Capillary Column Liquid Research Articles

Monolithic organic polymeric columns for capillary liquid chromatography and electrochromatography

This review briefly summarizes the present state of the preparation and use of capillary monolithic columns for liquid chromatography (LC) and electrochromatography (EC). Most important approaches to the preparation of monolithic stationary phases based on organic polymers are outlined and the properties of the monoliths obtained are compared with those of classical particulate phases. A few selected applications of monolithic columns are shown to demonstrate the most important advantages of monolithic capillary columns. It is concluded that both the monolithic and particulate capillary columns are important and that judicious choice of the type suitable for a particular application requires careful consideration of the purpose of the separation and the properties of the solutes to be separated. Monolithic columns are substantially younger than packed ones and thus will require further theoretical and experimental study to further improve their preparation and to enable reliable prediction of their properties and applicability; nevertheless, they are very promising for the future.

Controlling the retention in capillary LC with solvents, temperature, and electric fields

Once a suitable stationary phase and column dimensions have been selected, the retention in liquid chromatography (LC) is traditionally adjusted by controlling the mobile phase composition. Solvent gradients enable achievement of good separation selectivity while decreasing the separation time as compared to isocratic elution. Capillary columns allow use of other programming parameters, i.e. temperature and applied electric fields, in addition to solvent gradient elution. This paper presents a review of programmed separation techniques in miniaturized LC, including retention modeling and method transfer from the conventional to micro- and capillary scales. The impact of miniaturized instrumentation on retention and the limitations of capillary LC are discussed. Special attention is focused on the gradient dwell volume effects, which are more important in micro-LC techniques than in conventional analytical LC and may cause significant increase in the time of analysis, unless special instrumentation and (or) pre-column flow-splitting is used. The influence of temperature upon retention is also discussed, and applications where the temperature has been actively used for retention control in capillary LC are included together with the instrumentation utilized. Finally the possibilities of additional selectivity control by applying an electric field over a packed capillary LC column are discussed.

Preparation and characterization of long methacrylate monolithic column for capillary liquid chromatography

Long methacrylate monolithic columns (100 cm × 320 μm i.d.) were prepared from silanized fused-silica capillaries of 320 μm i.d. by in situ copolymerization of butyl methacrylate (BMA) with ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) in the presence of a suitable porogen. The separation performance and selectivity of the column were evaluated and compared with a 25 cm × 320 μm i.d. column prepared in the same way by capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (μ-HPLC). The results showed that the 1 m long monolithic column can generate 33 × 10 3 plate number and exhibited good permeability, higher sample loadability, and separation capability.

Protein-doped monolithic silica columns for capillary liquid chromatography prepared by the sol-gel method: applications to frontal affinity chromatography.

The development of bioaffinity chromatography columns that are based on the entrapment of biomolecules within the pores of sol-gel-derived monolithic silica is reported. Monolithic nanoflow columns are formed by mixing the protein-compatible silica precursor diglycerylsilane with a buffered aqueous solution containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO, MW 10,000) and the protein of interest and then loading this mixture into a fused-silica capillary (150-250-microm i.d.). Spinodal decomposition of the PEO-doped sol into two distinct phases prior to the gelation of the silica results in a bimodal pore distribution that produces large macropores (>0.1 microm), to allow good flow of eluent with minimal back pressure, and mesopores (approximately 3-5-nm diameter) that retain a significant fraction of the entrapped protein. Addition of low levels of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane is shown to minimize nonselective interactions of analytes with the column material, resulting in a column that is able to retain small molecules by virtue of their interaction with the entrapped biomolecules. Such columns are shown to be suitable for pressure-driven liquid chromatography and can be operated at relatively high flow rates (up to 500 microL x min(-1)) or with low back pressures (<100 psi) when used at flow rates of 5-10 microL x min(-1). The clinically relevant enzyme dihydrofolate reductase was entrapped within the bioaffinity columns and was used to screen mixtures of small molecules using frontal affinity chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Inhibitors present in compound mixtures were retained via bioaffinity interactions, with the retention time being dependent on both the ligand concentration and the affinity of the ligand for the protein. The results suggest that such columns may find use in high-throughput screening of compound mixtures.

Sensitive biomonitoring of phthalate metabolites in human urine using packed capillary column switching liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry.

A rapid and sensitive method for the determination of the phthalate monoesters monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monobutyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), in human urine, using packed capillary column liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray quadrupole-ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-QITMS(n)) has been developed. Sample volumes of 200 microL of deconjugated and diluted urine were loaded onto a precolumn of 30 mmx0.32 mm I.D. packed with Hypercarb 5 microm particles, using a sample carrier consisting of acetonitrile/water (15/85, v/v, adjusted to pH 2 using HCl) with a flow rate of 20 microL/min. Backflushed elution onto a 100 mmx0.32 mm I.D. analytical column packed with 5 microm Hypercarb particles was conducted using a tetrahydrofuran/water gradient where both solvents contained 10 mM ammonium acetate, at a flow rate of 4 microL/min. Determination of the monophthalates was achieved within 8 min. Ionization was performed in the negative mode and the analytes were observed as [M-H](-) at m/ z=193.1, 221.1, 255.1 and 277.0 for MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP, respectively. Quantification was performed in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode monitoring the fragments at m/ z=121.1, 177.0, 183.0 and 233.0 for MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP, respectively. The method was validated over the concentration range 2.5-125 ng/mL in pretreated urine samples, corresponding to 25-1250 ng/mL untreated urine, yielding correlation coefficients in the range 0.996-0.999. The within-assay ( n=6) and between-assay ( n=6) repeatabilities were in the range 4.0-18% and 4.8-15% RSD, respectively. The mass limits of detection were in the range 32-70 pg, corresponding to concentration limits of detection of 1.6-3.5 ng/mL of untreated urine.

Study of an electroosmotic pump for liquid delivery and its application in capillary column liquid chromatography

A packed-bed electroosmotic pump (EOP) was constructed and evaluated. The EOP consisted of three capillary columns packed in parallel, a gas-releasing device, Pt electrodes and a high-voltage power supply. The EOP could generate output pressure above 5.0 MPa and constant flow rate in the range of nl/min to a few μl/min for pure water, pure methanol, 2 mM potassium dihydrogenphosphate buffer, the buffer–methanol mixture and the pure water–methanol mixture at applied potentials less than 20 kV. The composition of solvent before/after pumping was quantitatively determined by using a gas chromatograph equipped with both flame ionization detector and thermal conductivity detector. It was found that there were no apparent changes in composition and relative concentrations after pumping process for a methanol–ethanol–acetonitrile mixture and a methanol–water mixture. Theoretical aspect of the EOP was discussed in detail. An capillary HPLC system consisting of the EOP, an injection valve, a 15 cm×320 μm i.d., 5 μm Spherigel C 18 stainless steel analytical column, and an on-column UV detector was connected to evaluate the performance of the EOP. A comparative study was also carried out with a mechanical capillary HPLC pump on the same system. The results demonstrated that the reproducibility of flow rate and the pulsation-free flow property of the EOP are superior to that of mechanical pump in capillary HPLC application.

Evaluation of packed capillary liquid chromatography columns and comparison with conventional-size columns

Apart from extracolumn effects peak dispersion in liquid chromatographic columns is caused by the column inlet, the packed bed, and the column outlet. A strategy applicable for independent evaluation of the individual sources of column band broadening was developed on the basis of the linear extrapolation method (LEM). This method was applied to compare the performance of packed capillary LC columns from various commercial suppliers with conventional-size columns. The columns differed widely in their performance with respect to peak shapes and widths for standard substances. The capillary columns were found well packed, but in some cases overall performance would benefit from improving the design of the area between the packed bed and the connecting capillaries, containing frits as well as dead volumes.

Methacrylate monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography polymerized using ammonium peroxodisulfate as initiator

AbstractFour methacrylate ester‐based monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography (CLC) were prepared by radical polymerization with ammonium peroxodisulfate (3 columns) and by thermal initiation (1 column). The polymerization mixture consisted of butyl methacrylate (BMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA), propan‐1‐ol, butane‐1,4‐diol, water, and ammonium peroxodisulfate as initiator. It was necessary to add N,N,N′,N ′‐tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) to the polymerization mixture to activate the reaction. The amount of initiator and activator was optimized to attain quantitative polymerization. The reproducibility of three columns prepared at ambient temperature was studied. The most efficient column with HETP of 29 μm for uracil was compared to the monolithic column prepared by thermal initiation with α,α′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The efficiencies of all the test columns were characterized by van Deemter curves. Their total porosities were calculated from the retention time of uracil. Walters indices of hydrophobicity (HI) were calculated from the retention factors of anthracene and benzene. The columns prepared by both methods are comparable in their selectivities and efficiencies. They show the same characteristics because their total porosities and Walters indices of hydrophobicity are consistent. However, the preparation of monoliths using ammonium peroxodisulfate was less demanding, because polymerization was possible at ambient temperature.

Development of a Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Interface for On-Line Capillary Column Liquid Chromatography−Capillary Electrophoresis Coupled to Sheathless Electrospray Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

An interface in elastomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for on-line orthogonal coupling of packed capillary liquid chromatography (LC) (i.d. = 0.2 mm) with capillary electrophoresis (CE) in combination with sheathless electrospray ionization (ESI) time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOFMS) detection is presented. The new interface has a two-level design, which in combination with a continuous CE electrolyte flow through the interface provides integrity of the LC effluent and the CE separation until an injection is desired. The transparent and flexible PDMS material was found to have a number of advantages when combined with fused silica column technology, including ease to follow the process and ease to exchange columns. By combining conventional microscale systems of LC, CE, and ESI-MS, respectively, the time scales of the individual dimensions were harmonized for optimal peak capacity per unit time. The performance of the LC-CE-TOFMS system was evaluated using peptides as model substances. A S/N of about 330 was achieved for leucine-enkephaline from a 0.5 microL LC injection of 25 microg/mL peptide standard.

High-efficiency on-line solid-phase extraction coupling to 15-150-microm-i.d. column liquid chromatography for proteomic analysis.

The ability to manipulate and effectively utilize small proteomic samples is important for analyses using liquid chromatography (LC) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS) and becomes more challenging for very low flow rates due to extra column volume effects on separation quality. Here we report on the use of commercial switching valves (150-microm channels) for implementing the on-line coupling of capillary LC columns operated at 10,000 psi with relatively large solid-phase extraction (SPE) columns. With the use of optimized column connections, switching modes, and SPE column dimensions, high-efficiency on-line SPE-capillary and nanoscale LC separations were obtained demonstrating peak capacities of approximately 1000 for capillaries having inner diameters between 15 and 150 microm. The on-line coupled SPE columns increased the sample processing capacity by approximately 400-fold for sample solution volume and approximately 10-fold for sample mass. The proteomic applications of this on-line SPE-capillary LC system were evaluated for analysis of both soluble and membrane protein tryptic digests. Using an ion trap tandem MS it was typically feasible to identify 1100-1500 unique peptides in a 5-h analysis. Peptides extracted from the SPE column and then eluted from the LC column covered a hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity range that included an estimated approximately 98% of all tryptic peptides. The SPE-capillary LC implementation also facilitates automation and enables use of both disposable SPE columns and electrospray emitters, providing a robust basis for automated proteomic analyses.

Gold-coated fused-silica sheathless electrospray emitters based on vapor-deposited titanium adhesion layers.

Gold-coated fused-silica electrospray (ES) emitters based on vapor-deposited adhesion layers of titanium have been manufactured to investigate the possibilities of producing durable ES emitters applicable in chip-based analytical devices. The stabilities of the emitters were studied by both electrospray and electrochemical experiments and a marked increase in the emitter lifetime, compared to that for Cr/Au coated emitters, was found for the Ti/Au emitters in the ES durability tests. This indicates that Ti (rather than Cr) adhesion layers should be used in association with large-scale fabrication of ES emitters by vapor-deposition techniques. The lifetime of about 500-700 hours also allowed the Ti/Au-coated emitter to be used as an integrated part of a capillary liquid chromatography column coupled to a mass spectrometer in a series of LC/MS experiments. The Ti/Au coating was further studied by electrochemical techniques and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with X-ray spectroscopy. It is shown that the eventual failure of the Ti/Au emitters in ES experiments was due to an almost complete detachment of the gold layer. Experimental evidence suggests that the detachment of the gold coating was due to a reduced adhesion to the titanium layer during oxidation in positive electrospray. Most likely, this was caused by the formation of an oxide layer on the titanium film. It is thus shown that unlimited emitter stabilities are not automatically obtained even if the metallic adhesion layer is stabilized by an oxide formation under positive electrospray conditions.

Microscale determination of purines in tissue samples by capillary liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A microscale method for purines involved in intracellular signaling and energy metabolism, including ADP, ATP, cyclic-AMP, NADH and GTP, was developed. The analytes were separated on a fused-silica capillary liquid chromatography column (50 microm inner diameter by 25 cm long) packed with 7 microm reversed-phase particles and detected with a carbon fiber cylinder microelectrode at +1.50 V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode. With an acetonitrile gradient, the separation was carried out within 15 min. With a 100 nl injection volume, the detection limits varied from 0.9 to 8 fmol depending upon the analyte. The low detection limits make the method suitable for analysis of small tissue samples. As a demonstration of the method, islets of Langerhans were analyzed for their adenosine-related messenger content.

Starburst dendrimers as macromolecular pore-templates for stationary phases in capillary chromatography

Methacrylate-Based monolithic capillary columns for liquid chromatography and capillary electrochromatography were prepared within the confines of fused-silica tubing using Starburst (PAMAM) dendrimers to affect porosity. Different column porosities were obtained by varying the amount of the dendrimer template as evidenced by electron microscopy. Mercury intrusion porosimetry measurements provided additional information. The effect of dendrimer concentration on chromatographic performance was studied in detail.

Determination of thiols in urinary sample by capillary-column liquid chromatography with amperometric detection at a carbon electrode

The fabrication and application of an end-column amperometric detection (AD) system with a carbon electrode for capillary-column liquid chromatography (CLC) were described. This new amperometric detector showed good sensitivity and stability in detecting the thiocompounds and other analytes with CLC. In order to obtain the better separation and detection performance for analytes, several operational parameters had been investigated: the working potentials, pH and flow rate. Under the optimum conditions, the method could effectively separate and determine cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), dopamine (DA) and 6-thiopurine (6-TP). Good repeatability for retention time was obtained with a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) value of 0.5%. The linear range covered over three orders of magnitude and the limits of detection were 8 fmol for cysteine, 20 fmol for glutathione, 8 fmol for dopamine and 20 fmol for 6-thiopurine. This method was successfully applied in determination of urinary sample with characteristics of simplicity, high sensitivity and good repeatability.

On-line coupling of microdialysis to packed capillary column liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry demonstrated by measurement of free concentrations of ropivacaine and metabolite from spiked plasma samples

An on-line coupling of microdialysis to a packed capillary column switching liquid chromatographic system (0.2 mm I.D.) and mass spectrometric detection was developed. The microdialysates were collected in the loop of the first of three valves, coupled in direct series. A deuterated internal standard was added on-line by the middle valve and the third valve operated both a pre-column, for desalting of the physiological buffer used in the sampling procedure, and a separation column. The on-line system was used to study free concentrations of ropivacaine and its metabolite (PPX) in human plasma samples. The analytes were detected by electrospray ionization in a tandem mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The free fractions of ropivacaine (200 n M total concentration) and PPX (20 n M total concentration) in spiked plasma samples were 12±3 and 47±5% (±standard deviation for day-to-day variations, n=3), respectively.

Determination of the free concentration of ropivacaine in plasma by packed capillary liquid chromatography: A comparison of ultrafiltration and microdialysis as sample preparation methods

AbstractIn this study, ultrafiltration and microdialysis have been compared as sample preparation methods to separate the free fraction of ropivacaine from the protein bound in 150 μL plasma. A liquid chromatographic system with packed capillary columns (0.2 mm internal diameter) was used to enhance sensitivity when analyzing the small sample volumes obtained after the ultrafiltration and the microdialysis. The microdialysis was performed with probes of our own construction, and to save analysis time, the microdialysis sampling was coupled on‐line to the liquid chromatographic system. The reduction of back pressure in the microdialysis outlet tube and in the injector was found to be essential. The free fraction obtained with each method was equivalent: both gave a free fraction of 6%. © 2001 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep 13: 197–201, 2001

Hydrodynamic aspects of slurry packing processes in microcolumn liquid chromatography

A Stokesian dynamics computer simulation based method is presented for the estimation of the bed porosity of slurry-packed capillary liquid chromatography (LC) columns. A colloidally well-described reversed-phase stationary phase–slurry liquid suspension was used as a model system. The applied simulation method takes into account the velocity of the slurry and colloidal interaction forces, as well as inter-particle hydrodynamic interactions. The predicted bed porosities suggest that a lower slurry velocity leads to a denser packing structure due to the increased effect of colloidal repulsion effects. The results of the simulations were compared with the external porosity and chromatographic performance of capillary LC columns that were packed at different filtration and compaction pressures. However, the trends that were observed in the experimental results suggest that hydrodynamic packing parameters have no or little effect on the chromatographic performance of capillary LC columns. Within the experimental parameter window, the chromatographic performance and the column porosity were not influenced by the filtration and compaction pressure, nor by the duration of the compaction process.

ＨＰＬＣ‐ＭＳ法を中心としたポストゲノム解析

A capillary column liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system for the analysis of proteome (the protein complement expressed by a genome, a cell or a tissue type) is described. The system has a power to determine accurate molecular mass, amino acid sequence and post-translational modification of micro-quantity of protein. The system further integrated with surface plasmon resonance based biosensor (BIA) to obtain sequence information of the affinity-bound proteins on the BIA sensorchip. Because BIA provides quantitative molecular interaction information and because LC-MS/MS provides structural information with femtomole amount of samples, the integrated system of BIA and LC-MS described here should allow wide application to molecular studies of stable and unstable interaction.

Characterization of conjugated metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene in germ-free rat urine by liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

The characterization of conjugated metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) in the urine of male germ-free rats given a single intraperitoneal dose of [(14)C]BP is described. Urinary metabolites, constituting 9% of the administered radioactivity, were extracted on a Sep-Pak C(18) cartridge and separated by lipophilic ion-exchange chromatography into neutral and acidic fractions (fractions I-V). Metabolites in the latter fractions, constituting more than 80% of the urinary radioactivity, were characterized by reversed-phase HPLC and capillary column liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry (LC/ESMS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Relative quantities of BP metabolites were estimated from the distribution of radioactivity. Some coeluting compounds were semiquantified from the ion current chromatograms obtained in the capillary column LC/ESMS analyses. The major conjugated metabolites in fraction II, containing about 50% of the urinary radioactivity, consisted of three tetrahydrotrihydroxy-BP-S-N-acetylcysteines, the major isomer being 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-8,9, 10-trihydroxy-BP-7-S-N-acetylcysteine, two dihydrotrihydroxy-BP-S-N-acetylcysteines, and a tetrahydrotetrahydroxy-BP-S-N-acetylcysteine. Fraction II also contained three apparently unconjugated compounds whose structures will be described elsewhere. Metabolites characterized in fractions III and IV, containing about 30% of the urinary radioactivity, included three BP-O,O'-disulfates, two monohydroxy-BP-O-sulfates, three dihydrodihydroxy-BP-O-sulfates, three BP-O,O'-diglucuronides, and a BP-O-sulfate-O'-glucuronide. Trace levels of a tetrahydrotrihydroxy-BP-S-glutathione conjugate were detected in fraction V.

Determination of the geometrical isomers of ethyl 2,4-decadienoate

Ethyl 2,4-decadienoate isomers, important aroma compounds in the Bartlett pear, were investigated. Separation and identification of isomers was performed. Separation of isomers was successful using gas chromatography (GC) with a VOCOL capillary column and high-performance liquid chromatography on a nonpolar reversed-phase column (C 18) with silver ions in mobile phase. Identification of the isomers was made by comparison of their retention times with the authentic ethyl trans-2, cis-4-decadienoate standard, and by NMR spectrometry. For quantitative determination of ethyl 2,4-decadienoate isomers the limit of detection and the interval of linearity for ethyl trans-2, cis-4-decadienoate were determined for both chromatographic methods.