Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Flashcards
What is chromatography?
A technique for separating complex mixtures based on their solubility and interaction between two phases: a stationary phase and a mobile phase.
What is the stationary phase?
Stationary Phase:
- Immobile
- Solid or liquid
Through which the mobile phase flows
What is the mobile phase?
Mobile Phase:
- Mobile
- Gas or liquid
Carries the sample
What governs the separation in chromatography?
Some molecules are attracted to or have an affinity for the mobile phase, and some have an affinity for the stationary phase = separation.
What is plane chromatography?
Plane Chromatography
Takes place on a flat surface or plane
Mobile phase is solvent (water, alcohol, etc.)
What are two types of plane chromatography?
- Paper chromatography:
Stationary phase is paper - Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC):
Stationary phase is a thin layer of sorbent material (silica gel, alumina gel, polyacrylamide gel, or starch gel attached to a glass plate).
Describe how plane chromatography works.
- Sample spotted on stationary layer
- Plate or paper placed in upright container with mobile phase (solvent) at the bottom
- Migration of mobile phase through stationary phase via capillary action
- Separation occurs due to the difference in time solute spends in mobile versus stationary phase
- Solid phase interacts differently with sample compounds during migration
- TLC (thin layer chromatography) needs no instrumentation unless quantitating with a densitometer
What are typical clinical applications for plane chromatography?
Drug screens, amino acids and L/S ratio
What is the definition/equation for retention factor (with respect to plane chromatography)?
Retention Factor:
Defined as the distance travelled by the solute divided by the total distance travelled by the solvent
Rf = Distance traveled by solute (sample)/
Distance traveled by solvent
Controls will have known retention factors
What is done in column chromatography?
- Samples are loaded into a column with a stationary phase.
- A mobile phase is added throughout the process.
- Movement through column at different rates based on:
Gravitational force
Applied pressure
Sample affinity to the two phases - Collect and detect eluate emerging from column
- Eluate can be quantified using spectrophotometer
What is eluate?
Eluate - liquid obtained from a column during separation (e.g. in column chromatography)
What will each eluent fraction contain?
Each eluent fraction will contain individual components of the previously mixed sample
What type of stationary phase and mobile phases are used in column chromatography?
Stationary phase in column or tube
Support particles such as aluminum silicate gel or resin particles packed into column or coated onto inner surface
Mobile phase can be gas or liquid
What is Adsorption Column Chromatography?
Aka liquid-solid chromatography
Mobile phase and sample compete for sites on solid stationary phase (usually silica gel)
Solute will bind to adsorptive sites with attractive forces
Example:
Acidic support adsorbs basic substances
What is Partition Column Chromatography?
Aka liquid-liquid chromatography
Separation is based on solubility of solute in an organic solvent and aqueous solvent
Stationary phase is made of inert particles coated with liquid adsorbent
Nonpolar molecules are extracted in the organic solvent
Polar molecules remain in the aqueous solvent