Two-dimensional separation by sequential injection chromatography.

Abstract

Sequential injection chromatography (SIC) is an alternative for fast chromatographic separations with low consumption of organic solvents. However, its separation capacity is restricted by the use of short chromatographic columns and the limitations for gradient elution. The present work aimed to expand the analytical capacity of SIC by exploiting a multidimensional approach with two chromatographic columns, different in their separation mechanisms, which increased the selectivity and peak resolution. The viability of the proposal was demonstrated by separation of aromatic biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, and tryptamine), whose unidimensional separation was not achieved either by using cyanopropyl or C18 chromatographic columns. In the two-dimensional approach, the fraction of the eluate unresolved in the first dimension (containing tyramine and phenylethylamine) was collected in a sampling loop and, subsequently, inserted in the second chromatographic dimension (heart-cutting mode). Under the optimized conditions, the first chromatographic dimension was based on a cyanopropyl monolithic column and an aqueous mobile phase composed of phosphoric acid solution, pH 2.5, while the second dimension employed a C18 superficially porous particle column and a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and phosphoric acid aqueous solution, pH 2.5 (7:93, v/v). The total analysis time was 8 min, and a resolution of 1.72 was achieved between the nearest peaks (tyramine and phenylethylamine). Linear responses were obtained within 10 and 50 mg L-1 (r > 0.997), with detection limits estimated at 2.7, 7.7, 1.9, and 0.3 mg L-1, for histamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine, and tryptamine, respectively, and a coefficient of variation of 3.0% (n=12).