Gradient in HPLC

The density and therefore the solvating power of supercritical fluids varies according to the pressures to which they are submitted. As a consequence, a pressure gradient in SFC is equivalent to an elution gradient in HPLC, or a temperature gradient in GC. 

Figure 3 Reversed-phase chromatography of products after alkaline hydrolysis of /3-poly(L-malate), Discrete polymer products are formed, which differ in length by several units of L-malate. The absorbance at 220-nm wavelength was measured, (a) /3-Poly(L-malate) before hydrolysis, (b) After 10-min incubation in 20 mM NaOH at 37°C. (c) After 15 h in 20 mM NaOH at 37°C. (d) After I h in 500 mM NaOH at 100°C. High pressure chromatography (HPLC) on Waters reversed-phase Ci8- i-Bondapak. The methanol gradient (in water-trifluoro acetic acid, pH 3.0) was programmed as follows 0-40 min 0.3-23%, 40-47 min 23-40%, 47-49 min 40%, 49-54 min 40-0%. (d) Inset size exclusion chromatography after 3-min alkaline hydrolysis at pH 10.2. BioSil SEC 250 column of 300 mm x 7.8 mm size, 0.2 M potassium phosphate buffer pH 7.0.

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is used both for characterization of alcohol sulfates and alcohol ether sulfates and for their analysis in mixtures. This technique, combined with the use of scanning densitometers, is a quantitative analytical method. TLC is preferred to HPLC in this case as anionic surfactants do not contain strong chromophores and the refractive index detector is of low sensitivity and not suitable for gradient elution. A recent development in HPLC detector technology, the evaporative light-scattering detector, will probably overcome these sensitivity problems. 

The second most widely used detector in HPLC is the differential refractometer (RI). Being a bulk property detector, the RI responds to all substances. As noted in Table 3 the detection limits are several orders of magnitude higher than obtained with the UV detector. Thus, one turns to the RI detector in those cases in which substances are non-UV active, e.g. lipids, prostaglandins. In addition, the RI detector finds use in preparative scale operation. Finally, relative to the UV detector, the RI is significantly more temperature and flow sensitive and cannot be used in gradient elution. 

Valko et al. [37] developed a fast-gradient RP-HPLC method for the determination of a chromatographic hydrophobicity index (CHI). An octadecylsilane (ODS) column and 50 mM aqueous ammonium acetate (pH 7.4) mobile phase with acetonitrile as an organic modifier (0-100%) were used. The system calibration and quality control were performed periodically by measuring retention for 10 standards unionized at pH 7.4. The CHI could then be used as an independent measure of hydrophobicity. In addition, its correlation with linear free-energy parameters explained some molecular descriptors, including H-bond basicity/ acidity and dipolarity/polarizability. It is noted [27] that there are significant differences between CHI values and octanol-water log D values. 

The ionspray (ISP, or pneumatically assisted electrospray) LC-MS interface offers all the benefits of electrospray ionisation with the additional advantages of accommodating a wide liquid flow range (up to 1 rnl.rnin ) and improved ion current stability [536]. In most LC-MS applications, one aims at introducing the highest possible flow-rate to the interface. While early ESI interfaces show best performance at 5-l() iLrnin, ion-spray interfaces are optimised for flow-rates between 50 and 200 xLmin 1. A gradient capillary HPLC system (320 xm i.d., 3-5 xLmin 1) is ideally suited for direct coupling to an electrospray mass spectrometer [537]. In sample-limited cases, nano-ISP interfaces are applied which can efficiently be operated at sub-p,Lmin 1 flow-rates [538,539]. These flow-rates are directly compatible with micro- and capillary HPLC systems, and with other separation techniques (CE, CEC). 

Hieda et al. determined theophylline, theobromine, and caffeine in human plasma and urine by gradient capillary HPLC with frit fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry with 7-ethyl theophylline as the internal standard.64... 

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