HPLC And GC Flashcards
Out of UV/Vs, Fluorescence and MS analytical techniques:
Which is the most sensitive? State sensitivities of each.
MS is the most sensitive (to 1 picogram)
Fluorescence at 3 pigograms
Then UV/Vis is the least selective at 5ng
Out of UV/Vs, Fluorescence and MS analytical techniques:
Which is/are flow sensitive?
MS is flow sensitive
UV/Vis and Fluorescence techniques are not flow sensitive
Out of UV/Vs, Fluorescence and MS analytical techniques:
Which are temperature sensitive?
None
Describe the absorption process of normal phase chromatography
The analyte (solute) is retained by the interaction of the polar functional group with the polar groups on the surface of the stationary phase
In normal phase chromatography, What is the stationary phase? Give examples. What is the particle size of it?
Polar.
Majority use microporous silicia, e.g. Unmodified silicia or chemically modified (with polar groups)
E.g.
Cyanopropyl or diol
Particle size of silicia Si-OH: 2-10um regular/irregular
In normal phase chromatography, what is the mobile phase? Give examples
Non-polar solvent E.g. N-hexane Dichloromethane Isopropanol
When choosing a detector for HPLC, you can have UV/Vis, Fluorescence, MS and what else to detect compounds?
Give the response, sensitivity, and state whether it is flow sensitive and temperature sensitive
Refractive index.
Universal response
Sensitive to 4mg
It is flow sensitive and temperature sensitive
On a print out of a HPLC chromatogram, what do the following signify?
1) Area under the peak
2) Retention time
Area under the peak reflects the amount of the particular analyte used (most accurate as takes care of fluctuations in baseline)
The retention time is the time at which a certain analyte elutes. These are characteristic of each analyte.
Briefly describe the instrumentation of HPLC
Solvents Solvent mixing valve Pump Injection valve Column Detector
In HPLC, what is the flow rate of the pump normally set at?1
1ml/min
In HPLC, what are the typical dimensions of the column?
<25cm x 0.5cm
In HPLC, how are solvents prepared?
Filtered via 0.4um pore.
Degassed to avoid air bubbles which can interfere with analysis and detection. They do this by giving noise and peaks.
In HPLC, how would you control the proportions of each solvent used?
You would use the mixing valve to control this.
From the mixing valve you can control the proportion of each solvent used depending on gradient
How would you control the pump in HPLC instrumentation?
What is produced and to what degree?
Set at flow rate (typically 1ml/min) to deliver mobile phase. This creates back pressure typically at 1000 pounds/square inch (maximum is 5000psi)
What is HPLC? What does it do?
High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Widely used method of analysis for quantification of drugs. Involves chromatographic separation.
Describe how HPLC works
Uses a mobile phase flowing over a stationary phase (fine silicia particles) packed in a column (stainless steel).
The injection of sample and the flow (pumping) of liquid mobile phase are precisely controlled by instrumentation
In HPLC, how is separation performed?
- Column equilibrated with starting solvent
- Analyte sample injected using injection valve (e.g. 20uL)
- Analytes are separated by interaction with the stationary phase packed inside the column.
- Detection (e.g. UV) is achieved as analytes pass through the detector, each analyte gives a distinct peak
In HPLC, what is the gradient method?T
When you change the solvent composition (via the solvent mixing valve) with time
In HPLC, what is the point of the solvent mixing valve?
There are 2 solvents and the solvent mixing valve can mix them in the proportions desired by the user
In HPLC, what is the isocratic method?
Whereby the solvent composition is kept constant
When is reverse phase HPLC used?
Most drugs are moderately polar and not suitable for normal phase HPLC, thus reverse phase HPLC is the most common method of separation and analysis in pharmaceutical sciences
Which is more commonly used: HPLC or Reverse phase HPLC?
Reverse Phase HPLC
Why is normal phase HPLC not good for analysing polar compounds?
Water soluble analytes are retained too strongly by the polar stationary phase
What is normal phase HPLC useful for?
Separation of analytes with low polarity and high solubility in low-polarity solvents such as hexane.
E.g.
Lipids, oils, phospholipids, prostaglandins (those which are fairly lipophilic)
Describe the stationary and non-stationary phases of RP HPLC
And how they separate compounds
Stationary phase: non-polar
Mobile phase: Polar
The analytes interact with the surface by portioning
Popular bonded stationary phases for RP HPLC
Non-polar:
C18 (eg. Si-[CH2]-CH3)
C8
C4
How is the stationary phase of RP HPLC made? What is it made of?
Silicia is derivatised by colvently binding n-alkyl chains. The stationary phase can be made less poalr by using more alkyl groups e.g. C8 signifies an octyl chain and C18 an octyldecyl chain
Order of elution in RP HPLC
Most polar elutes first, followed by others in order of decreasing polairity
How does RP HPLC work? For what molecular weight range is it suitable for?
Molecules <3000 molecular weight
RP HPLC works by partitioning of the hydrophobic portion of the drug molecules into the bonded (e.g. N-alkyl) stationary phase.
What forces are involved in RP HPLC when the hydrophobic portion of the drug is partitioned?
van der Waals forces