Selectivity optimization for the capillary gas chromatographic analysis of bacterial cellular fatty acids

Summary The importance of selectivity in the capillary gas chromatographic analysis of the cellular fatty acids of micro-organisms is underestimated. The analysis on apolar silicone phases can lead to erratic elucidation of the fatty acid structure. Qualitative errors have been detected in commercially available standards on which computer matching identification techniques are based. Using highly polar capillary columns of the cyanopropyl silicone type, the errors could be elucidated. The exact identification of the hydrolysis products of bacteria is a must for chemotaxonomic studies applying chromatographic techniques. The fatty acid methyl ester profiles can also contain other chemical components which are very important taxonomic markers. Fatty aldehydes, for example, are main components in someClostridium species. Fractionation techniques are described for selective enrichment of fatty aldehydes and hydroxy fatty acids.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. A Liberti on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

Separation of phytosterol oxidation products by combination of different polarity gas chromatography capillary columns

The number of characterized phytosterol oxidation products (POPs) from both ring- and side-chain structures has increased during recent decades, resulting in difficulties in the separation of POPs on different gas chromatography (GC) capillary columns. The main objective of this study was to separate a mixture of 29 purified and characterized oxidation products from sito-, campe- and stigmasterol using GC capillary columns with different polarity. For the first time in the area of POPs analysis, the separation efficiency of the combination of two capillary GC columns with different polarities was investigated. A non-polar 5% phenyl coated (DB5-MS) and a mid-polar 35% phenyl coated (DB35-MS) column was combined with a pressfit connector. The main improvement was enhanced base line separation for many of the analyzed POPs, compared with the separations achieved using the individual columns. However, three pairs of POPs co-eluted: 24-hydroxysitosterol/campesterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide, stigmasterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide/campesterol-5alpha,6alpha-epoxide and stigmasterol-5alpha,6alpha-epoxide/campestanetriol.     

Applications of a miniaturized fluorimetric photodiode array detector for capillary liquid chromatography

A high sensitivity, multichannel fluorescence detector with small volume has been developed for capillary column liquid chromatography. Using an intensified linear photodiode array to monitor fluorescence emission, several important mixtures exhibiting native fluorescence have been examined following high efficiency separation on a capillary column. By correlating mass spectral, fluorescence spectral, and retention time data, information of potential utility in the structural elucidation of aromatic molecules contained in complex mixtures can be obtained. Examples include the separation and spectral examination of the polyaromatic compounds in samples of both biological and environmental interest.     

Evaluation of a PTV injector for quantitative analysis of volatile compounds at low concentrations

The performance of a PTV injector operated in the solvent venting mode with Tenax in the glass insert was evaluated with synthetic mixtures containing 5 to 50 ng of n-alkanes, ethyl esters, n-alcohols, and carboxylic acids. The influence of the sampled amount, the injected volume, and the nature of the solvent on accuracy and precision were studied. Coefficients of variation of relative (normalized) peak areas and absolute peak area ratios of each compound to the standard are of the order of 5 %.     

Stainless steel capillary columns for high temperature gas chromatography

A layer of elemental silicon has been deposited on the surface of stainless steel tubing by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Two kinds of capillary column were prepared from the deactivated tubing: cross-linked, silanol-terminated polydime-thylsiloxane wall coated open tubular (WCOT) columns and molecular sieve 13X porous layer open tubular (PLOT) columns. Unlike fused silica capillary columns, stainless steel WCOT and PLOT columns can be operated at temperatures in excess of 400°C. High temperature simulated distillation has been performed successfully with a macro bore WCOT column and rapid PNA (paraffin, naphthene, and aromatic) analysis with a multidimensional gas solid chromatographic (GSC) system using PLOT columns.     

Carbon dioxide supercritical fluid chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Summary The coupling of carbon dioxide supercritical fluid chromatography with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (SFC-FTIR) is a powerful tool for the separation and on-line identification of non-volatile compounds. The IR transparency of carbon dioxide in the Fermi resonance bands region versus its density has been studied. Functional groups with stretching vibrations outside the transparent window of carbon dioxide are examined. SFC-FTIR separations allow Gram-Schmidt reconstruction chromatograms or IR window chemigrams with high quality spectra to be obtained. This SFC-FTIR lightpipe (flow cell, beam condensing optics, narrow band detector) has allowed detection limits of 250ng for benzonitrile and 70ng for methyl benzoate to be reached. The feasibility of very rapid SFC-FTIR separations is shown along with the subsequent peak spectra.     

A fast procedure to immobilize polyethylene glycols in glass capillary columns

Polyethylene glycols can be immobilized in glass capillary columns by a new procedure involving covering the glass walls with a layer of graphitized carbon black and by flowing a mixture of the stationary phase and dicumyl peroxide. After curing and conditioning the column is ready for use. Excellent performance is reported for Carbowax 20 M and high molecular weight glycols. For other glycols the immobilized layer is less stable and can be washed out.     

Influence of adsorption effects on retention indices of selected C10-hydroxy compounds at various temperatures

Summary Retention indices of 6 selected hydroxy compounds (aliphatic and bicyclic alcohols, phenols) were determined on 2 HP-5 fused-silica, capillary columns with different film thicknesses (0.11 m and 0.33 m) at 8 different oven temperatures between 80 and 150°C. For some substances the I-T plot was found to show a minimum which cannot be explained by the common retention-index temperature-dependence in gas-liquid chromatography. This result is discussed in terms of adsorption at the liquid-solid interface of the capillary column.     

End-functionalized polyethylene oxide coated silica particles for packed capillary column supercritical fluid chromatography

Summary Polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based polymers with hydroxy, methoxy, and aminopropoxy terminal groups were coated on diol functionalized and hexamethyldisilazane end-capped silica particles. Proton-donor and proton-acceptor test solutes, including carboxylic acids, hydroxy-containing compounds, arylamines, and alkylamines were used to evaluate the chromatographic performances of these polymer coated particles under SFC conditions with neat CO₂ as mobile phase. It was found that the particles coated with hydroxy-terminated PEO were suitable for the separation of proton-donor compounds such as hydroxy-containing compounds and carboxylic acids, and the particles coated with aminopropoxy-terminated PEO could be used for the separation of amines. That is, the proton-accepting stationary phase is suitable for the separation of proton accepting solutes, including strong basic alkylamines (pK_b4), using neat CO₂ as mobile phase, while the protondonating stationary phase is suitable for the separation of proton-donating compounds such as carboxylic acids (pK_a4). Hydrogen bond basicity was found to be a critical factor for the chromatography of basic amines. Low volatility acidic and basic drugs were chromatographed using the new stationary phases. The stability of the PEO coated particles was determined by measuring the loss of organic carbon under SFC conditions. It was found that approximately 18 % of the coating (average molecular weight of 15,000) was washed out of the particles by supercritical CO₂ after 7 h at 350 atm and 50°C     

Prediction of the retention indices of methyl pyridines and pyrazines in capillary gas chromatography based on the non-linear additivity of the sorption energy

Summary Methylbenzenes, pyridines and pyrazines were investigated on fused-silica and glass capillary columns coated with SE-30 and PEG-40M/KF liquid phases, at two temperatures, 80° and 110°C. The contribution of the methylene groups to the partial molar free sorption energy was determined for methylpyridines and pyrazines. Equations are proposed for the calculation of the retention indices of methyl pyridines and pyrazines. These equations are based on the ortho- and α-effects of the methyl groups. The predicted indices have been experimentally tested for six dimethyl- and trimethylpyridines, and four methylpyrazines. Good accuracy of the calculation permits to use this method for the identification of methylpyridines and pyrazines in complex mixtures. Enlarged text of the paper presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography, Riva del Garda, Italy, May 19–21, 1987.