Application of amino acid-bonded silicas as ion exchangers for the separation of anions by single-column ion chromatography

Hydrophobicity of polymer based anion-exchange columns for ion chromatography

The regularities of the retention of alkanoic and alkanesulfonic acids homologues were investigated for the set of 36 anion-exchange columns produced by various manufacturers. The role of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions in the retention and separation of organic anions was studied. The methylene selectivity increments α(CH2) were measured for the studied columns with 10 mM sodium hydroxide eluent. The influence of matrix, surface area, polar group structure, ion-exchange capacity, the density of charged functional groups on the surface and other characteristics of anion-exchangers on resin hydrophobicity was considered. A unified approach for the measurements of hydrophobic properties of anion-exchange resins is proposed and the ratio of chloride retention factor (k Cl) to α(CH2) was introduced as mixed-mode factor. The synergetic effect of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions was observed.

Preparation and evaluation of a lysine-bonded silica monolith as polar stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A silica-based monolith as polar stationary phase was described for hydrophilic interaction pressurized capillary electrochromatography (HI-pCEC). The polar monolithic column was prepared by on-column reaction of lysine with epoxy groups on a gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethosysilane-modified silica monolith. The stationary phase yielded strong hydrophilic interaction due to the slightly polar hydroxyl groups, and the strong polar lysine ligand with amino groups and carboxylic groups contained on the surface of the monolith. In order to evaluate the hydrophilic character of lysine ligand, the chromatographic behaviors of epoxy monolith (before lysine bonded) and diol monolith (hydroxyl groups contained) were also investigated. Two groups of comparative experiment were developed in terms of the separation of typical neutral non-polar and polar compounds performed in a mobile phase of aqueous-acetonitrile solution. Results showed that the lysine monolith was much more hydrophilic than the diol monolith, which presented less hydrophobic than the epoxy monolith. For further study on its hydrophilic character, the lysine monolith was demonstrated in the HI-pCEC mode for the separations of various polar compounds such as phenols, nucleic acid bases and nucleosides.

Developments in ion chromatography using monolithic columns

The focus of this review is on current status and on-going developments in ion chromatography (IC) using monolithic phases. The use and potential of both silica and polymeric monoliths in IC is discussed, with silica monoliths achieving efficiencies upwards of 10(5) plates/m for inorganic ions in a few minutes or less. Ion exchange capacity can be introduced onto the monolithic columns through the addition of ion interaction reagents to the eluent, coating of the monolith with ionic surfactants or polyelectrolyte latexes, and covalent bonding. The majority of the studies to date have used surfactant-coated columns, but the stability of surfactant coatings limits this approach. Applications of monolithic IC columns to the separation of inorganic anions and cations are tabulated. Finally, a discussion on the recent commercialization of monolithic IC columns and the use of monolithic phases for IC peripherals such as preconcentrator columns, microextractors and suppressors is presented.

Separation of basic and acidic compounds by capillary electrochromatography using monolithic silica capillary columns with zwitterionic stationary phase

A novel monolithic silica column with zwitterionic stationary phase was prepared by in-situ covalent attachment of phenylalanine to a 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane-modified silica monolith. Due to the zwitterionic nature of the resulting stationary phase, the density and sign of the net surface charge, and accordingly the direction and magnitude of electroosmotic flow in this column during capillary electrochromatography could be manipulated by adjusting the pH values of the mobile phase. CEC separations of various acidic and basic compounds were performed on the prepared column in anodic and weakly cathodic EOF modes, respectively. The peak tailing of basic compounds in CEC on a silica column could be alleviated at optimized buffer compositions. Besides the electrophoretic mechanism and weak hydrophobic interaction, weak cation- and anion-exchange interactions are also involved in the separations of acids and bases, respectively, on the zwitterionic column.

Double gradient ion chromatography using short monolithic columns modified with a long chained zwitterionic carboxybetaine surfactant

The rapid separation of inorganic anions on short monolithic columns permanently coated with a long chained zwitterionic carboxybetaine-type surfactant is shown. The surfactant, N-dodecyl-N,N-(dimethylammonio)undecanoate (DDMAU), was used to coat 2.5, 5.0 and 10 cm long reversed-phase silica monoliths, resulting in a permanent zwitterionic exchange surface when used with aqueous based eluents. The unique structure of the surfactant results in a charge double layer structure on the surface of the stationary phase, with strong internal anionic and weak external cationic exchange groups. The dissociation of the weak external carboxylic acid group acts to shield the inner anionic exchange site, resulting in substantial effective capacity changes with eluent pH. Utilising this effect with the application of an eluent pH gradient, simultaneously combined with eluent flow-rate gradients, very rapid simultaneous separations of both weakly retained anions and strongly retained polarisable anions was possible, with up to 10-fold decreases in overall run times. Coating stability and retention times under isocratic and isofluentic eluent conditions were shown to be reproducible over >450 repeat injections, with peak efficiency values averaging 29,000 N/m for the 2.5 cm column and 42,000 N/m for the 10 cm monolithic column, again under isocratic elution conditions.

Fast ion chromatography of inorganic anions and cations on a lysine bonded porous silica monolith

A 0.46 cm x 10.0 cm silica monolith column was modified through the in situ covalent attachment of lysine (2,6-diaminohexanoic acid) groups. Due to the zwitterionic nature of the resultant stationary phase, the modified monolithic column contained both cation and anion exchange capacity. In the case of cation exchange, the capacity was found to be relatively low at between 5 and 6.5 micromoles Me2+ per column. However, as expected, the lysine monolith exhibited a higher anion exchange capacity at 12-13 micromoles A- per column (at pH 3.0), which was found to be dependent upon column pH, due to the dissociation of the weak acid carboxylic acid groups. High-performance separations of transition metal cations and inorganic anions were achieved using the modified monolith, with the effects of eluent concentration, pH and flow rate evaluated. Using elevated flow rates of up to 5 mL/min the separation of nitrite, bromate, bromide, nitrate, iodide and thiocyanate was possible in approximately 100 s with peak efficiencies of between 50 and 100,000 N/m and retention time %RSD of under 0.3%.

Zwitterionic ion chromatography with carboxybetaine surfactant-coated particle packed and monolithic type columns

Both particle packed (25 cm x 0.46 cm I.D. SUPELCOSIL 5 microm C18) and monolithic type (10 cm x 0.46 cm I.D. Merck Chromolith Performance C18) reversed-phase substrates were dynamically coated with a carboxybetaine type zwitterionic surfactant ((dodecyldimethyl-amino) acetic acid) and investigated as stationary phases for use in zwitterionic ion chromatography (ZIC). Investigations into eluent concentration and pH were carried out using KCl eluents containing 0.2 mM of the carboxybetaine surfactant to stabilise the column coatings. It was found that eluent concentration decreased anion retention whilst simultaneously increasing peak efficiencies, which may be due to the dissociation of intra- and inter-molecular salts of the carboxybetaine surfactant under higher ionic strength conditions. The Effect of eluent pH was an increase in anion retention with decreased eluent pH due to the increased protonation of the weak acid terminal group of the carboxybetaine, causing both a relative increase in the positive charge of the stationary phase and less repulsion of the anions by the dissociated weak acid group. The carboxybetaine-coated monolithic phase was applied to rapid anion separations using elevated flow rates and flow rate gradients.

Selectivity of alkylamide bonded-phases with respect to organic acids under reversed-phase conditions

It was shown previously by Czajkowska et al. [J. Chromatogr. A, 691 (1995) 217] that alkylamide phases are better for separating pyridinecarboxylic acids than conventional alkyl packings. They allow separation of these compounds from hydrophobic substances over a wide range of mobile phase compositions. In the current work the retention data for pyridinedicarboxylic acids were measured on monomeric and polymeric alkylamide phases at 35 degrees C by using the acetonitrile-water eluent and utilized to calculate the nonspecific (methylene) and specific (carboxylic and amine) selectivities. Subsequently, the selectivity data were plotted against the pH of the mobile phase. It was shown that while the methylene selectivity does not change much at the pH range from 2 to 5, the specific selectivities studied depend strongly on the pH of the mobile phase. The magnitude of this dependence is determined by the type of the bonded phase and silica support as well as the length of the terminal alkyl groups.