Chromatography Flashcards
Which Van Deemter equation is used in open tubular GC?
Golay’s
(ingen A term)
Which Van Deemter equation is used in packed column LC?
Giddings
(A term is included)
What is A, B and C in the Van Deemter equation?
A is the multiple paths term
B is longitudinal diffusion
C is resistance to mass transfer
What is the B term affected by?
flow rate and mobile phase speed
Do we want to minimise or maximise the A, B and C term of the Van Deemter equation?
We want to minimise it because it causes band broadening
What is the C term in the Van Deemter equation affected by?
stationary phase thickness
Is there an A term in the Van Deemter curve when using open tubular columns?
No
How does bead diameter of the packed bed affect the A term of the Van Deemter equation?
We want a uniformly packed bed to minimise the number of multiple paths and thereby minimise A. Smaller bead diameter gives fewer irregulations and therefore fewer paths
Is the B term of the Van Deemter equation relevant even in CE?
Yes
How do you decrease the diffusion (B term in Van Deemter)?
Increasing the flow rate will decrease the residence time which will decrease the diffusion
How does temperature affect B?
When the temperature increases the kinetic energy increases and the diffusion increases. To minimise B we want to minimise temperature.
How does the analyte’s diffusion coefficient and molar mass affect B?
A higher molar weight and larger size gives less diffusion and therefore decreases B and decreases H and increases N
What is the C term in the Van Deemter equation?
Resistance to mass transfer
Do we want to maximise or minimise the number of partitioning events?
We want to maximise them because it allows for the analytes X and Y to separate
How does the length of time spent in the column affect the C term (resistance to mass transfer) in Van Deemter?
The longer time spend the more partitioning events and therefore the smaller C which is good for minimising plate height and maximising plate number N
How does the linear velocity affect the C term of the Van Deemter curve?
A lower linear velocity means longer residence time which is good for allowing for more partitioning events and therefore decreasing plate height and increasing plate number
How is plate height (H) and plate number (N) related?
N = L / H
A smaller plate height gives a larger plate number
How does the temperature affect C in the Van Deemter equation?
Increasing the temperature increases the rate of partitioning and therefore the number of partitioning events go up which decreases plate height and increases plate number. So high temp is good for minimising C (but bad for minimising B)
How does the film thickness affect C term in Van Deemter in open tubular columns?
If film thickness is low it is easier for solutes to equilibrate between mobile phase and stationary phase which decreases H and increases N
Which term, B or C is more significant (for causing band broadening) at high flow rates?
C
Which term, B or C is more significant (for causing band broadening) at low flow rates?
B
How do we find the optimal flow rate (linear velocity)?
Where plate height is at its minimum
Give an example of some kinetic properties
Diffusion
Mass transfer resistance
Multiple flow paths
Can flow rate and temperature affect kinetic properties?
Yes
Give examples of thermodynamic properties
Intermolecular solutions
Solubility
Which experimental variables affect the plate number?
Linear velocity
Packing structure (particle size and size distribution, porosity, pore structure)
Viscosity
Temperature
Column length
What is KD?
The distribution constant, how the analyte distributes between organic and aqueous phase
What are the requirements for GC?
Volatile compounds (can be derivatised to make more polar)
Small molecules
Thermo stable compounds
What is effective volatility?
P = gamma * P0
What are the three steps of analyte motion in GC?
Step 1: irregular analyte motion in gas phase
Step 2: Analyte motion in the stationary phase
Step 3: at the film surface the analyte pulls itself free or reenters film
What is an equation of the retention factor that includes the distribution constant and the SP and MP volume?
k = KD * Vs/Vm
Which law do ideal solutions follow in GC?
Raoults law
P = X * P0
What is gamma equal to in an ideal solution in GC?
gamma = 1
What happens if gamma is smaller or larger than 1 in GC?
gamma > 1 the analyte “doesn’t like to be with the stationary phase” and wants to “escape” so makes more vapour pressure (effective volatility increases)
gamma < 1 the analyte interacts better with stationary phase than with itself and therefore less vapour pressure (effective volatility decreases)
What does the gamma factor in effective volatility depend on in GC?
The properties of the analyte and the liquid stationary phase
How much is the retention factor reduced by if the temperature is increased by 30 degrees in GC?
50 %
How is selectivity expressed in terms of effective volatility in GC?
alpha = k2/k1 = KD2/KD1 = gamma1p01/gamma2p02
Because KD is proportional to the inverse effective volatility KD = 1/gamma*p
What different types of bonding happens between analytes and stationary phase in GC?
Pi-pi
Dispersion
Dipole
Which is the most common stationary phase used in GC?
Silicon oil, very non-polar. Can add phenol groups instead of CH3 to get pi-pi interactions. Can add CN groups and then it becomes more polar.