Effect of temperature on the polarity of some stationary phases for gas chromatography

Chromatographic efficiency of polar capillary columns applied for the analysis of fatty acid methyl esters by gas chromatography

The chromatographic efficiency that could be achieved in temperature-programmed gas chromatography was compared for four capillary columns that are typically applied for analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Three different carrier gases, hydrogen, helium and nitrogen, were applied. For each experiment, the carrier gas velocities and the temperature rates were varied with a full 9 × 3 design, with nine levels on the carrier gas velocity and temperature rates of 1, 2 or 3°C/min. Response surface methodology was used to create models of chromatographic efficiency as a function of temperature rate and carrier gas velocity. The chromatographic efficiency was defined as the inverse of peak widths measured in retention index units. The final results were standardized so that the efficiencies that could be achieved within a certain time frame, defined by the retention time of the last compound in the chromatogram, could be compared. The results show that there were clear differences in the efficiencies that could be achieved with the different columns and that the efficiency decreased with increasing polarity of the stationary phase. The differences can be explained by higher resistance to mass transfer in the stationary phase in the most polar columns.

Trans fatty acid analyses in samples of marine origin: the risk of false positives

At conditions commonly applied for trans fatty analyses by gas chromatography, fatty acids naturally occurring in marine lipids may overlap chromatographically with C16 and C18 trans fatty acids and lead to false positives. Elution patterns were studied by tracking retention indices at shifting temperature conditions on two cyanopropyl-coated capillary columns. Most overlaps can be avoided by selecting the right chromatographic conditions, but it was not possible to find a single condition that eliminates the risk of overlap between trans fatty acids and interferents. In total, 17 compounds were identified as potential interferents, and the amounts of these compounds were quantified in various samples of marine origin. The interferents that will most likely contribute to incorrect assessments of trans fatty acids in marine lipids are probably 18:3 n-4 and 18:1 n-11.

Separation characteristics of wall-coated open-tubular columns for gas chromatography

The application of the solvation parameter model for the classification of wall-coated open-tubular columns for gas chromatography is reviewed. A system constants database for 50 wall-coated open-tubular columns at five equally spaced temperatures between 60 and 140 degrees C is constructed and statistical and chemometric techniques used to identify stationary phases with equivalent selectivity, the effect of monomer chemistry on selectivity, and the selection of stationary phases for method development. The system constants database contains examples of virtually all commercially available common stationary phases.

Prediction of equivalent chain lengths from two-dimensional fatty acid retention indices

A recently introduced two-dimensional fatty acid retention index system (2D-FARI) was used as basis for prediction of equivalent chain lengths (ECL) of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) on a BPX-70 stationary phase. Models for the relationship between 2D-FARI data and ECL values of a calibration sample with 30 common fatty acids were established by a simple multivariate regression. The models were thereafter applied on 2D-FARI data for other FAMEs and used to predict the ECLs for these compounds. The 2D-FARI values for the fatty acids in the calibration sample are given by definition. Thus, the only information necessary to calculate the ECL value for a compound run under identical conditions as the calibration sample is the 2D-FARI values for the compound, which can be acquired from literature data. The method was validated with test sets analysed with different temperature and flow programs. ECLs of various marine FAME and trans isomers of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic acid were predicted with root mean squared error of prediction from 0.002 to 0.012 ECL units.

Prediction of gas chromatographic retention of polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters

Multivariate regression models were applied to predict retention indices as equivalent chain lengths (ECL) for methylene-interrupted polyunsaturated fatty acids. Simple molecular descriptors, the chain length, the number of double bonds and the position of the double bond system, were used as predictors. The merits of different variable combinations were evaluated. For general models, it was necessary to include the distance from the double bond system to both the carbonyl group (Delta-position) and the methyl end of the fatty acid (n-position). The best accuracy was found for models including higher order terms of Delta and n. For models restricted to n-3 and n-6 isomers, it was not necessary to include the n-position among the variables. The highest residuals for the most accurate models were below 0.06 ECL units, and root mean square error of prediction was below 0.030. The ECL data was achieved by three different temperature programs on a cyanopropyl column.

Classification and comparison of capillary columns by determination of the solution enthalpy of polar and non polar probes

The behaviour and separation characteristics of capillary columns containing different stationary phases (bonded methyl- and methylphenylsiloxanes and polyglycols, and carbon layer and porous polymer) were classified and compared by measuring the values of the solution enthalpy DeltaHs of n-alkanes and 1-alcohols at various temperatures. The difference in DeltaHs values between straight-chain 1-alcohols and n-alkanes with the same number of carbon atom (DeltaDeltaHs) does not change with changing temperature when gas-liquid partition stationary phases are used, but depends on the column composition and polarity and therefore permits to evaluate the influence of polarity on the solute-solvent interaction. The trend of the DeltaDeltaHs values is correlated with that of the DeltaC parameter and with the McReynolds' polarity constants.

Properties of trans isomers of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid methyl esters on cyanopropyl stationary phases

The trans isomers of 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) methyl esters were prepared by isomerisation with paratoluenesulfinic acid (PTSA) in dioxane. The isomers were fractionated by silver ion liquid chromatography with baseline resolution between the isomers with different number of trans double bonds. The fractions were analysed by GC-MS and the gas chromatographic properties of the EPA and DHA isomers with one and two trans double bonds were investigated on BPX-70 and SP-2560 cyanopropyl stationary phases. Different temperature and pressure programs were applied to introduce variations in retention indices of the isomers. The retention indices of all the trans isomers showed a strong linear correlation to the retention indices of the equivalent all-cis isomer, but the slopes for corresponding linear regression lines varied with the number of trans double bonds in the molecule. The regression lines were used to predict optimal conditions for the separation of trans isomers from the corresponding all-cis isomers. For DHA on BPX-70, and for EPA on both columns, it was possible to find windows where isomers with one trans double bond can be resolved from the corresponding all-cis isomers with R(s) > 1.0. In general, BPX-70 seems to have a more suitable selectivity for the analysis of these isomers than SP-2560. Two-dimensional fatty acid retention indices (2D-FARI) were found to be suitable for identification of trans geometry in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Although there were substantial overlaps in the range of retention times between the all-cis isomers and isomers with one and two trans double bonds, 2D-FARI separated the isomers into distinct groups according to the number of trans double bonds.

Identification of fatty acids in gas chromatography by application of different temperature and pressure programs on a single capillary column

A method for the identification of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) based on the analysis of shifts in equivalent chain lengths (ECL) is described. The method is based on two-dimensional retention data achieved on one capillary column. Various temperature and pressure programs are applied on the same cyanopropyl column and the shifts in the ECL values are analysed by multivariate methods. The chain length, number of double bonds, and the double bond positions can be determined with high accuracy. The same procedure is suitable for determination of the number of trans and cis double bonds in trans fatty acids, and for detection of artefacts in fatty acid methyl ester chromatograms.