Alkyl-silica Columns Research Articles

Contributions to reversed-phase column selectivity. II. Cation exchange

The contribution of cation exchange to solute retention for type-B alkylsilica columns (made from high-purity silica) has been examined in terms of the hydrophobic-subtraction (H-S) model of reversed-phase column selectivity. The relative importance of cation exchange in the separation of ionized bases by reversed-phase chromatography (RPC) varies with (a) column acidity (values of the column cation-exchange capacity C), (b) mobile-phase pH and buffer concentration, and (c) the nature of the buffer cation. The effects of each of these separation variables on cation retention were examined. The contribution of cation exchange (and other ionic interactions) to solute retention is represented in the H-S model by properties of the solute ( κ′) and column ( C), respectively. Values of κ′ for 87 solutes have been examined as a function of solute molecular structure, and values of C for 167 type-B alkylsilica columns have been related to various column properties: ligand length (e.g., C 8 vs. C 18) and concentration (μmol/m 2), pore diameter (nm), and end-capping. These results contribute to a more detailed picture of the retention of cationic solutes in RPC as a function of separation conditions. While previous work suggests that the ionization of type-B alkylsilica columns is generally negligible with mobile-phase pH < 7 (as a result of which cation exchange then becomes insignificant), the present study provides evidence for cation exchange (and presumably silanol ionization) at a pH as low as 3 for most columns.

Contributions to reversed-phase column selectivity. I. Steric interaction

In reversed-phase chromatography (RPC), the restricted retention of “bulky” solutes can occur in one of two ways, giving rise to either “shape selectivity” or “steric interaction.” Starting with data for 150 solutes and 167 monomeric type-B alkylsilica columns, the present study examines the steric interaction process further and compares it with shape selectivity. The dependence of column hydrophobicity and steric interaction on column properties (ligand length and concentration, pore diameter, end-capping) was determined and compared. The role of the solute in steric interaction was found to be primarily a function of solute molecular length, with longer solutes giving increased steric interaction. We find that there are several distinct differences in the way shape selectivity and steric interaction are affected by separation conditions and the nature of the sample. Of particular interest, steric interaction exhibits a maximum effect for monomeric C 18 columns, and becomes less important for either a C 1 or C 30 column; shape selectivity appears unimportant for monomeric C 1–C 18 columns at ambient and higher temperatures, but becomes pronounced for C 30 – as well as polymeric columns with ligands ≥C 8. One hypothesis is that shape selectivity involves the presence or creation of cavities within the stationary phase that can accommodate a retained solute (a primarily enthalpic process), while steric interaction mainly makes greater use of spaces that pre-exist the retention of the solute (a primarily entropic process). The related dependence of hydrophobic interaction on column properties was also examined.

Anion-exchange behavior of several alkylsilica reversed-phase columns

Some alkylsilica columns carry a positive charge at low pH, as determined by anion-exchange with nitrate ion. In the present study, the relative positive charge for 14 alkylsilica columns was measured for a mobile-phase pH 3.0. All but 3 of these columns were found to carry a significant positive charge under these conditions. The relative positive charge on these columns was found to correlate approximately with two other column characteristics: relative cation-exchange behavior as measured by the hydrophobic-subtraction model (values of C-2.8), and slow equilibration of the column to changes in the mobile-phase—as evidenced by a slow change in the retention of anionic and cationic solutes with time. The origin of this positive charge may arise from the bonding process, with incorporation of some cationic entity into the stationary phase.

Relevance of π–π and dipole–dipole interactions for retention on cyano and phenyl columns in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Previous work suggests that π–π interactions between certain solutes and both phenyl and cyano columns can contribute to sample retention and the selectivity of these two column types versus alkylsilica columns. Recent studies also suggest that dipole–dipole interactions are generally unimportant for retention on cyano columns. The present study presents data for 44 solutes, three columns and two different mobile phases that were selected to further test these conclusions. We find that π–π interactions can contribute to retention on both cyano and phenyl columns, while dipole–dipole interactions are likely to be significant for the retention of polar aliphatic solutes on cyano columns. When acetonitrile/water mobile phases are used, both π–π and dipole–dipole interactions are suppressed, compared to the use of methanol/water.

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Eleven cyanopropyl ("cyano") columns were characterized by means of a relationship developed originally for alkyl-silica columns. Compared to type-B alkyl-silica columns (i.e., made from pure silica), cyano columns are much less hydrophobic (smaller H), less sterically restricted (smaller S*), and have lower hydrogen-bond acidity (smaller A). Because sample retention is generally much weaker on cyano versus other columns (e.g., C8, C18), a change to a cyano column usually requires a significantly weaker mobile phase in order to maintain comparable values of k for both columns. For this reason, practical comparisons of selectivity between cyano and other columns (i.e., involving different mobile phases for each column) must take into account possible changes in separation due to the change in mobile phase, as well as change in the column.

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

As reported previously, five solute-column interactions (hydrophobicity, steric resistance, hydrogen-bond acidity and basicity, ionic interaction) quantitatively describe column selectivity for 163 alkyl-silica, polar-group and cyano columns. In the present study, solute retention and column selectivity for 11 phenyl and 5 fluoro-substituted columns were compared with alkyl-silica columns of similar ligand length. It is concluded that two additional solute-column interactions may be significant in affecting retention and selectivity for the latter columns: (a) dispersion interactions of varying strength as a result of significant differences in bonded-phase polarizability or refractive index and (b) pi-pi interactions in the case of phenyl columns and aromatic solutes. These 16 phenyl and fluoro columns were also characterized in terms of hydrophobicity, steric resistance, hydrogen-bond acidity and basicity, and ionic interaction.

A fast, convenient and rugged procedure for characterizing the selectivity of alkyl-silica columns

Previous work has shown that the selectivity of reversed-phase columns for HPLC can be described by means of five column parameters: H (hydrophobicity), S * (steric resistance), A (hydrogen-bond acidity), B (hydrogen-bond basicity) and C (cation-exchange capacity). Values of H, S *, etc. can be determined by carrying out retention measurements for 18 test solutes under standardized conditions. The reproducibility of the latter procedure has been evaluated by comparison testing in four different laboratories and found acceptable. An alternative 10-solute test procedure which is more reproducible and convenient (but somewhat less accurate), requires only 2–3 h per column.

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography: V. Higher metal content (type-A) alkyl-silica columns

Retention measurements involving 16 test solutes have been carried out for 38 type-A alkyl-silica columns and three bonded-zirconia columns. These measurements have been analyzed in terms of a model previously developed for type-B columns, so as to yield values of five column selectivity parameters ( H, S ∗ , A, B, C) for each type-A column. Overall differences in selectivity between type-A and -B columns can be related to the average values of H, S ∗ , etc. for each column type. Compared to type-B columns, type-A columns provide generally stronger retention for carboxylic acids, while solutes that are more hydrophobic or less bulky are more retained on type-B columns. Hydrogen-bond acceptors (e.g. aliphatic amides) and cations (e.g. protonated bases) are strongly retained on type-A versus type-B columns. Compared to type-B columns, bonded-zirconia columns show much increased retention of cations and reduced retention of hydrogen-bond acceptors. Because of relatively large differences in the selectivity of bonded-zirconia, type-A, and type-B columns, it will prove difficult to find columns of different type (e.g. a type-A and a type-B column) which have equivalent selectivity. Type-A columns also tend to be more different from each other (in terms of selectivity) than is the case for type-B columns. As a result, the replacement of a given type-A column by an “equivalent” type-A column also appears unlikely, except for samples that do not contain ionized compounds.

Characterization of polymer monolithic stationary phases for capillary HPLC

AbstractMonolithic capillary columns have been prepared in fused‐silica capillaries by radical co‐polymerization of ethylene dimethacrylate and butyl methacrylate in the presence of porogen solvent mixtures containing various concentration ratios of 1‐propanol, 1,4‐butanediol, and water with azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator of the polymerization reaction. The through pores in organic polymer monolithic columns can be characterized by “equivalent permeability particle size”, and the mesopores with stagnant mobile phase by “equivalent dispersion particle size”. Increasing the concentration of propanol in the polymerization mixture diminishes the pore volume and size in the monolithic media and improves the column efficiency, at a cost of decreasing permeability. Organic polymer monolithic capillary columns show similar retention behaviour to packed alkyl silica columns for compounds with different polarities characterized by interaction indices, Ix, but have different methylene selectivities. Higher concentrations of propanol in the polymerization mixture increase the lipophilic character of the monolithic stationary phases. Best efficiencies and separation selectivities were found for monolithic columns prepared using 62–64% propanol in the porogen solvent mixture. To allow accurate characterization of the properties of capillary monolithic columns, the experimental data should be corrected for extra‐column contributions.

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography: IV. Type-B alkyl-silica columns

Columns for reversed-phase HPLC (RP-LC) can be characterized by five, retention-related parameters: H (hydrophobicity), S (steric selectivity), A (hydrogen-bond acidity), B (hydrogen-bond basicity), and C (cation-exchange behavior). In the present study, values of the latter parameters have been measured for 92 type-B (low metals content) alkyl-silica columns and compared to column properties such as ligand length, ligand concentration, pore diameter, and the presence or absence of end-capping. With the exception of five columns of unusual design, retention factors, k, for 16 representative test compounds were correlated with values of H, S, etc., within an average ±1.2% (1 standard deviation, SD), suggesting that all significant solute–column interactions are recognized by these five column parameters. A single-valued function F s is proposed to measure differences in selectivity for any two RP-LC columns whose values of H, S, etc., are known. This allows the easy selection of columns whose selectivity is desired to be either similar to or different from a starting column, for application in either routine analysis or method development.

Overloading study of bases using polymeric RP-HPLC columns as an aid to rationalization of overloading on silica-ODS phases.

The separation of ionized bases by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with alkyl silica columns often leads to severely tailed bands that are highly detrimental. Band shape and its dependence on sample mass are notably different when mobile-phase pH is changed, and this behavior has not been previously explained. Ionized silanols present in the stationary phase have been credited with a role in determining peak shape. In the present study, separations on two different polymer columns were compared with those previously obtained on alkyl silica phases. Because silanols are absent from polymer columns, this comparison enabled us to assess the role of silanols in separations on alkyl silica phases and to offer an explanation of why band shape changes with sample size and mobile-phase pH for both polymer and silica-based phases.

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography: I. A general quantitative relationship

Retention factors k have been measured for 67 neutral, acidic and basic solutes of highly diverse molecular structure (size, shape, polarity, hydrogen bonding, p K a, etc.) on 10 different C 18 columns (other conditions constant). These data have been combined with k values from a previous study (86 solutes, five different C 8 and C 18 columns) to develop a six-term equation for the correlation of retention as a function of solute and column. Values of k can be correlated with an accuracy of ±1–2% (1 standard deviation). This suggests that all significant contributions to column selectivity have been identified (and can be measured) for individual alkyl-silica columns which do not have an embedded polar group. That is, columns of the latter kind can be quantitatively characterized in terms of selectivity for use in the separation of any sample.