Trifluoroacetic acid chromatography

Nonvolatile analytes must be chemically converted to a volatile derivative before analysis. For example, amino acids are not sufficiently volatile to analyze directly by gas chromatography. Reacting an amino acid with 1-butanol and acetyl chloride produces an esterfied amino acid. Subsequent treatment with trifluoroacetic acid gives the amino acid s volatile N-trifluoroacetyl- -butyl ester derivative. 

Ebumamonine was assembled utilizing a Pictet-Spengler cyclization of hydroxy-lactam 52 in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid at low temperature to give a mixture of diastereomers 53 in 95% yield. These compounds were readily separated by chromatography and the a-epimer was further elaborated to give the natural product. 

It is noteworthy that trifluoroacetic acid was introduced as the most appropriate acidifler for column chromatography and solid phase extraction techniques, i.e., low boiling point due to its high acidity, requiring low amounts to reach the respective pH. Also, its high volatility allows easy evaporation thus minimizing the thermal load and acidification during concentration. 

Chloroform, sodium chloride, anhydrous sodium sulfate, sulfuric acid (97%), hydrochloric acid (36%), sodium bicarbonate, trifluoroacetic acid, tris(hydro-xymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), special grade Water, high-performance liquid chromatography grade 0.1 M Phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0)... 

Apffel, A., Fischer, S., Goldberg, G., Goodley, P.C., Kuhlmann, F.E. (1995). Enhanced sensitivity for peptide mapping with electrospray liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry in the presence of signal suppression due to trifluoroacetic acid-containing mobile phases. J. Chromatogr. A 712, 177-190. 

Fig. 9. Reversed-phase separations of cytochrome c digests obtained with trypsin-modified beads (left) and trypsin-modified monolithic reactor (right) in a tandem with a chromatographic column (Reprinted with permission from [90]. Copyright 1996 Wiley-VCH). Conditions digestion (left curve) trypsin-modified beads reactor, 50 mm x 8 mm i.d., 0.2 mg of cytochrome c, digestion buffer, flow rate 0.2 ml/min, 25 °C, residence time, 15 min (right curve) trypsin immobilized onto molded monolith other conditions the same as with trypsin-modified beads. Reversed-phase chromatography column, Nova-Pak C18,150 mm x 3.9 mm i.d., mobile phase gradient 0-70% acetonitrile in 0.1% aqueous trifluoroacetic acid in 15 min, flow rate, 1 ml/min, injection volume 20 pi, UV detection at 254 nm...

RP-HPLC Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography TFA Trifluoroacetic acid... 

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