Microcomputer-assisted retention prediction system in reversed-phase HPLC

Summary The microcomputer-assisted retention prediction system in C₁₈ reversed-phase HPLC is described. The system is based on the use of the hydrophobic parameter and the correlation factor of alkylbenzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are highly correlated to their retention in reversed-phase HPLC. The system is evaluated by comparing the retention data between measured and predicted values. One of the typical examples applied for PAH analysis in the extracts of diesel particulate matter shows the high potential of the system investigated.     

Influence of temperature and mobile phase composition on retention properties of oligomeric bonded phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)

Summary The effect of temperature and mobile phase composition (methanol-water) on the retention behaviour of an oligomeric series of n-octylsilyl bonded phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography has been investigated. Plots of lnk against 1/T (van't Hoff plot) and the enthalpy of transfer (ΔH^o) yields linear relationships under the conditions studied. The ΔH^o values of the aromatic hydrocarbons and n-alkyl benzoates are higher than those of the polar compounds due to their higher level of interaction with the stationary phase. A linear plot of ΔH^o vs. ΔS^o suggest that the retention process, which is essentially controlled by non-specific (dispersive) interactions between the solutes and the bonded ligands, is identical for all cases evaluated. The existence of similar retention mechanisms is confirmed by the constant value of the enthalpy-entropy compensation temperature of the columns for a given class of componds. As expected, decreasing the methanol content (% v/v) of the mobile phase results in increased eluite retention times. The methylene and phenyl selectivities are found to be independent of the carbon content of the stationary phases and varied only with the eluent composition. In addition to their high stability under aggressive mobile phase conditions as previously reported, the results of this study generally showed that the solute retention process on oligomeric phases are similar to those exhibited by the conventional reversed phases.     

Determination of retention factors of phospholipids in gradient HPLC

Summary The mechanism of separation of solutes under gradient elution conditions has been studied. Separation of a mixture of soybean phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylcholine) in the ternary mobile phase: methanol, hexane, isopropanol was considered as an example. An analytical expression in terms of the composition of the ternary mobile phase was obtained to calculate retention factors in two-step gradient modes. The following new polynomial equation was derived: logk=A+BF+CF ²+DG+EG ² where A, B, C, D, and E are empirical coefficients; F and G are volume fractions of isopropanol and methanol respectively in the mobile phase based on hexane. The coefficients for phospholipids were obtained under gradient conditions.     

The use of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to study retention in non-aqueous reversed-phase HPLC

Summary Elution strengths of 11 common HPLC solvents on a polymeric C₁₈ phase were compared using a marker set of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Naphthalene, pyrene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and three larger naphthologues of 8, 10, and 12 rings (constituting a naphthalene zigzag series) were chosen because they span the solvent strength range up to and including the strongest solvents, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and chlorobenzene. Four pairs of similarly shaped isomers were used to probe solvent selectivity. With the exception of THF, HPLC solvent strength correlated with observed red shifts of fluorescence band maxima in each solvent. For THF, the pure solvent and blended mixtures behaved quite differently.     

Comparison of column properties in reversed-phase chromatography: monolithic, cholesterolic and mixed bonded stationary phases

A commercial Chromolith C18 column and two new stationary phases with mixed ligands bonded on the Kromasil silica gel support, SG-MIX and SG-Chol, were characterized using simple tests based on the retention of non-polar, basic and acidic compounds. Polar and methylene selectivity tests in acetonitrile-water and methanol-water mobile phases revealed lower hydrophobicities of the SG-MIX and SG-Chol columns in comparison to the Chromolith column. The columns were further characterized using new test criteria - gradient oligomer capacity and isomeric selectivity and peak symmetry of naphthalene di-sulphonic acids in aqueous mobile phases. The cholesterolic column shows greater gradient oligomer selectivity for the separation of oligoethylene glycol samples than the SG-MIX and the Chromolith columns. Increased retention and peak tailing, but decreased isomeric selectivity for naphthalene-di-sulphonic acids was observed with the SG-MIX column, because of interactions with various polar bonded groups.     

The calculation of retention and selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography II. Methanol-water eluents

Summary To calculate retention in reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography a method based on the molecular structure of the analyte and the characteristics of sorbents and mobile phases has been employed. Characteristics of different ODS-columns in water-methanol eluents have been determined.     

Comparison of provitamin A determination by normal-phase gravity-flow column chromatography and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography

Summary The provitamin A content of some food samples was determined by methods involving MgO: Hyflosupercel gravityflow column chromatography (GFCC) and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the quantitation being done by external standardization (HPLC-ES) or internal standardization (HPLC-IS) with Sudan. The results obtained with - and -carotene in carrots, -carotene and -cryptoxanthin in papaya and -carotene in tomato and kale agreed well, showing that any of the these techniques can be used, provided the analysis is done under optimum conditions. Good separation of the different provitamins using GFCC depends on the analyst's skill and visual acuity. HPLC-ES required a constant supply of provitamin standards, thus the varying purity of commercially available standards and the high instability of these compounds could pose grave problems. Due to the stability of Sudan, HPLC-IS appeared to be the method of choice although passage of the extract through a MgO: Hyflosupercel minicolumn was required prior to injection to separate chlorophylls, dihydroxy- and polyoxycarotenoids which would otherwise elute with Sudan. Nonconformity of the Sudan structure to those of the provitamins did not effect the quantitative results. The chromatographic separation, identity and quantification of the provitamins could be more easily established by using HPLC-IS, complemented with GFCC.     

Olefin group selectivity in non-aqueous reversed-phase LC

Summary The effects of mobile phase composition upon olefin group selectivity (the ratio of the retention factor of a n-alkane to 1-olefin of equal carbon number) has been examined for non-aqueous reversed-phase liquid chromatorphy. Under time-normalized conditions, large variations in olefin group selectivities were noted as the mobile phase constitutents were changes. However, methylene group selectivities were found to be insensitive to the nature of the mobile phase under these conditions. Mobile phases containing alcohols demonstrated low olefin group selectivities compared to those containing acetonitrile as weak solvent. The results of this study explain variations previously observed in the LC separation of olive oil triglycerides that differ in the number of methylene groups and double bonds.     

Intermolecular interactions in normal-phase HPLC systems with alcohol hydrocarbon eluents

Summary We apply our new retention model introduced elsewhere to the studies of intermolecular interactions between the solute and the remaining components of a normal-phase HPLC system using a binary mobile phase consisting of an alcohol and a hydrocarbon. This can be achieved through the analysis of the regressional parameters A, B, and C appearing in the relationship of solute retardation (R_F) vs. mobile phase composition. Negative values of these parameters indicate a greater affinity of the solute to the stationary phase than to a given mobile phase moiety, whereas positive values have a reverse meaning. According to the absolute values of A, B, and C solute groups can be arranged according to the affinity toward a given mobile phase moiety, which is a detailed and important information regarding their separation, the stationary phase and with each individual constituent of the mobile phase.     

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. VII. Cyanopropyl columns

Eleven cyanopropyl ("cyano") columns were characterized by means of a relationship developed originally for alkyl-silica columns. Compared to type-B alkyl-silica columns (i.e., made from pure silica), cyano columns are much less hydrophobic (smaller H), less sterically restricted (smaller S*), and have lower hydrogen-bond acidity (smaller A). Because sample retention is generally much weaker on cyano versus other columns (e.g., C8, C18), a change to a cyano column usually requires a significantly weaker mobile phase in order to maintain comparable values of k for both columns. For this reason, practical comparisons of selectivity between cyano and other columns (i.e., involving different mobile phases for each column) must take into account possible changes in separation due to the change in mobile phase, as well as change in the column.     

Effect of the organic modifier on the retention of retinoids in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary The retention of retinoids in reversed-phase liquid chromatography was studied using aqueous mobile phases of different composition (methanol 94–86% and acetonityrile 92–82%) at five temperatures (40–60 °C). With both organic modifiers the effect of the molecular structure increased as the water content and the polarity of the mobile phase increased. The temperature-dependence increased in the same manner with aqueous acetonitrile mobile phases. The - interactions between the retinoids and acetonitrile diminish when the water content of the mobile phase is increased, as happens also to the hydrophobic interactions with both organic modifiers. The net effect of these changes depends on the composition of the mobile phase. There was excellent correlation of retention with all polarity parameters studied(, P, x_e, x_d, x_n, E _T ^N , _T, , _o and _d), when the calculations were made separately with methanol and acetonitrile. The volume fraction of the organic modifier, , was the only parameter describing the retention well in both organic modifiers simultaneously.     

The separation of diastereoisomers of polystyrene oligomers in reversed phase HPLC

Summary The separation of diastereoisomers from oligomers of low molecular weight polystyrene was achieved using a carbon clad zirconia stationary phase and an acetonitrile mobile phase. The selectivity of the C18-methanol system separated the polystyrene oligomers based on molecular weight while the carbon clad zirconia surface in combination with an acetonitrile mobile phase allowed the expression of the isomeric sample dimensionality. Consequently, full utilisation of the different retention mechanisms on each surface greatly improved the isomeric separation from oligomers of low molecular weight polystyrene.     

Convergence of retention for small solutes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary It is shown theoretically that when the concentration of organic solvent in the mobile phase increases, or solute size decreases, log k values of small solutes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) will tend to have a minimum value called the convergence point. A theoretical model for evaluating the convergent coordinates of small solutes is presented by using a stoichiometric displacement model for retention (SMDR). The physical meaning of the coordinates of each kind of convergence are also elucidated. The convergence points have either two-dimensional coordinates with a common ordinate (the logarithm of the phase ratio of the column, log ) or threedimensional corrdinates with two common axes: — log and the logarithm of the molar concentration of the pure displacing agent in mobile phase, log a_D. The other axis relates to the nature of the solutes, such as carbon number of a homolog, van der Waal's surface area, hydrophobic fragment constant etc. for the latter and those and/or concentration axis for the former. The model was tested with published data and found to give a good fit.     

Factors influencing retention and resolution of substituted alkylbenzenes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary The retention data of isomeric xylenes, ethyltoluenes and diethylbenzenes, and of mesitylene, benzene, toluene and ethylbenzene were obtained on a reversedphase column using methanol-water and ethanol-water mobile phases at four different temperatures. This database was used to relate the dependence of solute retention and resolution on the polarity of the mobile phase, solute dipole moment, and column temperature. The additivity of the free energy of the transfer of solute molecules or solute segments from the stationary phase to the mobile phase, was examined for the isomeric compounds. For this, the logarithm of the net retention volume was substituted for the free energy. Deviations from the additivity of free energies indicate that the separation of isomeric substituted alkylbenzenes is governed by their differential interactions with both the polar mobile phase and nonpolar stationary phase. Among the disubstituted alkylbenzenes,ortho-isomers favor the mobile phase more andpara-isomers tend to prefer the stationary phase more. Themeta-isomers are found to follow the additivity rule closely. These trends are amplified as the polarity of the mobile phase is increased indicating that these isomers are resolved better in water-rich mobile phases. These findings are substantiated by analogous results from gas-liquid chromatographic retention data, estimation of dipole moment effects, and examination of the entropic and enthalpic contributions to the net retention volume.Dedicated to Professor Leslie S. Ettre on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Chromatographic behaviour of flavonoid compounds in reversed-phase HPLC systems

Summary Reversed-phase HPLC retention behaviour of different flavonoid compounds in different columns and with a range of methanol-buffer eluents was examined. Repeatibility and reproducibility of logk′ and Δlogk′ values were analyzed. Sharp group contributions, expressed as Δlogk′, were observed. These did not depend significantly on acid modifier type, column packing characteristics (C8 and C18) and dimensions (5,7 and 10μm) or the percentage of methanol in the mobile phase. A list of twelve group contributions is presented which is in agreement with literature data.     

The retention of selenium chains in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary Organic polyselenides in which the selenium chains are terminated at both ends by ethyl-thio, butyl-thio, phenylthio, or phenyl groups were prepared. Their chromatographic behavior in HPLC on a bonded octadecyl phase with entirely or mainly methanolic eluents was investigated and compared with the corresponding polysulphides. The retention increment per Se atom is greater than that for S atoms. The ratio of Se to S increments is equal to the ratio of surface area increments. The S−Se bond does not have an appreciable influence on retention. Bonded to phenyl, selenium increases retention to the same extent as sulphur does. Some of the RSSe_nSR solutes were identified by mass spectrometry and other techniques.