Coupling of column liquid chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

Identification of a degradation product in stressed tablets of olmesartan medoxomil by the complementary use of HPLC hyphenated techniques

An unknown degradation product (DP-1) increased in olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) tablets stored at 40 degrees C/75% r.h., reaching 0.72% after 6 months. The molecular weight and fragment information obtained by LC-MS suggested that DP-1 was a dehydrated dimer of olmesartan (OL) and the presence of ester carbonyl group was indicated by solvent-elimination LC-IR analysis. LC-(1)H NMR confirmed the structure of DP-1 as an esterified dimer of OL. Rapid and accurate identification of the degradation product was achieved by the complementary use of HPLC hyphenated techniques without complicated isolation or purification processes.

Towards the solution of the eluent elimination problem in high-performance liquid chromatography–infrared spectroscopy measurements by chemometric methods

The high-performance liquid chromatography-infrared spectroscopy (HPLC-IR) technique utilizing on-line flow through cell (FTC) detection has an inherent practical problem: strong absorption bands of the eluent may mask valuable analytical regions of the IR spectrum. The experimentalists' answer to this challenge is physical elimination of the chromatographic eluent before spectroscopic detection, which however results in off-line measurement of spectra. In the present work, the capabilities of some chemometric algorithms using iteratively applied multi-way methods such as parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and PARAFAC2, developed with the aim of overcoming the problems of eluent elimination are examined and evaluated. Test calculations done on simulated liquid chromatographic infrared (LC-IR) data cubes have shown that although PARAFAC2 performs much better than the simple PARAFAC method, it does not give correct decompositions, just like multivariate curve resolution with alternative least squares (MCR-ALS) and related bilinear data based methods. In search for a better solution, a method named objective subtraction of solvent spectrum with iterative use of PARAFAC and PARAFAC2 (OSSS-IU-PARAFAC and OSSS-IU-PARAFAC2) has been developed. Calculations performed with the corresponding Matlab program developed by the authors and run with the appropriate functions in PLS_Toolbox yielded very promising results in evaluations of both simulated and real HPLC-IR data sets, after necessary data pretreatments.

Separation techniques for the analysis of artists' acrylic emulsion paints

Emulsion paints are complex chemical systems. The main problems in their characterization are related to the similarities in polymer composition and to the presence of many different types of additives. Thus high resolution separations, sensitivity, and response specificity are required to identify simultaneously the polymer matrix and the minor components. Especially surfactants and pigments are thought to affect significantly the properties of the paint layers during ageing and their identification is the first step in evaluating the behaviour of these products in working conditions. Representative samples of acrylic emulsion paints for artists have been investigated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and size exclusion chromatography-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (SEC-FTIR), and the results have been compared. All the analysed samples were bound in ethyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate, poly(EA-co-MMA), or n-butyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate, poly(nBA-co-MMA), copolymers. Two types of nonionic surfactants, ethoxylated fatty alcohols and alkylaryl polyethoxylates, commonly used as emulsifiers and dispersive agents have been identified, together with a number of organic pigments.

A metal nebulizer capillary electrophoresis/Fourier transform infrared spectrometric interface

A capillary electrophoretic (CE) system has been successfully interfaced to a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The advantage of such an interface is that analytes may be detected and often unequivocally identified without analyte derivatization. The interface consists of a stainless steel tube in which the CE capillary is placed and the two are held in contact with the use of a metal tee. A solvent elimination approach is used with the interface, so that analytes are deposited onto an infrared transparent window, that is, CaF2, and measured with the use of an infrared microscope. A critical component of this design is to provide an electrical connection at the end of the CE column to permit stable separations that allow for efficient transport of the sample onto the window. The interface produces an aerosol that is directed at the surface of the infrared transparent window. The use of a volatile electrolyte, along with the flow of helium, allows for partial evaporation of the electrolyte in flight and complete evaporation of the solvent and electrolyte on the surface of the window to produce a "dry", or neat, analyte deposit.

Development of a simple gradient LC-IR interface for the detection of terpenoids from the alpha-pinene-ozone reaction

The development of a simple interface between liquid chromatography and infrared spectroscopy (LC-IR) using a coaxial sprayer is described for less volatile analytes. The system consists of a transfer capillary, in which the analytes are transported from the separation column of the gradient-LC to the outlet of the sprayer. This transfer capillary is coaxially surrounded at the outlet by a stainless steel sprayer capillary, which is resistively heated and flushed with nitrogen gas. The samples are sprayed in the manner that the eluent is vaporized by the heated nitrogen when exiting the capillary, while the analytes are deposited on a moving slide made of infrared transparent material (ZnSe or CaF2). Afterwards the deposited compounds are analyzed with an infrared microscope in transmission. First results from reaction products of the gas phase reaction of alpha-pinene with ozone are presented.

Liquid chromatography-Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry

Over the past years the coupling of liquid chromatography (LC) and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) has been pursued primarily to achieve specific detection and/or identification of sample constituents. Two approaches can be discerned in the combination of LC and FT-IR. The first and simpler approach is to use a flow cell through which the effluent from the LC column is passed while the IR spectra are continuously recorded. The second approach involves elimination of the LC solvent prior to IR detection using an interface which evaporates the eluent and deposits the analytes onto a substrate. This paper provides a general overview of flow-cell based IR detection and briefly discusses early solvent-elimination interfaces for LC-FT-IR. A more comprehensive description is given of interface systems which use spraying to induce rapid eluent evaporation, and which basically represent the state-of-the-art in LC-FT-IR. Finally, the interface systems suitable for reversed-phase LC are summarized and the perspectives of LC-FT-IR are discussed. The overview indicates that flow-cell LC-FT-IR has rather poor detection limits but can be useful for the specific and quantitative detection of major constituents of mixtures. Solvent-elimination techniques, on the other hand, provide much better sensitivity and enhanced spectral quality which is essential when unambiguous identification of low-level constituents is required.