Sample supercritical fluid chromatography

Mixtures can be identified with the help of computer software that subtracts the spectra of pure compounds from that of the sample. For complex mixtures, fractionation may be needed as part of the analysis. Commercial instmments are available that combine ftir, as a detector, with a separation technique such as gas chromatography (gc), high performance Hquid chromatography (hplc), or supercritical fluid chromatography (96,97). Instmments such as gc/ftir are often termed hyphenated instmments (98). Pyrolyzer (99) and thermogravimetric analysis (tga) instmmentation can also be combined with ftir for monitoring pyrolysis and oxidation processes (100) (see Analytical methods, hyphenated instruments). 

A method which uses supercritical fluid/solid phase extraction/supercritical fluid chromatography (SE/SPE/SEC) has been developed for the analysis of trace constituents in complex matrices (67). By using this technique, extraction and clean-up are accomplished in one step using unmodified SC CO2. This step is monitored by a photodiode-array detector which allows fractionation. Eigure 10.14 shows a schematic representation of the SE/SPE/SEC set-up. This system allowed selective retention of the sample matrices while eluting and depositing the analytes of interest in the cryogenic trap. Application to the analysis of pesticides from lipid sample matrices have been reported. In this case, the lipids were completely separated from the pesticides. 

An on-line supercritical fluid chromatography-capillary gas chromatography (SFC-GC) technique has been demonstrated for the direct transfer of SFC fractions from a packed column SFC system to a GC system. This technique has been applied in the analysis of industrial samples such as aviation fuel (24). This type of coupled technique is sometimes more advantageous than the traditional LC-GC coupled technique since SFC is compatible with GC, because most supercritical fluids decompress into gases at GC conditions and are not detected by flame-ionization detection. The use of solvent evaporation techniques are not necessary. SFC, in the same way as LC, can be used to preseparate a sample into classes of compounds where the individual components can then be analyzed and quantified by GC. The supercritical fluid sample effluent is decompressed through a restrictor directly into a capillary GC injection port. In addition, this technique allows selective or multi-step heart-cutting of various sample peaks as they elute from the supercritical fluid... 

Figure 12.20 SFC-GC analysis of a sample of aviation fuel (a) SFC separation into two peaks (b and c) coixesponding GC ttaces of the respective peaks (flame-ionization detection used throughout). Reprinted from Journal of High Resolution Chromatography, 10, J. M. Levy et ah, On-line multidimensional supercritical fluid chromatography/capillary gas chromatography , pp. 337-341, 1987, with permission from Wiley-VCH.

Figure 12.23 SFC-SFC analysis, involving a rotaiy valve interface, of a standard coal tar sample (SRM 1597). Two fractions were collected from the first SFC separation (a) and then analyzed simultaneously in the second SFC system (h) cuts a and h are taken between 20.2 and 21.2 min, and 38.7 and 40.2 min, respectively. Peak identification is as follows 1, tii-phenylene 2, chrysene 3, henzo[g/ i]perylene 4, antliracene. Reprinted from Analytical Chemistry, 62, Z. Juvancz et al, Multidimensional packed capillary coupled to open tubular column supercritical fluid chromatography using a valve-switcliing interface , pp. 1384-1388, copyright 1990, with permission from the American Chemical Society.

If simple sample pretreatment procedures are insufficient to simplify the complex matrix often observed in process mixtures, multidimensional chromatography may be required. Manual fraction collection from one separation mode and re-injection into a second mode are impractical, so automatic collection and reinjection techniques are preferred. For example, a programmed temperature vaporizer has been used to transfer fractions of sterols such as cholesterol and stigmasterol from a reversed phase HPLC system to a gas chromatographic system.11 Interfacing gel permeation HPLC and supercritical fluid chromatography is useful for nonvolatile or thermally unstable analytes and was demonstrated to be extremely useful for separation of compounds such as pentaerythritol tetrastearate and a C36 hydrocarbon standard.12... 

In supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) the mobile phase is a supercritical fluid, such as carbon dioxide [15]. A supercritical fluid can be created either by heating a gas above its critical temperature or compressing a liquid above its critical pressure. Generally, an SFC system typically has chromatographic equipment similar to a HPLC, but uses GC columns. Both GC and LC detectors are used, thus allowing analysis of samples that cannot be vaporized for analysis by GC, yet cannot be detected with the usual LC detectors, to be both separated and detected using SFC. SFC is also in other... 

The amount detected by this system (0.3pg on column) was below the level which could have been determined using a flame ionization detector. Initial indications show that the photoionization detector may be a very useful detector for people who wish to get to lower levels on the supercritical fluid chromatography and cannot concentrate their sample. 

Snyder et al. [253] compared supercritical fluid chromatography with classical sonication procedures and Soxhlet extraction for the determination of selected insecticides in soils and sediments. In this procedure the sample was extracted with carbon dioxide modified with 3% methanol at 350atm and 50°C. An excess of 85% recovery of organochlorine and organophosphorus insecticides was achieved. These included Dichlorvos, Diazinon, (diethyl-2-isopropyl-6-methyl 4-pyrimidinyl phosphorothioate), Ronnel (i.e. Fenchlorphos-0,0 dimethyl-0-2,4,5-trichlorophenyl phosphorothioate), Parathion ethyl, Methiadathion, Tetrachlorovinphos (trans-2-chloro-l-(2,4,5 trichlorophenyl) vinylchlorophenyl-O-methyl phenyl phosphoroamidothioate), Endrin, Endrin aldehyde, pp DDT, Mirex and decachlorobiphenyl. 

Zhao, Y., Woo, G, Thomas, S., Semin, D., Sandra, P. Rapid method development for chiral separation in drug discovery using sample pooling and supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J. Chromatogr. A 2003, 1003, 157-166. 

To apply a screening approach to proactive method development, analyses of selectivity samples under a variety of mobile phase conditions are conducted on different HPLC columns. HPLC columns should be as orthogonaT as possible and variations in solvent composition should be designed to maximize the probability of selectivity differences. Alternate separation techniques, such as ion exchange chromatography (IC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), or capillary electrophoresis (CE) may also be used to obtain orthogonality. 

Finally, supercritical fluid chromatography, in which a supercritical fluid is used as the mobile phase, was introduced by Klesper [164-166]. SFE directly coupled to SFC provides an extremely powerful analytical tool. The efficient, fast and selective extraction capabilities of supercritical fluids allows quantitative extraction and direct transfer of the selected solutes of interest to be accomplished to the column, often without the need for further sample treatment or cleanup. Extraction selectivity is usually achieved by adjusting the pressure of the supercritical fluid at constant temperature or, less often, by changing the temperature of the supercritical fluid at constant pressure. SFE coupled with packed column SFC has found... 

Klesper, E. Corwin, A. H. Turner, D. A. J. Org. Chem., 1962, 27, 700. Sugiyama, K. Saito, M. Hondo, T. Seda, M. J. Chromatogr. 1985, 332, 107. Anderson, I. G. M. Supercritical fluid extraction coupled to packed column supercritical fluid chromatography. In Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Its Use in Chromatographic Sample Preparation Westwood, S. A. Ed., Blackie Academic and Professional, Chapman and Hall UK, 1993 p. 112. 

P. O. Chye, P. C. Kiat, K. L. Hian and F. Y. L. Sam, Analysis of nitroaromatics in aqueous samples by capillary supercritical fluid chromatography. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 1992, 41, 17-25. 

More recently, some studies have reported the use of supercritical fluid chromatography (SEC) [479,480], Coupling SEC with SEE, sample extraction, preconcentration, and quantification can be performed in a single step. The mobile phase, carbon dioxide, can be modified by adding different... 

Packed-column SFC also is suitable for preparative-scale enatioseparations. Compared with preparative LC, sub- or supercritical fluid chromatography results in easier product and solvent recovery, reduced solvent waste and cost, and higher output per unit time. Because of its reduced sample capacity, SFC usually allows the separation of 10-100 mg samples per run. Chromatographers can compensate for these sample amounts by using shorter analysis times and repetitive injections (Wolf and Pirkle, 1997). 

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