Carbohydrate separation by ligand-exchange liquid chromatography: Correlation between the formation of sugar-cation complexes and the elution order

Abstract

Carbohydrate separation (hexoses, pentoses and corresponding polyols) was studied by liquid chromatography using ligand exchange on cation-exchange resin column with water as eluent. Seven cations (Ca 2+, Sr 2+, Ba 2+, Pb 2+, Y 3+, La 3+ and Pr 3+) were tested. The carbohydrate elution order is considered in connection with the complexing sites likely to be involved for each sugar or polyol molecule and with the exclusion processes.