Improved separation of palladium species in biological matrices by using a combination of gel permeation chromatography and isotachophoresis

The binding of palladium to high-molecular-mass compounds in palladium-treated lettuce is investigated as an example for a biological matrix. The total palladium concentration in lettuce leaves is 10.3 ng/g wet weight. After homogenization, high-molecular-mass compounds (> 10 kDa) are isolated by ultrafiltration. For separation of these palladium species a combination of preparative gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and preparative isotachophoresis (ITP) is used. Palladium is determined in separated fractions by using a highly sensitive total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) method after preconcentration. After GPC separation, four main fractions of palladium species are collected, each containing palladium in ng quantities (3-10 ng). Two of these fractions are further separated by ITP, yielding at least three main peaks per GPC fraction, each containing palladium in the range of 0.3-3 ng. These palladium containing peaks are characterized by high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and capillary isotachophoresis (cITP) in parallel. HPSEC enables the estimation of the molecular mass of six main palladium peaks, covering a molecular mass range of 69-200 kDa. It is also shown that the estimation of molecular mass after separation is more reliable than the respective estimation directly in the first GPC run. However, cITP reveals that each of the separated peaks is still a mixture of at least five different compounds.     

柱偶联装置在毛细管等速电泳中的应用

根据自制的ＯＣＥＰ－１型离子分析仪的特点，设计了一套新的住偶联装置。提高了分离容量，可以用来检测复杂混合物中的低浓度组分。用等速电泳法测定了高浓度Ｃｌ＾－，Ａｃ＾－存在时的Ｆ＾－。这个装置对于处理离子性组分，无论在研究工作还是实际分析工作中，都是很有用的。     

Computer-assisted choice of discrete spacers for anionic isotachophoresis separations

In isotachophoresis (ITP), the sample constituents migrate, depending on their concentrations in the loaded sample, either in fully developed zones or in the boundary layers between the zones of constituents of the corresponding effective mobilities. The latter (spike) migration mode is analytically beneficial in selective detections of trace analytes, especially, when appropriately chosen discrete spacers minimize detection interferences due to matrix constituents. To facilitate a search for suitable mixtures of discrete spacers, a two-step calculation procedure was developed in this work. Using a pool of discrete spacers consisting of 42 anionic and zwitterionic constituents, this procedure was shown effective in the anionic ITP separations performed at pH = 6.5-10.0. Besides the predictions of the migration orders, it was helpful in identifying the spacing constituents that could cause resolution problems due to an uncertainty with which pH of the leading electrolyte solution is known. The ionic mobility and pKa data, taken for the spacing constituents from the literature and the ones obtained from the ITP experiments carried out in this work, were used in the calculations performed in a context with the choice of spacers. Although the data obtained from the ITP experiments provided better results, small uncertainties with which they were acquired (attributable to fluctuations in the experimental conditions) set practical limits in the calculation based choice of multi-component mixtures of the spacing constituents.     

Quantitative studies on furfural and organic acid formation during hydrothermal,acidic and alkaline degradation ofD-xylose

Summary Chromatographic analysis of the degradation ofD-xylose either in plain water or aqueous sulfuric acid at temperatures ranging from 180 – 220°C gave up to 50 mol% of furfural. Activation energies did not differ significantly between reactions in plain water (E _a =119.4 kJ/mol), 0.001M H₂SO₄ (E _a =120.6 kJ/mol), 0.01M H₂SO₄ (E _a =130.8 kJ/mol), and 0.1M H₂SO₄ (E _a =120.7 kJ/mol). However, under alkaline conditions the activation energy was only 63.7 kJ/mol, indicating a different reaction mechanism. Isotachophoretic analyses revealed the formation of pyruvic, formic, glycolic, lactic, and acetic acid. While the relative yields of these acids ranged from 0.8 to 7% under hydrothermal and acidic conditions, 10 – 23% were obtained in alkaline degradation.

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Quantitative Studien zur Bildung von Furfural und organischen Säuren während des hydrothermalen, sauren und alkalischen Abbaues vonD-Xylose

Zusammenfassung Die chromatographische Analyse des Abbaues vonD-Xylose in reinem Wasser und Schwefelsäure bei Temperaturen von 180 – 220°C ergab die Bildung von bis zu 50 mol% Furfural. In bezug auf die Aktivierungsenergie zeigten sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen dem Abbau vonD-Xylose in reinem Wasser (E _a =119.4 kJ/mol), 0.001M H₂SO₄ (E _a =120.6 kJ/mol), 0.01M H₂SO₄ (E _a =130.8 kJ/mol), and 0.1M H₂SO₄ (E _a =120.7 kJ/mol). Unter alkalischen Bedingungen hingegen betrug die Aktivierungsenergie nur 63.7 kJ/mol. Dies weist auf einen unterschiedlichen Reaktionsmechanismus hin. Ferner konnte mittels Isotachophorese die Bildung von Brenztraubensäure, Ameisensäure, Glycolsäure, Milchsäure und Essigsäure nachgewiesen werden. Während sich die relativen Ausbeuten in Wasser und Schwefelsäure zwischen 0.8 und 7% bewegten, betrugen sie unter alkalischen Bedingungen 10 bis 23%.

     

Isotachophoretic separation of alkylsulfonates and determination of methanesulfonic acid as main component and as trace component in pharmaceutical drug substances

Alkylsulfonates from methanesulfonic acid to decanesulfonic acid were separated by isotachophoresis with conductivity detection in a common electrolyte system at pH 4.8. The electrolyte system consisted of 10 mM HCl buffered with epsilon-aminocaproic acid (pH 4.8) and 0.1% methylhydroxyethylcellulose (MHEC) acting as the leading electrolyte. The terminating electrolyte was 20 mM caproic acid also containing 0.05% MHEC. Current settings of 250 microA for the first and 50 microA for the second capillary were applied. On one hand, the method was applied to the determination of the content of methanesulfonate as the salt forming agent (mesilate) in a recently registered drug substance. The results obtained by ITP were compared with an orthogonal titration method. On the other hand, due to the column-coupling configuration of the electrophoretic instrument, the method could be extended to the trace determination in the ppm range in order to monitor methanesulfonic acid as an impurity in a drug substance. The validation confirmed the linearity of the method between 1 and 10 mg/l, limits of detection and quantification below 1 mg/l, recovery rates from 92.4 to 95.4%, and repeatability with a R.S.D. of 3.8% (six runs with a 4 mg/l spiked sample). Finally, three batches of a newly produced drug substance could be checked for methanesulfonic acid giving results of below 0.0014% (concentration related to the drug substance).     

Electrolyte system strategies for anionic isotachophoresis with electrospray‐ionization mass‐spectrometric detection. 1. Regular isotachophoresis and free‐acid isotachophoresis

The subject of this work is the definition of a simple model based on general ITP theory that allows describing and predicting the behavior of ITP systems compatible with ESI‐MS detection. The model is exemplified by anionic ITP of weak acids that represent an interesting potential application field of ITP‐ESI‐MS. Suitable ESI‐compatible electrolyte systems of very simple composition are proposed including a special free‐acid ITP arrangement. The properties of these systems are discussed using illustrative diagrams of their stacking windows. The use of anionic ITP‐ESI‐MS in negative‐ion ESI mode is reported for the first time and its suitability for sensitive trace analysis is demonstrated. The presented ITP‐ESI‐MS application example comprises a free‐acid ITP system formed of formic and propionic acids and direct injection analysis of ibuprofen and diclofenac in waters with quantitation limits of the order 10^?10 M.     

Counterflow isotachophoresis in a monolithic column

This study describes stationary counterflow isotachophoresis (ITP) in a poly(acrylamide‐co‐N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide) monolithic column as a means for improving ITP processing capacity and reducing dispersion. The flow profile in the monolith was predicted using COMSOL's Brinkman Equation application mode, which revealed that the flow profile was mainly determined by monolith permeability. As monolith permeability decreases, the flow profile changes from a parabolic shape to a plug shape. An experimental monolithic column was prepared in a fused‐silica capillary using an ultraviolet‐initiated polymerization method. A monolithic column made from 8% (wt.) monomer was chosen for the stationary counterflow ITP experiments. Counterflow ITP in the monolithic column showed undistorted analyte zones with significantly reduced dispersion compared to the severe dispersion observed in an open capillary. Particularly, for r‐phycoerythrin focused by counterflow ITP, its zone width in the monolithic column was only one‐third that observed in an open capillary. These experiments demonstrate that stationary counterflow ITP in monoliths can be a robust and practical electrofocusing method.     

Isotachophoretic determination of carboxylic acids in biodegradation samples

In the current study a method of isotachophoretic separation of selected carboxylic acids was developed. The method was used for the determination of carboxylated oligo(ethylene glycol)s and their degradation products in biodegradation tests of PEG 250 DA [a mixture of dicarboxylated oligo(ethylene glycol)s]. Two tests were performed in the studies: the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) screening test and the river water die-away test. Both the biodegradation tests proved relatively fast biodegradation of the studied compounds. In the OECD screening test the biodegradation was faster than in the river water die-away test which can be ascribed to a higher concentration of bacteria in the biodegradation liquor. The minimal sample pretreatment and relatively low cost of analysis by the isotachophoretic method used here make it a good alternative to existing methods of carboxylic acids analysis.     

Simultaneous determination of bromide and iodide ions by capillary isotachophoresis using quaternary ammonium salts

Bromide and iodide ions were determined simultaneously by capillary isotachophoresis using an aqueous electrolyte system; the separation principle was based on the ion-pairing equilibria between tetradecyldimethylbenzylammonium ion and these anions in the leading electrolyte. The interaction between iodide ion and tetradecyldimethylbenzylammonium ion was stronger than that for bromide ion. Thus complete separation of bromide and iodide ions could be obtained by using a leading electrolyte containing 1.5 mM tetradecyldimethylbenzylammonium ion. The pH of the leading electrolyte was adjusted to 5.0. The relative standard deviations of the zone length for bromide and iodide ions were 1.1 and 1.2%, respectively, when mixture of 3.0 mM of these ions was analysed. A 150-μl volume could be injected for the simultaneous determination of low concentrations of bromide and iodide ions.     

Capillary isotachophoresis for the analysis of ionic liquid entities

Simple, selective and sensitive isotachophoretic methods for the analysis of ionic liquid (IL) compartments were developed in this study. A leading electrolyte containing 10 mM L ‐histidine + 10 mM histidine hydrochloride and a terminating electrolyte containing 5 mM glutamic acid + 5 mM L ‐histidine were selected to separate nitrate(V), chlorate(V), hexafluorophosphate, dicyanimide, trifluoromethanesulfonate, phosphate(V) and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide in anionic mode. In contrast, seven short‐chain alkylimidazolium, alkylpyrrolidinium, alkylpyridinium and non‐chromophoric tetraalkylammonium and tetraalkylphosphonium IL cations were separated with 10 mM potassium hydroxide + 10 mM acetic acid as leading electrolyte, and 10 mM β‐alanine + 10 mM acetate as terminating electrolyte. Both methods were optimized and validated with good analytical performance parameters. LOD was about 3–5 μM, and the repeatability lay in the range of 1.06–5.59%. These methods were evaluated for their applicability to the analysis of soil samples and freshwater contaminated with ILs. In light of hitherto the absence of reports on the determination of non‐chromophoric IL cations, this study delivers for the first time a universal method enabling analysis of these species. Moreover, as there is still significant lack of methodologies of IL anion analysis, the obtained results offer an interesting alternative in that matter.