A strategy for the systematic development of a liquid chromatographic mass spectrometric screening method for polymer electrolyte membrane degradation products using isocratic and gradient phase optimized liquid chromatography

Serially coupled column liquid chromatography: An alternative separation tool

Despite the rapid development of liquid chromatography (LC) in recent decades, it remains a challenge to achieve the desired chromatographic separation of complex matrices using a single column. Multi-column LC techniques, particularly serially coupled column LC (SCC-LC), have emerged as a promising solution to overcome this challenge. While more attention has been focused on heart-cutting or comprehensive two-dimensional LC, reviews specifically focusing on SCC-LC, which offers advantages in terms of precision and facile instrumentation, are scarce. Here, our concerns are devoted to the progress summary regarding the instrumentation and applications of SCC-LC. Emphasis is placed on column selection aiming to enlarge peak capacity, selectivity, or both through the optimization of combination types (e.g. RPLC-RPLC, -RPLC-HILIC, and achiral-chiral LC), connection devices (e.g. zero dead volume connector, tubing, and T-type connector), elution program (i.e. isocratic or gradient) and detectors (e.g. mass spectrometer, ultraviolet detector, and fluorescence detector). The application of SCC-LC in pharmaceutical, biological, environmental, and food fields is also reviewed, and future perspectives and potential directions for SCC-LC are discussed. We envision that the review can give meaningful information to analytical scientists when facing heavy chromatographic separation tasks for complicated matrices.

An UHPLC/LC-MS illustrated the dynamic profiling of balanophorin B, gallic acid, and 4-hydroxycinnamic acid in rat as 3 molecular entities from Balanophora simaoensis

An UHPLC/LC-MS was founded to detect balanophorin B (B), gallic acid (GA), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (HC), and their in vivo profiling in rats, after oral administration of the ethanol extract of Balanophora simaoensis S. Y. Chang et Tam. The in vivo dynamic existence of 3 molecular entities in rats and the multistep biotransformation of GA were elucidated by their sensitive mass spectrometry response after efficient UHPLC and/or HPLC separation, through analyzing the bio-samples of rat plasma, bile, liver, kidneys, and excreta. The method was validated with satisfactory calibration curves having correlation coefficients r from 0.996 to 0.999 for concentration scaled from 0.100 nM to 0.100 μM, internal standard normalized matrix factors ranged from 0.923 to 0.993, sextuplicate recoveries valued from 95.0% to 103.6%, as well as accuracy and precision varied from 95.6% to 103.7%. The content of B, GA, and HC in the whole herb was of 4.66, 63.5, and 10.4 μmol/kg in dry weight, respectively. The Cmax for B, GA, and HC in rat systemic circulation was of 76.0 nM, 2.30 μM, and 51.0 μM, with tmax at 3, 2, and 2 h, respectively. B and GA stayed in rat liver over 4 hs to present a material base for the pharmacology and pharmacodynamics of the whole herb. The biotransformation of GA indicated a complicated scheme in rats. As a final metabolite from GA with total biotransformation conversion over 20%, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde resourced from two steps of dehydroxylation and one step of reduction of GA, but not concerned with HC.

Characterization of the thermolysis products of Nafion membrane: A potential source of perfluorinated compounds in the environment

The thermal decomposition of Nafion N117 membrane, a typical perfluorosulfonic acid membrane that is widely used in various chemical technologies, was investigated in this study. Structural identification of thermolysis products in water and methanol was performed using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS). The fluoride release was studied using an ion-chromatography system, and the membrane thermal stability was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis. Notably, several types of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) including perfluorocarboxylic acids were detected and identified. Based on these data, a thermolysis mechanism was proposed involving cleavage of both the polymer backbone and its side chains by attack of radical species. This is the first systematic report on the thermolysis products of Nafion by simulating its high-temperature operation and disposal process via incineration. The results of this study indicate that Nafion is a potential environmental source of PFCs, which have attracted growing interest and concern in recent years. Additionally, this study provides an analytical justification of the LC/ESI-MS/MS method for characterizing the degradation products of polymer electrolyte membranes. These identifications can substantially facilitate an understanding of their decomposition mechanisms and offer insight into the proper utilization and effective management on these membranes.

Determination of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) degradation products in fuel cell water using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Within the scope of research of membrane degradation phenomena during fuel cell operation a reliable analytical procedure for the extraction, detection and quantification of possible membrane oxidation products has been developed. These oxidation products originate from the attack of hydroxyl or peroxyl radicals on the membrane polymer. Such radicals are formed in situ (during fuel cell operation) or ex situ (Fenton test as oxidative stress simulation). The analysis of membrane oxidation products was carried out by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Five potential membrane oxidation products (4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4-HBAD), 4,4-biphenol (4,4-BP), 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate (4-HBS), and 4,4-sulfonylbiphenol (4,4-SBP)) were selected based on the molecular structure of the sulfonated polyarylether membrane used. In conjunction with the development of a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) method, the ionization and fragmentation of the selected compounds were investigated. For 4,4-BP a molecular ion (M(+•) ) was observed in the positive ionization mode and used for MRM method development. Reproducible extraction of the model compounds was achieved using a mixed-mode sorbent material with both weak anion-exchange and reversed-phase retention properties. By using the developed analytical procedure, the identities of two membrane degradation products (4-HBA and 4-HBAD) were determined in situ and ex situ. In addition to the investigation of membrane degradation phenomena, the combination of extraction on a mixed-mode sorbent material and tandem mass spectrometric detection is attractive for the analysis of aromatic sulfonic acids, phenolic acids and phenols.