Liquid chromatographs

Wilcoxon J P and Craft S A 1997 Liquid chromatographic analysis and characterization of inorganic nanoclusters Nanostruct. Mater. 9 85... 

Schematic diagram of a high-performance liquid chromatograph.

The basic principles of fast-atom bombardment (FAB) and liquid-phase secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) are discussed only briefly here because a fuller description appears in Chapter 4. This chapter focuses on the use of FAB/LSIMS as part of an interface between a liquid chromatograph (LC) and a mass spectrometer (MS), although some theory is presented. 

The solution to be nebulized can be a one-off sample, pumped or drawn into the nebulizer at a rate varying from a few microliters per minute to several milliliters per minute. Alternatively, the supply of solution can be continuous, as when the nebulizer is placed on the end of a liquid chromatographic column. 

The sample solution is pumped (e.g., from the end of a liquid chromatographic column) through a capillary tube, near the end of which it is heated strongly. Over a short length of tube, some of the solvent is vaporized and expands rapidly. The remaining liquid and the expanding vapor mix and spray out the end of the tube as an aerosol. A flow of argon carries the aerosol into the plasma flame. 

Thermospray nebulizers are somewhat expensive but can be used on-line to a liquid chromatographic column. About 10% of sample solution is transferred to the plasma flame. The overall performance of the thermospray device compares well with pneumatic and ultrasonic sprays. When used with microbore liquid chromatographic columns, which produce only about 100 pl/min of eluant, the need for spray and desolvation chambers is reduced, and detection sensitivities similar to those of the ultrasonic devices can be attained both are some 20 times better than the sensitivities routinely found in pneumatic nebulizers. 

A liquid chromatograph (LC) is combined with a TOF instrument through a Z-SPRAY ion source. Two hexapoles are used to focus the ion beam before it is examined by a TOF analyzer, as described in Figure 20.3. 

By connecting a liquid chromatograph to a suitable mass spectrometer through an interface and including a data system, the combined method of LC/MS (sometimes written HPLC/MS) can be used routinely to separate complex mixtures into their individual components, identify the components, and estimate their amounts. The technique is widely used. 

The electrospray source can be coupled directly to a liquid chromatographic (LC) column so that, as components of a mixture emerge from the column, they are passed through the source to give accurate mass data. As an example, a mixture of the peptides shown in Figure 40.8(a) was separated by LC and accurately mass-analyzed by ES. 

Therefore, the sample solution, which may or may not come from a liquid chromatographic column, is passed along a narrow capillary tube, the end of which is maintained at a high positive or negative potential. 

Electrospray can be used with sector, time-of-flight, and quadrupole instruments. The technique has been used extensively to couple liquid chromatographs to mass spectrometers. 

A sample to be examined by electrospray is passed as a solution in a solvent (made up separately or issuing from a liquid chromatographic column) through a capillary tube held at high electrical potential, so the solution emerges as a spray or mist of small droplets (i.e., it is nebulized). As the droplets evaporate, residual sample ions are extracted into a mass spectrometer for analysis. 

Components of a mixture emerging from a liquid chromatographic column are dissolved in the eluting solvent, and this solution is the one directed across the target, as described above. Thus, as the components reach the target, they produce ions. These ions are recorded by the spectrometer as an ion current. 

Dynamic FAB is an interface between a liquid chromatograph and a mass spectrometer and is, at the same time, an ion source. As an inlet/ion source, this technique fulfils a similar function to plasmaspray and electrospray, both of which are combined inlet/ion sources. 

By allowing any solution, but particularly the eluant from a liquid chromatographic column, to flow continuously (dynamically) across a target area under bombardment from fast atoms or ions (FAB or FIB), any eluted components of a mixture are ionized and ejected from the surface. The resulting ions are detected and recorded by a mass spectrometer. The technique is called dynamic FAB or dynamic LSIMS. 

Direct liquid introduction interface. An interface that continuously passes all, or a part of, the effluent from a liquid chromatograph to the mass spectrometer the solvent usually functions as a chemical ionization agent for ionization of the solute. 

Liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer (LC/MS) interface. An interface between a liquid chromatograph and a mass spectrometer that provides continuous introduction of the effluent from a liquid chromatograph to a mass spectrometer ion source. 

Thermospray interface. Provides liquid chromatographic effluent continuously through a heated capillary vaporizer tube to the mass spectrometer. Solvent molecules evaporate away from the partially vaporized liquid, and analyte ions are transmitted to the mass spectrometer s ion optics. The ionization technique must be specified, e.g., preexisting ions, salt buffer, filament, or electrical discharge. 

Monobasic acids are determined by gas chromatographic analysis of the free acids dibasic acids usually are derivatized by one of several methods prior to chromatographing (176,177). Methyl esters are prepared by treatment of the sample with BF.—methanol, H2SO4—methanol, or tetramethylammonium hydroxide. Gas chromatographic analysis of silylation products also has been used extensively. Liquid chromatographic analysis of free acids or of derivatives also has been used (178). More sophisticated hplc methods have been developed recentiy to meet the needs for trace analyses ia the environment, ia biological fluids, and other sources (179,180). Mass spectral identification of both dibasic and monobasic acids usually is done on gas chromatographicaHy resolved derivatives. 

The comparison of analytical characteristics HPLC methods of determination of phenols with application amperometric and photometric detectors was caiiy out in this work. Experiment was executed with use liquid chromatograph Zvet-Yauza and 100 mm-3mm 150mm-3mm column with Silasorb C18 (5 10 p.m). With amperometric detector phenols were detected in oxidizing regime on glass-cai bon electrodes. With photometric detector phenols were detected at 254 nm. 

The reseai ch has been carried out by the liquid chromatograph Perkin-Elmer (Series 200), which has tandem detectors the diode array (X=210 nm) and the refractometer. The temperature of a column was 30 C, speed of a mobile phase is 1.5 ml/ min. As a mobile phase, mixtures of solvents methanol - water and acetonitrile - water with addition of sodium perchlorate. The columns with the modified silica gel C8 and Cl8 (4.6x220 mm, 5 pm) were used for sepai ation of the AIST and FAS components. In order to make the identification of AIST and FAS components more reliable the ratio of the values of the above-mentioned detectors signals of each substance analyzed. 

We studied conditions for the determination of tiametoxam (TM), the active component of the fungicide Actai a (Syngenta, Switzerland) by the method of thin layer chromatography with use of the Perkin-Elmer liquid chromatograph combined with spectrophotometric detector. The 250 mm-long and 4.6 mm in diameter steel column filled with Silasorb was used. 

Coupling of analytical techniques (detectors) to high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) systems has increased in the last tree decades. Initially, gas chromatography was coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), then to infrai ed (IR) spectroscopy. Following the main interest was to hyphenate analytical techniques to HPLC. 

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