Chromatographic systems development

The Cahn-Ingold-Prelog (CIP) rules stand as the official way to specify chirahty of molecular structures [35, 36] (see also Section 2.8), but can we measure the chirality of a chiral molecule. Can one say that one structure is more chiral than another. These questions are associated in a chemist s mind with some of the experimentally observed properties of chiral compounds. For example, the racemic mixture of one pail of specific enantiomers may be more clearly separated in a given chiral chromatographic system than the racemic mixture of another compound. Or, the difference in pharmacological properties for a particular pair of enantiomers may be greater than for another pair. Or, one chiral compound may rotate the plane of polarized light more than another. Several theoretical quantitative measures of chirality have been developed and have been reviewed elsewhere [37-40]. 

In the analytical chromatographic process, mixtures are separated either as individual components or as classes of similar materials. The mixture to be separated is first placed in solution, then transferred to the mobile phase to move through the chromatographic system. In some cases, irreversible interaction with the column leaves material permanently attached to the stationary phase. This process has two effects because the material is permanently attached to the stationary phase, it is never detected as leaving the column and the analysis of the mixture is incomplete additionally, the adsorption of material on the stationary phase alters the abiHty of that phase to be used in future experiments. Thus it is extremely important to determine the ultimate fate of known materials when used in a chromatographic system and to develop a feeling for the kinds of materials in an unknown mixture before use of a chromatograph. 

Recalling that a separation is achieved by moving the solute bands apart in the column and, at the same time, constraining their dispersion so that they are eluted discretely, it follows that the resolution of a pair of solutes is not successfully accomplished by merely selective retention. In addition, the column must be carefully designed to minimize solute band dispersion. Selective retention will be determined by the interactive nature of the two phases, but band dispersion is determined by the physical properties of the column and the manner in which it is constructed. It is, therefore, necessary to identify those properties that influence peak width and how they are related to other properties of the chromatographic system. This aspect of chromatography theory will be discussed in detail in Part 2 of this book. At this time, the theoretical development will be limited to obtaining a measure of the peak width, so that eventually the width can then be related both theoretically and experimentally to the pertinent column parameters. 

The theory that results from the investigation of the dynamics of solute distribution between the two phases of a chromatographic system and which allows the different dispersion processes to be qualitatively and quantitatively specified has been designated the Rate Theory. However, historically, the Rate Theory was never developed as such, but evolved over more than a decade from the work of a number of physical chemists and chemical engineers, such as those mentioned in chapter 1. 

Every chromatographic investigation begins with the preparation of the sample and the chromatographic system. This is followed by the crux of the separation process (development of the chromatogram) which is in turn followed by the visualization of the separated substances and the preservation of the chromatogram and finally by the analysis of the results. 

Fractionation of components into polarity groups, and their optimized separation (followed by detection) by subsequent development steps increases the separating capacity of the chromatographic system. 

Mondello et al. (2, 20-23) have used a multidimensional gas chromatographic system based on the use of mechanical valves which were stable at high temperatures developed in their laboratory for the determination of the enantiomeric distribution of monoterpene hydrocarbons (/3-pinene, sabinene and limonene) and monoterpene alcohols (linalol, terpinen-4-ol and a-terpineol) of citrus oils (lemon, mandarin, lime and bergamot). Linalyl acetate was also studied in bergamot oil. The system consisted of two Shimadzu Model 17 gas chromatographs, a six-port two-position valve and a hot transfer line. The system made it possible to carry out fully... 

Figure 10.4 shows a schematic representation of the multidimensional GC-IRMS System developed by Nitz et al. (27). The performance of this system is demonstrated with an application from the field of flavour analysis. A Siemens SiChromat 2-8 double-oven gas chromatograph equipped with two FIDs, a live-T switching device and two capillary columns was coupled on-line with a triple-collector (masses 44,45 and 46) isotope ratio mass spectrometer via a high efficiency combustion furnace. The column eluate could be directed either to FID3 or to the MS by means of a modified Deans switching system . 

Wines and other alcoholic beverages such as distillates represent very complex mixtures of aromatic compounds in an ethanol-water mixture. Once an extract or concentrate of the required compounds is prepared, a suitable chromatographic system must be used to allow separation and resolution of the species of interest. Many applications have been developed that use MDGC. 

It is appropriate to refer here to the development of non-suppressed ion chromatography. A simple chromatographic system for anions which uses a conductivity detector but requires no suppressor column has been described by Fritz and co-workers.28 The anions are separated on a column of macroporous anion exchange resin which has a very low capacity, so that only a very dilute solution (ca 10 4M) of an aromatic organic acid salt (e.g. sodium phthalate) is required as the eluant. The low conductance of the eluant eliminates the need for a suppressor column and the separated anions can be detected by electrical conductance. In general, however, non-suppressed ion chromatography is an order of magnitude less sensitive than the suppressed mode. 

Ion chromatography (see Section 7.4). Conductivity cells can be coupled to ion chromatographic systems to provide a sensitive method for measuring ionic concentrations in the eluate. To achieve this end, special micro-conductivity cells have been developed of a flow-through pattern and placed in a thermostatted enclosure a typical cell may contain a volume of about 1.5 /iL and have a cell constant of approximately 15 cm-1. It is claimed15 that sensitivity is improved by use of a bipolar square-wave pulsed current which reduces polarisation and capacitance effects, and the changes in conductivity caused by the heating effect of the current (see Refs 16, 17). 

Modem planar chromatography is suitable not only for qualitative and quantitative analysis but also for preparative purposes. The separation efficiency of a thin-layer chromatographic system is independent of this intended purpose and is mainly determined by the quahty of the stationary phase, that is to say, by the applied coated layer. Therefore, progress in modem planar chromatography can be attributed not only to the development of the efficiency of the instmments but also to a large extent to the availability of high-quahty precoated layers. And today, as in the past, bulk sorbents for self production, especially of preparative layer chromatography (PLC) layers, are widely used. 

The PRISMA model is a system for the optimization of two- to five-eomponent mobile phases, developed by Nyiredy et al. to simplify the optimization proeess in different planar and column chromatographic systems [66]. This model for the seleetion of solvents and optimization of the mobile phase was developed first for TEC and high-performanee liquid ehromatography (HPLC) [38,67]. 

Procedures used vary from trial-and-error methods to more sophisticated approaches including the window diagram, the simplex method, the PRISMA method, chemometric method, or computer-assisted methods. Many of these procedures were originally developed for HPLC and were apphed to TLC with appropriate changes in methodology. In the majority of the procedures, a set of solvents is selected as components of the mobile phase and one of the mentioned procedures is then used to optimize their relative proportions. Chemometric methods make possible to choose the minimum number of chromatographic systems needed to perform the best separation. 

The optimization of preparative and even micropreparative chromatography depends on the choice of an appropriate chromatographic system (adsorbent and eluent), sample application and development mode to ensure high purity, and yield of desirable compounds isolated from the layer. For the so-called difficult separations, it is necessary to perform rechromatography by using a system with a different selectivity. But it should be taken into account that achievement of satisfactory results frequently depends on a compromise between yield and the purity of the mixture component that is being isolated. 

The PRISMA model was developed by Nyiredy for solvent optimization in TLC and HPLC [142,168-171]. The PRISMA model consists of three parts the selection of the chromatographic system, optimization of the selected mobile phases, and the selection of the development method. Since silica is the most widely used stationary phase in TLC, the optimization procedure always starts with this phase, although the method is equally applicable to all chemically bonded phases in the normal or reversed-phase mode. For the selection of suitable solvents the first experiments are carried out on TLC plates in unsaturated... 

Detectors are composed of a sensor and associated electronics. Design and performance of any detector depends heavily on the column and chromatographic system with which it is associated. Because of the complexity of many mixtures analysed and the limitation in regard to resolution, despite the use of high-resolution capillary columns and multicolumn systems, specific detectors are frequently necessary to gain selectivity and simplify the separation system. Many detectors have been developed with sensitivities toward specific elements or certain functional groups in molecules. Those detectors that exhibit the highest sensitivity are often very specific in response, e.g. the electron capture detector in GC or the fluorescence detector in LC. Because... 

The theoretical work that exploited the advantages of the multidimensional separation format appears to have been developed much later than the original experimental work. One of the earliest studies was conducted by Connors (1974), who assumed that the distribution of spots on a two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (2DTLC) plate could be modeled using a Poisson distribution of data on each retention axis. He then constructed equations that related the number of chromatographic systems needed to resolve a specific number of compounds. One... 

---