Analytical Method For Separation Research Articles

Stress Analysis of Longitudinally Corrugated Hollow Orthotropic Cylinders

The stress state of longitudinally corrugated hollow cylinders made of orthotropic and isototropic materials is analyzed using a spatial problem statement, analytical variable separation and discrete Fourier series methods and numerical method of discrete orthogonalization. The results are presented as graphs and diagrams of displacement and stress fields and analyzed.

Toxic emissions resulting from sucralose added to electronic cigarette liquids.

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are appealing in part because of the many flavors of the liquids used in them. Concerns have been raised that some ECIG liquid flavors, especially those that are sweet, are attracting otherwise nicotine-naïve youth to ECIGs. Sucralose is an artificial, non-caloric sweetener that is added to some ECIG liquids. In this study, we evaluated the toxicants, namely isomers of chloropropanols that can be produced when sucralose-containing ECIG liquid is aerosolized. An analytical separation method relying on solid-phase extraction (SPE) to isolate chloropropanols from the propylene glycol/glycerol matrix was developed. Chloropropanols were then derivatized by silylation before they were analyzed on GC-MS. The influence of different ECIG operating conditions on the generation of chloropropanols was studied by varying ECIG device design and power output and also the sucralose concentration of the liquid. Heated sucralose-containing ECIG liquids produce two toxic compounds that can be found in the resulting aerosols. The two chloropropanols, 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-dichloropropanol (1,3-DCP) that were detected under all conditions were found to be correlated significantly with liquid sucralose content. Effective regulation of ECIGs will minimize user and bystander exposure to these and other ECIG toxicants.

An Overview of Analytical Methods for in Vitro Bioassay of Actinides.

The bioassay of urine and fecal samples has been used since the 1940s to determine an individual's uptake of uranium and actinide elements such as americium and plutonium. Over the years, several analytical separation methods and techniques have been employed for these types of analyses. Analytical separations, ranging from solvent extraction and anion exchange to chromatography, and analytical techniques, ranging from autoradiography to kinetic phosphorescence to fission-track analysis and high-resolution solid-state alpha spectroscopy, have been used at one time or another. Over the last few decades, there have been significant advances in radiochemical separations, as well as an increased use of mass spectroscopy, to determine trace and ultratrace levels of actinides in urine and fecal samples. This review summarizes and discusses developments in radiochemical separation methods and advancements in analytical techniques for actinide bioassay since the early 1940s to the present, followed by a recent development and trend in the bioassay of actinides-particularly in urine and fecal samples.

Determination of Optical Purity of Lactic Acid-Based Chiral Liquid Crystals and Corresponding Building Blocks by Chiral High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

Liquid crystals (LCs) are among the most prominent materials of the current information age, mainly due to their well-known application in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Their unique electro-optical properties stem from their ability to form organised structures (mesophases) on the transition from solid state to isotropic liquid. Molecules of LCs in a mesophase still maintain the anisotropy of solid crystals, while simultaneously exhibiting the fluidity of liquids, which gives the system the ability to react immediately to external stimuli such as electric or magnetic fields, light, mechanical stress, pressure and, of course, temperature. For the proper function of LC-based devices, not only chemical, but also optical purity of materials is strongly desirable, since any impurity could be detrimental to the self-assembly of the molecules. Therefore, in this study we aimed to verify synthetic methods published in the literature, which are used nowadays to prepare chiral building blocks based on lactic acid, for their enantioselectivity. Moreover, we have focused on the development of an analytical chiral separation method for target liquid crystalline materials. Using a chiral polysaccharide-based column operated in liquid chromatography mode, we show that not all published methods of LC synthesis are enantioselective, which could lead to significant differences in the properties of the resulting materials. We show that high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection and supercritical fluid chromatography with UV and mass spectrometry detection enable full control over the chemical and optical purity of the target LCs and the corresponding chiral building blocks. For the first time, we utilise supercritical fluid chromatography with mass detection for the direct chiral analysis of liquid crystalline materials and impurities formed during the synthesis.

ABS: an analytical method of blind separation of CMB from foregrounds

Extracting CMB B-mode polarization from complicated foregrounds is a challenging task in searching for inflationary gravitational waves. We propose the ABS method as a blind and analytical solution to this problem. It applies to the measured cross bandpower between different frequency bands and obtains the CMB B-mode bandpower analytically. It does not rely on assumptions of foregrounds and does not require multiple parameter fitting. Testing against a variety of foregrounds, survey frequency configurations and instrument noise, we verify its applicability and numerical stability. The ABS method also applies to CMB temperature, E-mode polarization, the thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich effect, spectral distortion, and even significantly different problems such as cosmic magnification.

Development of Dot-ELISA Technique for Estimation of Milk Progesterone and Pregnancy Diagnosis using PVDF Membrane

An analytical hormone separation method and dot enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (dot-ELISA) for quantitation of hormone are described. For extraction of progesterone from milk chloroform methanol mixture was used. For Dot ELISA, conjugate was prepared by immunoglobulin isolated from whole serum by ammonium sulphate precipitation method and conjugated with Horse radish Peroxidase by modified gluteraldehyde procedure. For immobilization of progesterone to PVDF membrane a number of solvents were tried viz., Methanol, Methanol + Carbonate-bicarbonate buffer, Methanol + PBS, Ethanol and 70 per cent isopropanol. On observation following Dot ELISA procedure, 70 per cent isopropanol was selected as best. Dot ELISA of serially diluted progesterone was performed to get the best titre of conjugate selected for further studies. For standard colour of dot with different progesterone concentration, Dot ELISA with varying concentration of progesterone was performed. The new technique was thus developed for estimation of progesterone using PVDF membrane and 70 per cent isopropanol as solvent. The developed Dot ELISA was also used for estimation of progesterone and pregnancy diagnosis from cattle milk sample and technique was validated. This techniques may be useful for estimation of other steroid hormones.

Applications of Chiral Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

Nowadays polysaccharide chiral stationary phases are very popular and this originates for many reasons: (1) their wide applications window, (2) numerous different chemistry availability either in coated or in immobilized versions, and (3) large loading capability useful for preparative scale. Indeed chiral separations remain a hot topic (particularly in the pharmaceutical market) and in this field supercritical fluid chromatography is emerging rapidly. However, its use is more complex than high-performance liquid chromatography. The presented example illustrates analytical scale chiral separation method development and the effect of each operating parameter, i.e., flow rate, outlet pressure, and temperature variations on a chiral separation.

Generic anion-exchange chromatography method for analytical and preparative separation of nucleotides in the development and manufacture of drug substances

Nucleotides are among the most frequently used chemical building blocks in the research, development and manufacture of drug substances. They are composed of three highly polar subunit molecules (a nucleobase, a sugar, and at least one phosphate group), which makes their separation and analysis very challenging by conventional liquid chromatography techniques. Herein, we describe a simple, efficient, and cost-effective ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) method for the separation and purification of over 20 nucleotides. This method combines the use of a Tosoh TSKgel SuperQ-5P W resin in conjunction with a fully aqueous eluent profile (ammonium bicarbonate-based) that allows for a straightforward scale-up transition and convenient drying process with minimal environmental impact. This generic method was optimized using chromatography simulation software (ACD Labs/LC Simulator) and successfully applied to the preparative purification of multicomponent nucleotide mixtures using readily available Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) instrumentation. These IEC method conditions can be effectively applied as the starting point for method development and isolation of other highly polar nucleotide species beyond those investigated in this study.

Testing the ABS Method with the Simulated Planck Temperature Maps

Abstract In this study, we apply the Analytical method of Blind Separation (ABS) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from foregrounds to estimate the CMB temperature power spectrum from multi-frequency microwave maps. We test the robustness of the ABS estimator and assess the accuracy of the power spectrum recovery using realistic simulations based on the seven-frequency Planck data, including various frequency-dependent and spatially varying foreground components (synchrotron, free–free, thermal dust, and anomalous microwave emission), as well as an uncorrelated Gaussian-distributed instrumental noise. Considering no prior information about the foregrounds, the ABS estimator can analytically recover the CMB power spectrum over almost all scales with less than 0.5% error for maps where the Galactic plane region ( ) is masked out. To further test the flexibility and effectiveness of the ABS approach in a variety of situations, we apply the ABS to the simulated Planck maps in three cases: (1) without any mask, (2) imposing a two-times-stronger synchrotron emission, and (3) including only the Galactic plane region ( ) in the analysis. In such extreme cases, the ABS approach can still provide an unbiased estimate of band powers at the level of 1 μK2 on average over all ℓ ranges, and the recovered powers are consistent with the input values within 1σ for most ℓ bins.

The Application of a Single-Column GC-MS-MS Method for the Rapid Analysis of Chemical Warfare Agents and Breakdown Products.

The development of one comprehensive gas chromatographic-triple quadrupole mass spectrometric (GC-MS-MS) method for the analysis of nerve agents and their breakdown products can pose a challenge due to significant differences in analyte volatility. Nerve agent breakdown products typically have a low volatility, requiring a derivatization step prior to analysis by gas chromatography (GC). However, nerve agent parent compounds are generally more volatile, which eliminates the need for derivatization and allows for direct analysis. Therefore, the analysis of these analytes is typically performed using separate analytical methods. This may require the use of multiple columns composed of different stationary phases to ensure the most efficient separation. With the wide selection of GC columns and derivatizing agents, it is potentially possible to develop a single-column/analytical method that is suitable for the detection of nerve agents and their breakdown products. We evaluated six nerve agents (tabun, sarin, soman, cyclosarin, VX and Russian VX) and the six corresponding breakdown products (EDPA, IMPA, PMPA, CMPA EMPA and MMPA). Chromatographic separation and multiple-reaction mode electron ionization detection of the nerve agents and silylated breakdown product derivatives were performed using an Agilent 7890 A gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a mid-polarity column, coupled to a 7000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometry system. A fast (12.5 min), highly sensitive (picogram) and selective method was achieved. The feasibility of this method for nerve agent and breakdown product detection in real samples was demonstrated using nerve agent-spiked human plasma at various exposure times (3 min, 1 h and 24 h). Five of the six nerve agents and all six breakdown products were successfully detected. This robust method has utility as a rapid screening tool to identify a specific nerve agent in a potential exposure event by simultaneous detection of the parent and or its corresponding breakdown product in plasma.

First detection of tetrodotoxin and high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in shellfish from Sicily (Italy) by three different analytical methods

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) and tetrodotoxin (TTX) are naturally-occurring toxins that may contaminate the food chain, inducing similar neurological symptoms in humans. They are co-extracted under the same conditions and thus their combined detection is desirable. Whilst PST are regulated and officially monitored in Europe, more data on TTX occurrence in bivalves and gastropods are needed before meaningful regulations can be established. In this study, we used three separate analytical methods - pre-column oxidation with liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection, ultrahigh performance hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and HILIC high resolution (HR) MS/MS - to investigate the presence of PST and TTX in seawater and shellfish (mussels, clams) collected in spring summer 2015 to 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea. Samples were collected at 10 sites in the Syracuse Bay (Sicily, Italy) in concomitance with a mixed bloom of Alexandrium minutum and A. pacificum. A very high PST contamination in mussels emerged, unprecedentedly found in Italy, with maximum total concentration of 10851 μg saxitoxin equivalents per kg of shellfish tissue measured in 2016. In addition, for the first time TTX was detected in Italy in most of the analysed samples in the range 0.8–6.4 μg TTX eq/kg. The recurring blooms of PST-producing species over the 3-year period, the high PST levels and the first finding of TTX in mussels from the Syracuse bay, suggest that monitoring programmes of PST and TTX in seafood should be activated in this geographical area.

Layered Inhomogeneous Hollow Cylinders with Concave Corrugations Under Internal Pressure

The stress problem for layered hollow inhomogeneous cylinders with concave semi-corrugations is solved in spatial statement, and their stress state is studied depending on the stiffness of the core layer. To solve the problem, the analytical methods of variable separation, approximation of functions by discrete Fourier series, and the numerical discrete-orthogonalization method are used. Numerical results are analyzed.

Weak-lensing Power Spectrum Reconstruction by Counting Galaxies. II. Improving the ABS Method with the Shift Parameter

Abstract In Paper I of this series, we proposed an analytical method of blind separation (ABS) to extract the cosmic magnification signal in galaxy number distribution and reconstruct the weak-lensing power spectrum. Here, we report a new version of the ABS method with significantly improved performance. This version is characterized by a shift parameter, , with the special case of corresponding to the original ABS method. We have tested this new version, compared it with the previous one, and confirmed its superior performance in all investigated situations. Therefore, it supercedes the previous version. The proof of concept studies presented in this paper demonstrate that it may enable surveys such as LSST and SKA to reconstruct the lensing power spectrum at z ≃ 1 with 1% accuracy. We will test the new ABS method in more realistic simulations to verify its applicability to real data.

Preparative free-flow electrophoresis, a versatile technology complementing gradient centrifugation in the isolation of highly purified cell organelles.

Free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) exploits differences in the overall charge of bio-particles separating cells, organelles, macromolecules, ions, etc. according to their distinct electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric point (pI) values. Indeed, around a neutral pH organelles usually exhibit a negative surface charge, migrating in an electric field from the cathode toward the anode. Since its introduction more than five decades ago by Barrollier etal., Z. Naturforsch. 1958, 13b, 745-755 and Hannig, Z. Anal. Chem. 1961, 181, 244-254, FFE has become an established analytical and preparative separation method for the isolation of a variety of organelles. Particularly, in sophisticated, multistep separating processes to separate subpopulations of organelles, it has gained, meanwhile, a position as a versatile technology and essential element. Relying on the distinct surface charges instead of buoyant densities of cell organelles, the FFE technology is best supporting a preceding centrifugation-based fractionation of subcellular compartments in the second dimension. In the following review, the two-step isolation and purification of subpopulations of classic animal and plant cell organelles will be mainly exemplified.

Separation of 1,4-Dihydropyridine Derivative and Its Oxidized Form

Derivatives of 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) still play an important role in treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Typical degradation of the DHP ring is aromatization to pyridine ring which occurs both chemically and biochemically. It is, therefore, important to have a reliable and robust analytical method for separation of DHPs from their oxidized counterparts. Separation of closely-related substances possessing similar hydrophobicity, such as DHP and its oxidized form, can be challenging on conventional alkyl-bonded sorbents. In this study, an impact of reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography conditions on separation of the DHP/Ox pair has been investigated. Initially, a systematic study has been performed on 33 commercial RP columns with mobile phase acetonitrile/water for separation of foridone and its corresponding oxidized form. The retention and selectivity are discussed in view of the hydrophobic-subtraction model. Best separation was found replacing conventional C18 sorbents with ones containing an embedded polar group due to polar interactions. Similarly, application of cyano columns resulted in efficient separation of analytes. Organic modifier of mobile phase (methanol vs. acetonitrile) contributed significantly to separation of foridone from its oxidized counterpart. Separation of six chemically diverse DHPs from corresponding oxidized forms was studied on seven RP columns (traditional C18 sorbent, alkyl sorbent with polar embedded group, two different aromatic phases, pentafluorophenylpropyl sorbent and sorbent with straight chain perfluorohexyl ligand). Both acetonitrile and methanol were applied as organic modifier. It was found that application of alkyl sorbent with an embedded polar group (column Zorbax Bonus RP) or cyano sorbent (column ACE CN) yields clear separation of chemically diverse DHPs from their oxidized forms.

Characterization of oligo(acrylic acid)s and their block co-oligomers

Oligo(acrylic acid), oligoAA are important species currently used industrially in the stabilization of paints and also for the production of self-assembled polymer structures which have been shown to have useful applications in analytical separation methods and potentially in drug delivery systems. To properly tailor the synthesis of oligoAA, and its block co-oligomers synthesized by Reversible-Addition Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization to applications, detailed knowledge about the chemical structure is needed. Commonly used techniques such as Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) and Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) suffer from poor resolution and non-quantitative distributions, respectively. In this work free solution Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) has been thoroughly investigated as an alternative, allowing for the separation of oligoAA by molar mass and the RAFT agent end group. The method was then extended to block co-oligomers of acrylic acid and styrene. Peak capacities up to 426 were observed for these 1D CE separations, 10 times greater than what has been achieved for Liquid Chromatography (LC) of oligostyrenes. To provide a comprehensive insight into the chemical structure of these materials 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to provide an accurate average chain length and reveal the presence of branching. The chain length at which branching is detected was investigated with the results showing a degree of branching of 1% of the monomer units in oligoAA with an average chain length of 9 monomer units, which was the shortest chain length at which branching could be detected. This branching is suspected to be a result of both intermolecular and intramolecular transfer reactions. The combination of free solution CE and NMR spectroscopy is shown to provide a near complete elucidation of the chemical structure of oligoAA including the average chain length and branching as well as the chain length and RAFT agent end group distribution. Furthermore, the purity in terms of the dead chains and unreacted RAFT agent was quantified. The use of free solution CE and 1H NMR spectroscopy demonstrated in this work can be routinely applied to oligoelectrolytes and their block co-oligomers to provide an accurate characterization which allows for better design of the materials produced from these oligomers.

Effect of Change in the Curvature Parameters on the Stress State of Concave Corrugated Hollow Cylinders

The effect of change in the curvature parameters of the stress state of concave corrugated hollow cylinders is studied. The change is attributed to variations in the radius of a moving circle and in the distance to its center. The problem is solved in spatial statement using analytical methods of separation of variables, approximation of functions by discrete Fourier series, and the numerical discrete-orthogonalization method. Results are presented in the form of plots demonstrating distributions of displacement and stress fields and are analyzed.

Development of an analytical method for separation of phenolic acids by ultra-performance convergence chromatography (UPC2) using a column packed with a sub-2-μm particle

Phenolic acids are important active components of certain Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) and have a wide range of biological effects. Separation and purification of phenolic acids remains challenging due to difficulties with quality control using existing chromatographic methods The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different chromatographic columns and conditions for the separation of phenolic acids. The BEH column was determined to be optimal, providing efficient separation in the shortest time (17.00 min) using gradient elution with carbon dioxide as the mobile phase, methanol/acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) with 1% TFA as the modifier, and a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. Good peak shapes were obtained, and the peak asymmetry values were close to 1.00 for all phenolic acids. The resolution was more than 2.83 for all separated peaks. The developed method was subsequently applied to the determination of phenolic acids in Xanthii Fructus. These results are beneficial for quality control and standardization of herbal drugs using UPC2, providing an efficient, rapid and environmentally friendly scientific basis for future analysis of phenolic acids.

Enantiomeric separation and quantification of R/S-amphetamine in urine by ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

To distinguish between legal and illegal consumption of amphetamine reliable analytical methods for chiral separation of the R- and S-enantiomers of amphetamine in biological specimens are required. In this regard, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has several potential advantages over liquid chromatography, including rapid separation of enantiomers due to low viscosity and high diffusivity of supercritical carbon dioxide, the main component in the SFC mobile phase. A method for enantiomeric separation and quantification of R- and S-amphetamine in urine was developed and validated using ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS/MS). Sample preparation prior to UHPSFC-MS/MS analysis was a semi-automatic solid phase extraction method. The UHPSFC-MS/MS method used a Chiralpak AD-3 column with a mobile phase consisting of CO2 and 0.2% cyclohexylamine in 2-propanol. The injection volume was 2 μL and run-time was 6 min. MS/MS detection was performed with positive electrospray ionization and two multiple reaction monitoring transitions (m/z 136.1 > 119.0 and m/z 136.1 > 91.0). The calibration range was 50–10,000 ng/mL for each enantiomer. The between-assay relative standard deviations were in the range of 3.7–7.6%. Recovery was 92–93% and matrix effects ranged from 100 to 104% corrected with internal standard. After development and validation, the method has been successfully implemented in routine use at our laboratory for both separation and quantification of R/S-amphetamine, and has proved to be a reliable and useful tool for distinguishing intake of R- and S-amphetamine in authentic patient samples.

Development of Analytical Method for Separation and Quantification of Cysteine Hydrochloride Monohydrate, Followed by Validation with Total Error Concept by Using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with Pre-Column Derivatization

Development of Analytical Method for Separation and Quantification of Cysteine Hydrochloride Monohydrate, Followed by Validation with Total Error Concept by Using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography with Pre-Column Derivatization