Retention mechanisms for basic drugs in the submicellar and micellar reversed-phase liquid chromatographic modes.

The reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) behavior (retention, elution strength, selectivity, efficiency, and peak asymmetry) for a group of basic drugs (beta-blockers), with mobile phases containing the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and acetonitrile, revealed different separation environments, depending on the concentrations of both modifiers: hydro-organic, submicellar at low surfactant concentration and high concentration of organic solvent, micellar, and submicellar at high concentration of both surfactant and organic solvent. In the surfactant-mediated modes, the anionic surfactant layer adsorbed on the stationary phase interacts strongly with the positively ch…

A hybrid genetic algorithm with local search: I. Discrete variables: optimisation of complementary mobile phases

Abstract A hybrid genetic algorithm was developed for a combinatorial optimisation problem. The assayed hybridation modifies the reproduction pattern of the genetic algorithm through the application of a local search method, which enhances each individual in each generation. The method is applied to the optimisation of the mobile phase composition in liquid chromatography, using two or more mobile phases of complementary behaviour. Each of these phases concerns the optimal separation of certain compounds in the analysed mixture, while the others can remain overlapped. This optimisation approach may be useful in situations where full resolution with a single mobile phase is unfeasible. The o…

Origin and correction of the deviations in retention times at increasing flow rate with Chromolith columns.

Chromoliths can be used at flow rates beyond those feasible for conventional microparticulate packed columns. Ideally, the plots of the retention time versus the inverse of delivered flow rate should exhibit y-intercept of zero. However, significant positive deviations correlating with the solute polarity were observed for several compounds chromatographed with a Chromolith column, owing to the increased system pressure. Consequently, the dead time marker exhibits a smaller deviation, making the retention factors depend on the flow rate. Chromoliths are made of a silica-based monolith encapsulated within a PEEK tube, and should suffer larger stress with pressure than stainless steel columns…

A New Calibration Method for the Accurate Determination of Ethylene Content in Ethylene-Propylene Copolymers by CRYSTEX-IR

Summary: CRYSTEX is a fully automated instrument for the determination of Xylene Solubles in polypropylene and ethylene-propylene copolymers, providing an excellent correlation with gravimetric methods. The instrument can be equipped with a dual band infrared (IR) detector to quantify the ethylene weight percentage (C2%) in the amorphous fraction, and in the whole polymer sample. In this work, a new approach based on multiple linear regression (MLR) models is presented, which makes use of two independent IR absorbance signals acquired simultaneously by the detector. A compromise model to predict directly C2% is proposed, which balances good accuracy and reduced experimental effort. MLR mode…

Use of a three-factor interpretive optimisation strategy in the development of an isocratic chromatographic procedure for the screening of diuretics in urine samples using micellar mobile phases.

Screening of diuretics in urine is feasible through direct injection of the samples into the chromatographic system and isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with micellar-organic mobile phases of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 1-propanol. The surfactant coverage of the chromatographic column makes the addition of organic competing amines less necessary than in conventional aqueous-organic RPLC to achieve well-shaped peaks. Also, the range of elution strengths of micellar mobile phases required to elute mixtures of hydrophobic and hydrophilic diuretics is smaller. This allows the isocratic separation of the diuretics within adequate analysis times. An interpretive methodol…

Resolution assessment and performance of several organic modifiers in hybrid micellar liquid chromatography

The performance of four criteria that measure the elementary resolution (modified selectivity, modified RS, peak purity, and orthogonal valley-to-peak ratio) was critically assessed using as global resolution function, the product of elementary measurements. The peak purities and valley-to-peak criteria yielded the best description of the overall separation according to the shape of the resolution surfaces compared to the peak arrangements in the chromatograms, the capability of defining unambiguously the composition regions of complete resolution, and the resolution achieved in the predicted optimums. Peak purities were used to compare the effect of five organic modifiers (1-propanol, 1-bu…

Study of the performance of a resolution criterion to characterise complex chromatograms with unknowns or without standards

The search for best conditions in liquid chromatography is routinely carried out with information provided by chemical standards. However, sometimes there are samples with insufficient knowledge about their chemical composition. In other cases, identities of the components are known, but there are no standards available, and in other cases the identities of peaks in chromatograms taken under different conditions are ambiguous. Most resolution criteria used to measure separation performance cannot be applied to these samples. In this work, a global resolution function valid for all situations was developed based on automatic measurements of peak prominences (area fraction exceeding the line …

Stationary phase modulation in liquid chromatography through the serial coupling of columns: A review

Liquid chromatography with single columns often does not succeed in the analysis of complex samples, in terms of resolution and analysis time. A relatively simple solution to enhance chromatographic resolution is the modulation of the stationary phase through the serial coupling of columns. This can be implemented with any type of column using compatible elution conditions and conventional instruments. This review describes the key features of column coupling and published procedures, where two or more columns were coupled in series to solve separation problems. In all reports, the authors could not resolve their samples with single columns, whereas significant enhancement in chromatographi…

Optimisation of gradient elution with serially-coupled columns. Part I: single linear gradients.

A mixture of compounds often cannot be resolved with a single chromatographic column, but the analysis can be successful using columns of different nature, serially combined through zero-dead volume junctions. In previous work (JCA 1281 (2013) 94), we developed an isocratic approach that optimised simultaneously the mobile phase composition, stationary phase nature and column length. In this work, we take the challenge of implementing optimal linear gradients for serial columns to decrease the analysis time for compounds covering a wide polarity range. For this purpose, five ACE columns of different selectivity (three C18 columns of different characteristics, a cyano and a phenyl column) we…

Capillary electrophoresis enhanced by automatic two-way background correction using cubic smoothing splines and multivariate data analysis applied to the characterisation of mixtures of surfactants

Mixtures of the surfactant classes coconut diethanolamide, cocamido propyl betaine and alkylbenzene sulfonate were separated by capillary electrophoresis in several media containing organic solvents and anionic solvophobic agents. Good resolution between both the surfactant classes and the homologues within the classes was achieved in a BGE containing 80 mM borate buffer of pH 8.5, 20% n-propanol and 40 mM sodium deoxycholate. Full resolution, assistance in peak assignment to the classes (including the recognition of solutes not belonging to the classes), and improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio was achieved by multivariate data analysis of the time-wavelength electropherograms. Cubic s…

Modelling retention and peak shape of small polar solutes analysed by nano-HPLC using methacrylate-based monolithic columns.

Abstract The development of methacrylate-based monolithic columns was studied for the separation of pharmaceutical hydrophilic compounds in nano-liquid chromatography. The selected polymerisation mixture consisted of 7.5% hexyl methacrylate, 4.5% methacrylic acid and 18.0% ethylene dimethacrylate (w/w), in a binary porogenic solvent (35:35 w/w 1-propanol/1,4-butanediol). The polymer synthesised with this mixture has a good permeability, not excessive back-pressure, and reasonable retention times for polar and non-polar solutes. Monolithic columns (12 cm total capillary length, 100 μm i.d.), prepared with this mixture, were able to produce hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, giv…

Retention mechanisms in micellar liquid chromatography.

Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) is a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) mode with mobile phases containing a surfactant (ionic or non-ionic) above its critical micellar concentration (CMC). In these conditions, the stationary phase is modified with an approximately constant amount of surfactant monomers, and the solubilising capability of the mobile phase is altered by the presence of micelles, giving rise to diverse interactions (hydrophobic, ionic and steric) with major implications in retention and selectivity. From its beginnings in 1980, the technique has evolved up to becoming a real alternative in some instances (and a complement in others) to classical RPLC with hydro…

LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY | Micellar

Analysis of amino acids using serially coupled columns.

Single conventional columns in reversed-phase LC are insufficient for analysing the isoindoles of primary amino acids, due to their limited functionality. An interesting possibility for increasing the separation power is the combination of several columns of different nature, where the length is modified by coupling small segments. This approach may require a considerable investment to have multiple lengths for each stationary phase. However, the combination of only two columns of fixed length can be enough to resolve satisfactorily relatively complex mixtures, provided that an optimised gradient program is applied. In this work, a mixture of 19 primary amino acid isoindoles found in protei…

Description of the retention behaviour in micellar liquid chromatography as a function of pH, surfactant and modifier concentration

Abstract Micellar liquid chromatography permits the elution of solutes of diverse polarity. One of the most outstanding advantages of the technique is its capability of predicting the retention with high accuracy, as a function of different experimental variables. The separation of a group of compounds is usually optimized by varying the concentrations of surfactant and modifier in the mobile phase. The pH is, however, for many solutes, a variable that should be considered in the description of their elution behaviour. A global model that takes into account, simultaneously, the concentrations of surfactant and modifier, and the pH as chromatographic variables, is proposed for ionizable solu…

Comparative study of solvation parameter models accounting the effects of mobile phase composition in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Solvation parameter models relate linearly compound properties with five fundamental solute descriptors (excess molar refraction, dipolarity/polarizability, effective hydrogen-bond acidity and basicity, and McGowan volume). These models are widely used, due to the availability of protocols to obtain the descriptors, good performance, and general applicability. Several approaches to predict retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) as a function of these descriptors and mobile phase composition are compared, assaying the performance with a set of 146 organic compounds of diverse nature, eluted with acetonitrile and methanol. The approaches are classified in two groups: those t…

Approaches to model the retention and peak profile in linear gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Abstract The optimisation of the experimental conditions in gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography requires reliable algorithms for the description of the retention and peak profile. As in isocratic elution, the linear relationship between the logarithm of the retention factor and the solvent contents is only acceptable in relatively small concentration ranges of modifier. However, more complex models may not allow an analytical integration of the general equation for gradient elution. Alternative approaches for modelling the retention in linear gradient elution are here proposed. Those based on the quadratic logarithmic model and a model proposed for normal liquid chromatography yie…

Estimation of peak capacity based on peak simulation.

Peak capacity (PC) is a key concept in chromatographic analysis, nowadays of great importance for characterising complex separations as a criterion to find the most promising conditions. A theoretical expression for PC estimation can be easily deduced in isocratic elution, provided that the column plate count is assumed constant for all analytes. In gradient elution, the complex dependence of peak width with the gradient program implies that an integral equation has to be solved, which is only possible in a limited number of situations. In 2005, Uwe Neue developed a comprehensive theory for the calculation of PC in gradient elution, which is only valid for certain situations: single linear …

Characterization of Chemical Composition along the Molar Mass Distribution in Polyolefin Copolymers by GPC Using a Modern Filter-Based IR Detector

Summary Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), also known as size exclusion chromatography (SEC), is the technique routinely used at high temperature to analyze the molar mass distribution in polyolefins. The distribution of comonomer along the molar mass distribution in a copolymer is a key microstructural feature that determines the macroscopic properties of the material, and thus, its range of possible applications and performance. The direct coupling of a modern filter-based infrared (IR) detector to a high temperature GPC instrument, by means of a heated flow-through cell, is here described. The analyses are carried out by recording the continuous IR absorbance chromatograms at selected …

Robust interpretive optimisation in high-performance liquid chromatography considering uncertainties in peak position.

In the context of interpretive chromatographic optimisation, robustness is usually calculated by introducing deliberated shifts in the nominal optimal conditions and evaluating their effects on the monitored objective function, mimicking thus the experimental procedures used in method validation. However, such strategy ignores a major source of error: the uncertainties associated to the modelling step, that may give rise to deceiving results when conditions that were expected to yield baseline separation are reproduced in the chromatograph. Two approaches, based on the peak purity concept, are here proposed to evaluate the robustness of the objective function under the perspective of measur…

On the Measurement of Dead Time in Micellar Liquid Chromatography

Abstract Modelling of the retention of solutes in micellar liquid chromatography allows the optimization of the resolution of a mixture of solutes and the determination of physico-chemical retention parameters. Both tasks imply the calculation of capacity factors, which are severely affected by the value of dead time. However, the determination of the dead time is not easy when a micellar mobile phase is used owing to the wide and variable perturbations that appear at the heads of the chromatograms. Four different criteria of determination of a reference time in the chromatograms are proposed and compared. The criteria are applied to mobile phases containing a varying concentration of surfa…

Submicellar and micellar reversed-phase liquid chromatographic modes applied to the separation of beta-blockers.

The behaviour of a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) system (i.e. elution order, resolution and analysis time), used in the analysis of β-blockers with acetonitrile-water mobile phases, changes drastically upon addition of an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS). Surfactant monomers cover the alkyl-bonded phase in different extent depending on the concentration of both modifiers, in the ranges 1 × 10-3-0.15 M SDS and 5-50% acetonitrile. Meanwhile, the surfactant is dissolved in the mobile phase as free monomers, associated in small clusters or forming micelles. Four characteristic RPLC modes are yielded, with transition regions between them: hydro-organic, micellar, …

Approaches to estimate the time and height at the peak maximum in liquid chromatography based on a modified Gaussian model

The time and height at the peak maximum are key parameters to describe a chromatographic peak with prediction or optimization purposes, or in the qualitative/quantitative analysis of samples. Three different approaches to estimate these parameters, using the experimental points in the peak maximum region, are here described and compared. The approaches are based on the reliable description of the peak profile using a modified Gaussian model with a parabolic variance (PVMG). In the first approach, non-linear fitting of the chromatographic data to the PVMG model is carried out to obtain the time and height at the peak maximum (Approach I). In the other two approaches, the PVMG model is linear…

Modelling of retention behaviour of solutes in micellar liquid chromatography

In micellar liquid chromatography (MLC), the resolution for a given multi-component mixture can be optimized by changing several variables, such as the concentrations of surfactant and organic modifier, the pH and temperature. However, this advantage can only be fully exploited with the development of mathematical models that describe the retention and the separation mechanisms. Several reports have appeared recently on the possibilities of accurately predicting the solute retention in MLC. Although the retention and selectivity may strongly change with varying concentrations of surfactant, organic modifier and/or pH, the observed changes are very regular, and are well described by simple m…

Combined effect of solvent content, temperature and pH on the chromatographic behaviour of ionisable compounds. III: Considerations about robustness

Abstract We previously reported a model able to predict the retention time of ionisable compounds as a function of the solvent content, temperature and pH [J. Chromatogr. A 1163 (2007) 49]. The model was applied further, developing an optimisation of the resolution based on the peak purity concept [J. Chromatogr. A 1193 (2008) 117]. However, we left aside an important issue: we did not consider incidental overlaps caused by shifts in the predicted peak positions, owing either to uncertainties in the source data, modelling errors, or the practical implementation in the chromatograph of the optimal mobile phase (or any other). These shifts can ruin the predicted separation, since they can eas…

A chromatographic objective function to characterise chromatograms with unknown compounds or without standards available

Abstract Getting useful chemical information from samples containing many compounds is still a challenge to analysts in liquid chromatography. The highest complexity corresponds to samples for which there is no prior knowledge about their chemical composition. Computer-based methodologies are currently considered as the most efficient tools to optimise the chromatographic resolution, and further finding the optimal separation conditions. However, most chromatographic objective functions (COFs) described in the literature to measure the resolution are based on mathematical models fitted with the information obtained from standards, and cannot be applied to samples with unknown compounds. In …

Peak deconvolution in one-dimensional chromatography using a two-way data approach.

A deconvolution methodology for overlapped chromatographic signals is proposed. Several single-wavelength chromatograms of binary mixtures, obtained in different runs at diverse concentration ratios of the individual components, were simultaneously processed (multi-batch approach), after being arranged as two-way data. The chromatograms were modelled as linear combinations of forced peak profiles according to a polynomially modified Gaussian equation. The fitting was performed with a previously reported hybrid genetic algorithm with local search, leaving all model parameters free. The approach yielded more accurate solutions than those found when each experimental chromatogram was fitted in…

Interpretive search of optimal isocratic and gradient separations in micellar liquid chromatography in extended organic solvent domains

Abstract Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) is a reversed-phase mode with mobile phases containing an organic solvent and a micellised surfactant. Most procedures developed in MLC are implemented in the isocratic mode, since the general elution problem in chromatography is less troublesome. However, gradient elution may be still useful in MLC to analyse mixtures of compounds within a wide range of polarities, in shorter times. MLC using gradients is attractive to determine by direct injection moderate to low polar compounds in physiological samples. In these analyses, the use of initial micellar conditions (isocratic or gradient) with a fixed amount of surfactant above the critical micell…

Finding the best separation in situations of extremely low chromatographic resolution.

Abstract Samples with a large number of compounds or similarities in their structure and polarity may yield insufficient chromatographic resolution. In such cases, however, finding conditions where the largest number of compounds appears sufficiently resolved can be still worthwhile. A strategy is here reported that optimises the resolution level of chromatograms in cases where conventional global criteria, such as the worst resolved peak pair or the product of elementary resolutions, are not able to detect any separation, even when most peaks are baseline resolved. The strategy applies a function based on the number of “well resolved” peaks, which are those that exceed a given threshold of…

1-Hexyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate: an efficient column enhancer for the separation of basic drugs by reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Abstract Ionic liquids are dual modifiers composed by a large anion and a large cation, which interact with both the hydrophobic alkyl-bonded phase and the anionic residual silanols in C18 columns. The deactivation of the silanol groups has important implications on the chromatographic analysis of basic drugs, being the improvement of peak profiles and shorter retention times the most noticeable features. However, other characteristics as selectivity or resolution are not usually considered, or are only examined for selected chromatographic conditions. In this work, the effect of the addition of the ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate to acetonitrile–water mixtures i…

Description of the retention behaviour of solutes in micellar liquid chromatography with organic modifiers: Comparison of two methods

Two methods for the description of the retention behaviour of solutes in micellar liquid chromatography are compared. One of them divides the parameter space into triangular subspaces, fitting a different equation in each subspace. The second method makes use of a unique equation, valid in the whole parameter space. In both cases, equations of the type log k=f (μ, ϕ), and 1/k=f (μ, ϕ), (μ and ϕ are the concentration of surfactant and alcohol, respectively), were used to describe the retention. The use of the hyperbolic function, 1/k=c0+c1μ+c3μϕ, to describe the whole parameter space yielded the best prediction. When a small portion of the parameter space was modelled, a simpler hyperbolic f…

RAPID LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF TETRACYCLINES IN ANIMAL FEEDS USING A SURFACTANT SOLUTION AS MOBILE PHASE

ABSTRACT A chromatographic procedure was developed for the determination of oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), doxycycline (DC) and minocycline (MINO) in animal feeds. Clear analyte-rich extracts were obtained using a 1 : 1 acetonitrile/water mixture buffered at pH 3. The extracts were injected into a conventional unprotected C18 chromatographic column and eluted with a mobile phase of 0.05 M sodium dodecyl sulfate/5% 1-butanol/0.01 M oxalic acid at pH 3. Good resolution was achieved for the five compounds, whereas OTC and TC coeluted with an optimized aqueous-organic mobile phase of methanol/acetonitrile/0.01 M oxalic acid at pH 3. Mean recoveries from spike…

Silanol suppressing potency of alkyl-imidazolium ionic liquids on C18 stationary phases

Residual silanols on C18 columns yield undesirable slow-kinetics ion-exchange interactions with positively charged basic compounds that result in asymmetrical peaks, low efficiencies and long retention times. The purity of the silica employed as supporting material, and the technique used to form the bonded phase, which varies with the brand and manufacturer, give rise to different amounts of residual silanols in the packings, and consequently, different chromatographic performance. One of the most efficient and widespread strategies to reduce or even eliminate the different performance among columns is the addition of a reagent to the mobile phase to block the silanol sites. However, the i…

Comparison of two serially coupled column systems and optimization software in isocratic liquid chromatography for resolving complex mixtures.

Although there is a great deal of stationary phases having different selectivities (even practically orthogonal selectivities), these very rarely are taken as a factor to be optimized during method development. The chromatographer selects the stationary phase usually in a trial-and-error fashion (or based on the solute nature and expected interactions), and then optimizes continuous factors as the mobile phase composition, pH, temperature and flow-rate. However, the optimization of the stationary phase nature and column length (which are discrete factors) may be interesting. In this regard, the optimization of the coupling of individual columns may yield separations that are not possible wi…

A complementary mobile phase approach based on the peak count concept oriented to the full resolution of complex mixtures

Situations of minimal resolution are often found in liquid chromatography, when samples that contain a large number of compounds, or highly similar in terms of structure and/or polarity, are analysed. This makes full resolution with a single separation condition (e.g., mobile phase, gradient or column) unfeasible. In this work, the optimisation of the resolution of such samples in reversed-phase liquid chromatography is approached using two or more isocratic mobile phases with a complementary resolution behaviour (complementary mobile phases, CMPs). Each mobile phase is dedicated to the separation of a group of compounds. The CMPs are selected in such a way that, when the separation is cons…

Towards unsupervised analysis of second-order chromatographic data: automated selection of number of components in multivariate curve-resolution methods.

A method to apply multivariate curve-resolution unattendedly is presented. The algorithm is suitable to perform deconvolution of two-way data (e.g. retrieving the individual elution profiles and spectra of co-eluting compounds from signals obtained from a chromatograph equipped with multiple-channel detection: LC-DAD or GC-MS). The method is especially adequate to achieve the advantages of deconvolution approaches when huge amounts of data are present and manual application of multivariate techniques is too time-consuming. The philosophy of the algorithm is to mimic the reactions of an expert user when applying the orthogonal projection approach--multivariate curve-resolution techniques. Ba…

Error analysis and performance of different retention models in the transference of data from/to isocratic/gradient elution.

The transferability of retention data among isocratic and gradient RPLC elution modes is studied. For this purpose, 16 beta-blockers were chromatographed under both isocratic and gradient elution with acetonitrile-water mobile phases. Taking into account the elution mode where the experimental data come from, and the mode where the retention should be predicted, the following combinations are possible: isocratic predictions from (i) isocratic or (ii) gradient experimental designs; and gradient predictions from (iii) isocratic or (iv) gradient data. Each of these possibilities was checked using three retention models that relate the logarithm of the retention factor: (a) linearly and (b) qua…

Estimation of significant solvent concentration ranges and its application to the enhancement of the accuracy of gradient predictions.

Abstract The solvent concentration range actually useful for gradient predictions is significantly narrower than the total range scanned in a gradient run. This range, called “solvent informative range” (SIR), if known with the highest accuracy, allows to predict gradient retention times ( t g ) with minimal error. The small size of the SIR supports the application of the linear solvent strength theory (LSST). Furthermore, LSST allows a closed-form solution to the integral required to predict gradient retention times, which eliminates numerical integration, needed with other retention models. A methodology that calculates the SIR by applying error analysis, and uses it to improve the accura…

Optimisation of chromatographic resolution using objective functions including both time and spectral information.

The optimisation of the resolution in high-performance liquid chromatography is traditionally performed attending only to the time information. However, even in the optimal conditions, some peak pairs may remain unresolved. Such incomplete resolution can be still accomplished by deconvolution, which can be carried out with more guarantees of success by including spectral information. In this work, two-way chromatographic objective functions (COFs) that incorporate both time and spectral information were tested, based on the peak purity (analyte peak fraction free of overlapping) and the multivariate selectivity (figure of merit derived from the net analyte signal) concepts. These COFs are s…

Modeling of Retention in Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography

Improvement of peak shape and separation performance of beta-blockers in conventional reversed-phase columns using solvent modifiers.

A comparative study of peak shape, elution behavior, and resolution of 16 beta-blockers (acebutolol, alprenolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, carteolol, celiprolol, esmolol, labetalol, metoprolol, nadolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, practolol, propranolol, sotalol, and timolol) chromatographed with hybrid mobile phases of triethylamine (TEA)-acetonitrile and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-propanol is performed using conventional reversed-phase columns and isocratic elution. Both solvent modifiers (TEA and SDS) prevent the interaction of the basic drugs with the alkyl-bonded phase. However, the protection mechanisms of silanols on the packing are different. Whereas TEA associates with the silanol sites (b…

Analysis of a solute polarity parameter in reversed-phase liquid chromatography on a linear solvation relationship basis

Abstract A study was made to correlate an overall solute polarity descriptor ( p ) with several molecular parameters: excess molar refraction ( E ), dipolarity/polarizability ( S ), effective hydrogen-bond acidity ( A ) and basicity ( B ), and McGowan volume ( V ), through the linear solvation model ( p = c + eE + sS + aA + bB + vV ). The achieved values of p were introduced in a retention model developed previously for reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), which describes the retention according to the polarity contributions of solute, mobile phase and stationary phase. The retention behaviour (log  k ) of a solute in a given chromatographic system (i.e. column/organic solvent) is a…

Chromatographic Determination of Thiols After Pre‐column Derivatization witho‐Phthalaldehyde and Isoleucine

Abstract The reaction of primary amines with excess o‐phthalaldehyde (OPA) and thiol yields unique isoindole derivatives that are readily separated by reversed‐phase liquid chromatography. In a previous work, a spectrophotometric procedure was proposed for the assay of N‐acetylcysteine by derivatization with OPA and isoleucine at pH 9.5, with satisfactory results. The chromatographic determination of this and other low molecular‐weight thiols, after isoindole formation with isoleucine, using mobile phases of acetonitrile–water at pH 3 and spectrophotometric detection, is now examined. From the assayed thiols (thioglycolic acid, 3‐mercaptopropionic acid, tiopronin, N‐acetylcysteine, N‐acetyl…

A three-factor optimisation strategy for micellar liquid chromatography

An interpretive optimisation methodology for micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) is shown, taking into account pH, surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulphate) and organic modifier (propanol) concentration. Two objectives are considered: to develop a highly practical straightforward three-factor optimisation for practical MLC, and, in order to avoid unecessary experiments, to link two and three-factor optimisations through a step-wise construction of the experimental design at different pH levels. The whole pH range for an ODS column (from 3 to 7) is covered. The proposed strategy was thoroughly evaluated using the chromatographic data from 81 experimental mobile phases, applied to the separation …

Testing experimental designs in liquid chromatography (I): Development and validation of a method for the comprehensive inspection of experimental designs.

The basis of interpretive optimisation in liquid chromatography is the prediction of resolution, from appropriate solute retention models. The reliability of the process depends critically on the quality of the experimental design. This work develops, validates and applies a general methodology aimed to evaluate the quality of any training experimental design, which will be applied in Part II to design optimisation. The methodology is based on the systematic evaluation of the uncertainties associated to the prediction of retention times in comprehensive scans of both isocratic and gradient experimental conditions. It is able to evaluate comprehensively experimental designs of arbitrary comp…

Towards the optimization of complementary systems in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Previously reported optimization methodology, which seeks complementary mobile phases (CMP) in isocratic chromatography, has been extended to include more than one system simultaneously (i.e. more than one organic solvent and/or column). In the literature the benefits of complementarity are not usually fully exploited—few working conditions giving rise to interactions as different as possible are examined, without developing a fully linked optimization. The proposed approach is compared critically with use of a single mobile phase or CMP which consider one system only. The strategy greatly expands the capability of isocratic chromatography in the analysis of complex samples that cannot be r…

Classification of olive leaves and pulp extracts by comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography of polyphenolic fingerprints.

Abstract The development of a new comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatographic method is described, to obtain the profiles of polyphenolic compounds present in olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves and pulps from different genetic origin. Optimisation of the stationary phase nature, particle size, column length and internal diameter, as well as other separation conditions, was performed. Along the study, three stationary phases (C18, PFP and phenyl) in the first dimension (1D), and five (C18, amide, cyano, phenyl and PFP) in the second dimension (2D) were combined to obtain the maximal number of resolved peaks. The optimised method successfully characterised the presence of 26 and 29 comm…

Peak capacity estimation in isocratic elution.

Peak capacity (i.e. maximal number of resolved peaks that fit in a chromatographic window) is a theoretical concept with growing interest, but based on a situation rarely met in practice. Real chromatograms tend to have uneven distributions, with overlapped peaks and large gaps. The number of resolved compounds should, therefore, be known from estimations. Several equations have been reported for this purpose based on three perspectives, namely, the intuitive approach (peak capacity as the size of the retention time window measured in peak width units), which assumes peaks with the same width, and the outlines of Giddings and Grushka, which consider changes in peak width with retention time…

MICELLAR CHROMATOGRAPHIC PROCEDURE WITH DIRECT INJECTION FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SULFONAMIDES IN MILK AND HONEY SAMPLES

The capability of liquid chromatography with micellar mobile phases of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), of allowing the direct injection of biological fluids into reversed-phase columns, was applied to the determination of sulfonamides in milk and honey samples. The chromatographic behavior of a group of 15 sulfonamides was studied at pH 3.0 where the drugs showed a greater separation space. Acetonitrile was added to the mobile phase to decrease the retention of the most hydrophobic drugs and increase the efficiencies, which yielded a higher resolution. The samples were diluted with 0.10 M SDS to facilitate the solubilization of the matrix compounds and release the protein-bound drugs. The pro…

An approach to evaluate the information in chromatographic fingerprints: Application to the optimisation of the extraction and conservation conditions of medicinal herbs.

A new approach is reported for high-performance liquid chromatography to measure the level of information in fingerprints. For this purpose, the concept of peak prominence, which is the protruding part of each visible peak with regard to the valleys that delimit it, was used. The peaks in the fingerprints are ranked according to the areas of the peak prominences, and a threshold is established to discriminate between the significant peaks and those that are irreproducible. The approach was applied to evaluate the impact of several extraction conditions (solvent nature and composition, time and temperature of the treatment, amount of sample, and time and temperature of conservation of the ex…

SINGLE-PEAK RESOLUTION CRITERIA FOR OPTIMIZATION OF MOBILE PHASE COMPOSITION IN LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Three criteria that evaluate the single peak resolution (peak purity) in chromatography, the free height fraction, free area fraction, and valley ratio, are examined. The main advantages of these criteria against other criteria based on peak pair separation, are that the measurements are not affected by the identity of neighboring peaks and are normalized, which make them very intuitive. The methodology is illustrated through the isocratic separation of mixtures of several sulphonamides (sulphacetamide, sulphadiazine, sulphadimethoxine, sulphaguanidine, sulphamerazine, sulphamethazine, sulphamethoxazole, sulphamethizole, sulphamonomethoxine, sulphanilamide, sulphapyridine, sulphaquinoxaline…

Limits of multi-linear gradient optimisation in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Abstract The concept of limiting peak purity was applied to quantify the degree of completion of the separation capability of a chromatographic system using multi-linear gradients. The objective was to check whether the complexity of a gradient program deserves be increased to enhance resolution by inserting more linear segments, or on the contrary, no significant improvements can be expected under more complex gradients. A set of 19 isoindole derivatives of primary amino acids was selected to test the performance of isocratic, single linear and multi-linear gradients. Accurate simulated chromatograms were obtained via numerical integration of the general equation of gradient elution, using…

Combined effect of solvent content, temperature and pH on the chromatographic behaviour of ionisable compounds.

The organic solvent content and the pH in the mobile phase are the usual main factors in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separations, owing to their strong effects on retention and/or selectivity. Temperature is often neglected. However, even in cases where the impact of this factor on selectivity is minor, the reduction in analysis time is still an interesting reason to consider it. In addition, ionisable compounds may exhibit selectivity changes, owing to the interaction of organic solvent and/or temperature with pH. The separation of ionisable compounds (nine diuretics: bendroflumethiazide, benzthiazide, bumetanide, chlorthalidone, furosemide, piretanide, probenecid, trichloromethi…

Approaches to find complementary separation conditions for resolving complex mixtures by high-performance liquid chromatography

Chromatographic problems are usually addressed trying to find out a single experimental condition aimed to resolve all compounds in the sample. However, very often, the chromatographic system is not able to provide full resolution. When a separation fails, the usual choice is introducing a drastic change in the chromatographic system (e.g. column, solvent, pH). There are, however, other possibilities that take advantage of the gathered information in the failed separation, without the need of new experiments, based on the concept of complementary separations (e.g. isocratic mobile phases, gradients, columns, chromatographic modes). One separation condition will focus on the resolution of so…

Benefits of solvent concentration pulses in retention time modelling of liquid chromatography

The advantages and disadvantages of the use of isocratic experimental designs including transient increments of organic solvent (i.e., pulses) in the mobile phase(s) of lowest elution strength are explored with modelling purposes. For retained solutes, this type of mixed design offers similar or better predictive capability than gradient designs, shorter measurement time than pure isocratic designs, and retention model parameters that agree with those derived from pure isocratic experiments, with similar uncertainties. The predicted retention times are comparable to those offered by models adjusted from pure isocratic designs, and the solvent waste is appreciably lower. Under a practical st…

Separation of Proteic Primary Amino Acids under Several Reversed‐Phase Liquid Chromatographic Conditions

Abstract The reversed‐phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) analysis of proteic primary amino acids with acetonitrile‐water, using pre‐column derivatisation with o‐phthalaldehyde (OPA) and N‐acetylcysteine (NAC), was compared with RPLC modes using trifluoroacetic acid or pentadecafluorooctanoic acid and evaporative light‐scattering detection, or sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles with pre‐ and post‐column derivatisation. The importance of column lifetime, risk of potential damages in the instrumentation, retention and resolution, was considered. Among the assayed approaches, the best is still aqueous‐organic RPLC with pre‐column derivatisation. It not only yields the most reliable results, but …

Gradient design for liquid chromatography using multi-scale optimization.

Abstract In reversed phase-liquid chromatography, the usual solution to the “general elution problem” is the application of gradient elution with programmed changes of organic solvent (or other properties). A correct quantification of chromatographic peaks in liquid chromatography requires well resolved signals in a proper analysis time. When the complexity of the sample is high, the gradient program should be accommodated to the local resolution needs of each analyte. This makes the optimization of such situations rather troublesome, since enhancing the resolution for a given analyte may imply a collateral worsening of the resolution of other analytes. The aim of this work is to design mul…

Multi-scale optimisation vs. genetic algorithms in the gradient separation of diuretics by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Abstract Multi-linear gradients are a convenient solution to get separation of complex samples by modulating carefully the gradient slope, in order to accomplish the local selectivity needs for each particular solute cluster. These gradients can be designed by trial-and-error according to the chromatographer experience, but this strategy becomes quickly inappropriate for complex separations. More evolved solutions imply the sequential construction of multi-segmented gradients. However, this strategy discards part of the search space in each step of the construction and, again, cannot deal properly with very complex samples. When the complexity is too large, the only valid alternative for fi…

Net analyte signal as a deconvolution-oriented resolution criterion in the optimisation of chromatographic techniques

The performance of two multivariate calibration measurements, multivariate selectivity (SEL(s)) and scalar net analyte signal (scalar NAS), as chromatographic objective functions (COFs), was investigated. Since both assessments are straightforwardly related to the quantification of analytes in the presence of interferents, they were expected to confer new features in the optimisation of compound resolution, not present in conventional assessments. These capabilities are especially interesting in situations of low resolution, where peak deconvolution becomes an attractive alternative. For comparison purposes, chromatographic resolution (R(s)) and peak purity (p(s)) were used as reference COF…

A comparative study of the performance of acetonitrile and methanol in the multi-linear gradient separation of proteic primary amino acids

The performance of the separation of proteic primary amino acids using multi-linear gradients of acetonitrile and methanol was studied under an experimental-design basis, using an Inertsil ODS-3 column and pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). Elution strength, peak properties, resolution, and analysis time, were examined. The optimal separation was established through modeling, using information obtained from isocratic data. By optimizing the separation with gradients of increasing complexity, acceptable resolution was possible, being glycine/threonine the critical pair. Multi-criteria decision-making (Derringer desirabilities) was applied t…

Filter-based infrared detectors for high temperature size exclusion chromatography analysis of polyolefins: calibration with a small number of standards and error analysis.

Infrared detection has been shown to be very appropriate for high temperature analysis of polyolefins. After some early reports in which dispersive or single-band filter-based detectors were applied, Fourier transform detectors have been described for this application, in order to improve the method sensitivity. Modern simple filter-based detectors prove, however, comparable sensitivity while providing a number of practical advantages when coupled to chromatographic systems: reduced cell volume, simplified hardware, continuous generation of absorbance chromatograms, as well as simpler data collection and processing. A practical method for calibration, using multiple-band signals obtained wi…

Simultaneous optimization of mobile phase composition, column nature and length to analyse complex samples using serially coupled columns

Abstract The combination of the selectivity of different columns serially coupled improves the separation expectancies with regard to the separation offered by each single column. In the reported approaches, either a pre-selected isocratic mobile phase composition or gradient program, giving rise to acceptable retention, is used. In previous work (JCA 1281 (2013) 94), we showed that the approach succeeds with conventional columns, assembled through zero-dead volume couplers. In this work, the simultaneous interpretive optimization of mobile phase composition and column nature and length, based on a limited number of experimental data, is demonstrated. This approach allows an impressive redu…

Enhancement of retention predictions in reversed-phase liquid chromatography using reference compounds

Abstract The use of reference compounds to correct errors associated with the preparation of mobile phase is studied, in order to enhance modelling of retention for optimisation purposes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The method fits individual retention models for a set of reference compounds, which are present in all injections. In second step, mobile-phase composition is corrected for each chromatogram, according to the fitted models of the reference compounds. The enhanced precision provided by the large number of replicates for the reference compounds is partially propagated to the retention models of the analytes. The approach is assayed in the separation of amino acids, aft…

A Model for the Description, Simulation, and Deconvolution of Skewed Chromatographic Peaks

A family of models is proposed for the description of skewed chromatographic peaks, based on the modification of the standard deviation of a pure Gaussian peak, by the use of a polynomial function, h(t) = He-(1/2)([t-tR]/[s0+s1(t-tR)+s2(t-tR)2+...])2, where H and tR are the height and time at the peak maximum, respectively. The model has demonstrated a high flexibility with peaks of a wide range of asymmetry and can be used to accurately predict the profile of asymmetrical peaks, using the values of efficiency and asymmetry factor measured on experimental chromatograms. This possibility permits the simulation of chromatograms and the optimization of the separation of mixtures of compounds p…

Enhanced calculation of optimal gradient programs in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Abstract The resolution of a mixture of 16 β-blockers under gradient elution was optimised using both isocratic and gradient training sets, with a reversed-phase column and acetonitrile–water eluents. Error theory was applied to measure the information extracted from different gradient experimental designs. This allows checking the expected accuracy when gradient predictions exceed the initial solvent concentrations tested in the training set. This work applies the results on modelling found in a previous study [J. Chromatogr. A 1018 (2003) 169] where the performance of several retention models was compared. Enhanced retention predictions were applied to the optimisation of gradient program…

A hybrid genetic algorithm with local search

Abstract A hybrid genetic algorithm with internal local search was developed for optimisations involving continuous variables. The reproduction probabilities were enhanced using the fitness values obtained when a local method was applied to each individual in the population. These estimations are more realistic, since consider not the apparent but the hidden, latent quality of each individual. The information gathered in the local search was also used to build an auxiliary population recording the successfully enhanced individuals, which allowed to detect the convergence and self-adapt the search limits. The size of this auxiliary population was kept constant by a cluster analysis strategy.…

Micellar versus hydro-organic reversed-phase liquid chromatography: a solvation parameter-based perspective.

The performance of the solvation parameter model is examined for micellar liquid chromatography. The results are compared with those offered with hydro-organic eluents, intending to reveal the properties that influence the retention and distinguish the particular behaviour of micellar systems. The retention data of several series of non-ionisable and ionisable compounds (mainly steroids, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, sulfonamides, beta-blockers, phenethylamines, antihistamines, and diuretics) were used as probe compounds. The micellar mobile phases contained an anionic (sodium dodecyl sulphate), non-ionic (Brij-35), or cationic (cetyltrimethylamonium bromide) surfactant, with or witho…

Performance of Markers and the Homologous Series Method for Dead Time Estimation in Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography

Abstract Two methods for dead time estimation (the use of markers and the homologous series mathematical method) are revised. Out of twelve assayed common markers, only KBr, KI, tartrazine, thiourea, uracil, and urea yielded retention times independent of the mobile phase composition in the range 10–90% acetonitrile, using a Zorbax Eclipse XDB−C18 column. On the other hand, the quality of the estimations provided by the homologous series method was limited by the mathematical approach and the data quality. With this method, the estimated dead time is an extrapolated value, which is severely affected by the data of the most retained compounds that act as leverage points, biasing the result. …

Approaches to characterise chromatographic column performance based on global parameters accounting for peak broadening and skewness.

Peak broadening and skewness are fundamental parameters in chromatography, since they affect the resolution capability of a chromatographic column. A common practice to characterise chromatographic columns is to estimate the efficiency and asymmetry factor for the peaks of one or more solutes eluted at selected experimental conditions. This has the drawback that the extra-column contributions to the peak variance and skewness make the peak shape parameters depend on the retention time. We propose and discuss here the use of several approaches that allow the estimation of global parameters (non-dependent on the retention time) to describe the column performance. The global parameters arise f…

Automatic program for peak detection and deconvolution of multi-overlapped chromatographic signals

Several interlinked algorithms for peak deconvolution by non-linear regression are presented. These procedures, together with the peak detection methods outlined in Part I, have allowed the implementation of an automatic method able to process multi-overlapped signals, requiring little user interaction. A criterion based on the evaluation of the multivariate selectivity of the chromatographic signal is used to auto-select the most efficient deconvolution procedure for each chromatographic situation. In this way, non-optimal local solutions are avoided in cases of high overlap, and short computation times are obtained in situations of high resolution. A new algorithm, fitting both the origin…

Global retention models and their application to the prediction of chromatographic fingerprints

Abstract The resolution of samples containing unknown compounds of different nature, or without standards available, as is the case of chromatographic fingerprints, is still a challenge. Possibly, the most problematic aspect that prevents systematic method development is finding models that describe without bias the retention behaviour of the compounds in the samples. In this work, the use of global models (able to describe the whole sample) is proposed as an alternative to the use of individual models for each solute. Global models contain parameters that are specific for each solute, while other parameters ‒related to the column and solvent‒ are common for all solutes. A special regressio…

Serial versus parallel columns using isocratic elution: a comparison of multi-column approaches in mono-dimensional liquid chromatography.

Abstract When a new separation problem is faced with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the analysis is addressed conventionally with a single column, trying to find out a single experimental condition aimed to resolve all compounds. However, in practice, the system selectivity may be insufficient to achieve full resolution. When a separation fails, the usual practice consists of introducing drastic changes in the chromatographic system (e.g. use of another column, solvent or pH). An alternative solution is taking benefit of the combined separation capability of two or more columns, which can be attained in multiple ways, such as diverse modalities of two-dimensional HPLC, or mo…

Testing experimental designs in liquid chromatography (II): Influence of the design geometry on the prediction performance of retention models.

Abstract In liquid chromatography, the reliability of predictions carried out with retention models depends critically on the quality of the training experimental design. The search of the best design is more complex when gradient runs are used instead of isocratic experiments. In Part I of this work (JCA 1624 (2020) 461180), a general methodology based on the error propagation theory was developed and validated for assessing the quality of training designs involving gradients. The treatment relates the mathematical properties of a retention model with the geometry of the training designs and their subsequent predictions. In that work, only five usual designs were considered. Part II invest…

Modelling and prediction of retention in high-performance liquid chromatography by using neural networks

Multi-layer feed-forward neural networks trained with an error back-propagation algorithm have been used to model retention behaviour of liquid chromatography as a function of the composition of the mobile phases. Conventional hydro-organic and micellar mobile phases were considered. Accurate retention modelling and prediction have been achieved using mobile phases defined by two, three and four parameters. With micellar mobile phases, the parameters involved included the concentrations of surfactant and organic modifier, pH and temperature. It is shown that neural networks provide a competitive tool to model varied inherent nonlinear relationships of retention behaviour with respect to the…