at different methanol concentrations

Retention and selectivity characteristics of different calixarene‐, resorcinarene‐ and alkyl‐bonded stationary phases are examined by analyzing a set of test solutes covering the main interactions (hydrophobic, steric, ionic, polar) that apply in HPLC. Therefore Dolan and Snyder's multiple term linear equation has been adapted to fit the properties of calixarene‐bonded columns. The obtained parameters are used to describe retention and selectivity of the novel Caltrex^® phases and to elucidate underlying mechanisms of retention. Here, differences of stationary phase characteristics at different methanol concentrations in the mobile phases are examined. Both selectivity and retention were found to depend on the methanol content. Differences of these dependencies were found for different stationary phases and interactions. The differences between common alkyl‐bonded and novel calixarene‐bonded phases increase with increasing methanol content.