Surfactant-sensitized post-column reaction with xylenol orange for the determination of lanthanides by ion chromatography

Recent developments in the high-performance chelation ion chromatography of trace metals

There have been a number of significant developments in the high-performance chelation ion chromatography (HPCIC) of trace metals in recent years. This review focuses on these developments, while giving important information on the fundamental parameters controlling the chelation sorption mechanism, including type of chelating group, stability constants, kinetics, and column temperature. The discussion pays particular attention to the types and properties of efficient chelating stationary phases which have been fabricated for certain groups of metals. The review also describes a number of major improvements in postcolumn reaction detection including the use of the latest reagents and noise reduction strategies to improve sensitivity and reduce LOD. In the final section, an indication of the applicability of HPCIC to a range of complex sample types is given with some key examples and chromatograms using the latest high-efficiency chelating phases.

Determination of lanthanides in synthetic standards by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with the aid of a weighted least-squares regression model estimation of method sensitivities and detection limits

A reversed-phase liquid chromatography method was used for determining lanthanides in synthetic standards. The separation of lanthanide group was achieved in less than 15 min using a linear gradient program of alpha-hydroxyisobutyricacid eluent from 0.05 to 0.5 M (pH 3.8) with a UV-Vis detection system at 658 nm. A post-column reagent of Arsenazo III was employed for improving the sensitivity and selectivity of the method as well as for lowering the limits of detection (LODs). Linear calibration curves for all lanthanides were constructed using an ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression as well as a weighted least-squares (WLS) regression model for taking into account the heteroscedastic errors. The WLS model was successfully used for a better estimation of the sensitivities and the LODs of the RP-HPLC method than the conventional OLS model. The lanthanide sensitivity obtained from the slope of each calibration curve seems to be better for a lanthanide with an odd-atomic number compared to its neighboring element with an even-atomic number, as if nature is helping us to quantify the concentrations of the less abundant lanthanides. This observation was also confirmed when the LODs computed for all lanthanides were examined. The LODs observed for all lanthanides depicted a clear systematic "zigzag" pattern. This is actually the first time that the lanthanide detection limits determined by a HPLC method are shown to mimic the zigzag patterns for the concentration data in geological and cosmological materials. Such a "zigzag" pattern should be used as a standard criterion for evaluating the quality of detection limit data.

Eriochrome Black T as a post-column reagent for the ion chromatographic determination of rare earths

The use of Eriochrome Black T in an alkaline, 40% methanol solution was found to be appropriate as post-column reagent for the determination of rare earths by ion chromatography. Detection of individual lanthanides and lanthanum was carried out at 512 nm and 650 nm after separation by dynamic cation exchange chromatography with gradient elution on C18 column and employing a solution containing alpha-hydroxyisobutiric acid/sodium octanesulfonate at pH 3.8 as eluent. The effect of the presence of micelles in the post-column reagent was studied. Sensitivities obtained by the addition of the cationic surfactants cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were lower than those measured without surfactant addition. In some cases, the signal was totally suppressed. No change in sensitivity was observed with non-ionic (Triton X-100) or anionic (sodium dodecylsulphate, SDS) surfactants but a slight improvement in the baseline noise was observed with the SDS. An evaluation of the influence of chemical and operational variables on the post column reaction (PCR) reagent was carried out either by spectrophotometric tests or by chromatographic experiments. A comparison was performed between three PCR reagents: Eriochrome Black T and xylenol orange in the presence of a cationic surfactant and arsenazo III. Calibration response was linear up to an analyte concentration of 5.0 micrograms ml-1. Absolute detection limits lower than 7 and 17 ng were obtained at the detection wavelengths of 650 nm and 512 nm respectively, for all the natural lanthanides and lanthanum.