pH gradient high-performance liquid chromatography: theory and applications

pH gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a method of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography suitable for ionogenic substances. It consists in programmed increase during the chromatographic process of the eluting strength of eluent with respect to the analytes separated. On the analogy of the conventional organic modifier gradient reversed-phase HPLC, in the pH gradient approach the eluting strength of the mobile phase increases due to its changing pH: increasing in case of acids or decreasing in case of bases. At the same time the content of organic modifier remains constant. A theory of the pH gradient HPLC has been elaborated. The resulting mathematical model is easily manageable. Its ability to predict changes in retention and separation of analytes following the changes in chromatographic conditions is demonstrated. The pH gradient method is uniquely suitable to determine pKa values of analytes. An equation is presented allowing to calculate pKa values basing on appropriate retention data. The effects on pKa are discussed of the concentration of methanol in the mobile phase. The RP HPLC-derived pKa data correlate to the reference pKa values (w(w)pKa) but are not identical. That may be explained by the effects on the chromatographically determined pKa of the specific interactions of analytes with stationary phases. The proposed pH gradient RP HPLC procedure offers a fast and convenient means to get comparable acidity parameters for larger series of compounds, like drug candidates, also when the analytes are available only in minute amounts and/or as complex mixtures.     

Nitrate ion association with Nd3+

The overall stability constantsK ₁ andK ₂ of NdNO ₃ ²⁺ and Nd(NO₃) ₂ ⁺ complexes were determined (K ₁=1.77;K ₂=1.28) using an extraction method with tri-n-butyl phosphate as the extractant. The ratio ₁/₂ of the stepwise stability constants is discussed. It was established that the Nd(NO₃) ₂ ⁺ complex was an outer-sphere ion pair.

---

Die Assoziation von Nitrat-Ion mit Nd³⁺

Zusammenfassung Mittels einer Extraktionsmethode wurden die StabilitätskonstantenK ₁ undK ₂ von NdNO ₃ ²⁺ - und Nd(NO₃)⁺-Komplexen bestimmt (K ₁=1.77;K ₂=1.28; Tri-n-butylphosphat als Extraktionsmittel). Das Verhältnis ₁/₂ der stufenweisen Stabilitätskonstanten wird diskutiert. Es stellte sich heraus, daß der Nd(NO₃)⁺-Komplex als ein Outer-Shere-Ionenpaar vorliegt.

     

Determination of the pH of binary mobile phases for reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The measurement of pH in chromatographic mobile phases has been a constant subject of discussion during many years. The pH of the mobile phase is an important parameter that determines the chromatographic retention of many analytes with acid-base properties. In many instances a proper pH measurement is needed to assure the accuracy of retention-pH relationships or the reproducibility of chromatographic procedures. Three different methods are common in pH measurement of mobile phases: measurement of pH in the aqueous buffer before addition of the organic modifier, measurement of pH in the mobile phase prepared by mixing aqueous buffer and organic modifier after pH calibration with standard solutions prepared in the same mobile phase solvent, and measurement of pH in the mobile phase prepared by mixing aqueous buffer and organic modifier after pH calibration with aqueous standard solutions. This review discusses the different pH measurement and calibration procedures in terms of the theoretical and operational definitions of the different pH scales that can be applied to water-organic solvent mixtures. The advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are also presented through chromatographic examples. Finally, practical recommendations to select the most appropriate pH measurement procedure for particular chromatographic problems are given.     

The kinetics of tritium-hydrogen exchange in xanthosine,theobromine and monomethylated derivatives of xanthine

Tritium exchange at C-8 of xanthosine, theobromine, 1-, 3- and 7-methylxanthine in water has been studied. The rates of detritiation of these compounds have been determined over a pH range at constant temperature. Several mechanisms of exchange involving various ionic forms of substrate operating at different pH have been suggested.     

A study of the composition and properties of the ion-association complex of Rhodamine B with silicomolybdic acid, with a view to its analytical application

The composition of the ion-association complex of Rhodamine B with silicomolybdate has been examined by Job's method and spectrophotometric titration. The ratio of Rhodamine B to silicon in the complex is 4 : 1. The same ratio is obtained by analysis of the crystalline complex. The composition of the complex is identical in aqueous medium, an organic solvent (ethanol) and in the crystalline state (C(28)H(30)N(2)O(3))(4)SiMo(12)O(40)). The complex is stable in the organic solvent and has its absorption maximum at 555 nm and a molar absorptivity of 5 x 10(5) 1.mole(-1)cm(-1). The complex can be advantageously used for the determination of silicon.     

Photochemistry of Isothiocoumarin (= 1H-[2]benzothiopyran-1-one)

Irradiation (λ = 350 nm) of 1H-[2]benzothiopyran-1-one ( 2 ) in the solid state affords selectively and in good yield 6aα, 6bα, 12bα, 12cα -tetrahydrocyclobuta[1, 2-c:4, 3-c′]bis([2]benzothiopyran)-5, 8-dione ( 3 ), the head-to-head (HH) cis-cisoid-cis-cyclodimer of 2 , X-Ray analysis of 2 confirms that this reaction proceeds according to the well-established topochemical principles. The same dimer 3 is obtained in low yields on irradiation of 10⁻¹ M solutions of 2 in either MeOH or MeCN, while no conversion at all is observed in benzene. On irradiation of 2 in MeCN in the presence of tetrachloroethene, the [2 + 2] photocycloadduct 4 is formed in good yield, the conversion 2 → 4 being efficiently quenched by naphthalene. In contrast, no reaction is observed -on irradiation of 2 in the presence of 2, 3-dimethylbut-2-ene, neither in polar nor in apolar solvents.     

Dissociation constants of phenols in methanol--water mixtures

A preferential solvation model that relates solute properties with solvent composition in binary mixtures has been applied to the dissociation pKa values of a set of 28 substituted phenols in methanol-water mixtures. The parameters of the model allow estimation of the pKa value of each phenol for any methanol-water composition. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the pKa values of the whole set of phenols at any methanol-water composition are linearly related to the pKa values of the phenols in water. Equations that relate the correlations' slope and intercept values with the solvent composition have been derived and tested with the set of phenols. The general parameters obtained for these equations allow an accurate calculation of the pKa value of any phenol, even of those not included in the original set, at any methanol-water composition solely from the pKa value of the phenol in water. These calculated pKa values can be used for quantitative structure-HPLC retention relationships. The method is tested by comparison of the calculated pKa values with the HPLC determined pKa values of 26 phenols in a polymeric column with a 50% methanol as mobile phase.     

Optimization of stepwise gradient elution in reversed-phase chromatography

Summary Equations describing multi-step gradient elution with a mobile phase of constant composition in each step were derived. These equations useful for calculating the retention volumes in both gradient HPLC and TLC were derived on the basis of the relationship between the isocratic capacity factor and the volume fraction of the organic modifier. The validity of the equations was experimentally verified in a LiChrosorbRP-18-water/methanol system for 11 methyl- and chlorobenzenes and phenols. A satisfactory agreement between the theoretical and experimental k′ values was found.     

Retention of anions on silica-based metalloporphyrin stationary phases.

The silica-based Fe(III)-protoporphyrin and Zn-tetraphenylporphyrin stationary phases were examined for the HPLC separation of anions. The retention of nine common inorganic anions as well as benzoate anion (BA) and its hydroxy analogues (HBA) was examined using tartrate, acetate, and succinate eluents. The retention factors of inorganic anions on the FeProP stationary phase were in the order Cl- < NO3- < ClO4- < I- < SCN- and for organic anions benzoate < p-hydroxybenzoate < m-hydoxybenzoate < o-hydroxybenzoate. The retention factors of organic anions examined for a ZnTPP column were in the order p-HBA < m-HBA < BA < o-HBA.     

Electron impact induced fragmentation of β-allenic and γ-acetylenic alcohols

The main fragmentation pathway of ionized hydroxyallenes (1) consists of a methyl loss. Extensive deuterium-labelling experiments indicate that the terminal allenic carbon is implied in this fragmentation. Collisional activation spectra indicate a propenyl-acylium structure (a) for these [M – CH₃]⁺ ions which can originate from a 1,4-hydroxyl migration followed by hydrogen rearrangements. Isomeric hydroxyacetylenes (2) behave similarly, also giving rise, by methyl loss, to acylium ions a. It is proposed that 2^{+ ˙} is irreversibly isomerized into 1^{+ ˙} by a 1,3-hydrogen transfer ‘catalysed’ by the hydroxy group. The proposed internal proton-bound complex justifies also the easier loss of water from 2⁺˙. Ethyl loss is also a prominent fragmentation for the hydroxyallene and hydroxy-acetylene homologues.