Separation Science and Mass Spectrometry Flashcards
What is chromatography?
A physical method of separation, in which the components to be separated are distributed between two phases, one of which is stationary, while the other moves in a definite direction
What is the mobile phase?
The liquid or gas flowing through the tube
What is the stationary phase?
A substance that holds in place and coated on the wall of the tube
How fast will a molecule with a high affinity for the stationary phase move through the tube?
Slowly
How fast will a molecule with a low affinity for the stationary phase move through the tube?
Fast
Name four different types of liquid chromatography
Paper Chromatography
Thin Layer Chromatography(TLC)
Column / Flash Chromatography
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
What property must the molecules have when using liquid chromatography?
They must be soluble
What property must the molecules have when using gas chromatography?
They must be volatile
This can also be used if the molecules are not themselves volatile, but can easily be derivatised (converted) into volatile versions of themselves
What does ‘partition’ refer to when talking about chromatography?
When both of the phases are liquids, the solute will dissolve more in one phase than the other
What does ‘adsorption’ refer to when talking about chromatography?
When the stationary phase is solid, different molecules will ‘stick on’ to it more or less
What does ‘electrostatic interaction’ refer to when talking about chromatography?
When the solute is ionic, it can form a strong affinity with an ionic phase
What does ‘molecular sieving’ refer to when talking about chromatography?
It uses a stationary phase made of gel particles, containing cavities of defined sizes. Molecules that are too big cannot get into the cavities, and so pass through the tube more quickly
Why do particles of the same type not all go at the exact same speed?
They are subject to random thermal motion and diffusion, and therefore will travel at slightly different speeds
Why does separation require an input of energy?
It is opposite diffusion (a passive process) and is therefore going against what is wanted by the substance
What happens when the column length increases?
The gap between the peaks get larger
What happens when the mobile phase flow rate increases?
The gap between the peaks get larger as there is less opportunity for thermal motion
What does the gap between the peaks measure?
They measure how effective the separation has been
Why is it important to load the compound in a small volume?
Every molecule will start at the same place in the medium
What is a chromatogram?
It is the name for the output of a chromatography instrument
What is the baseline of the chromatogram?
The signal recorded when no compound is being eluted
At what time is the sample injected?
t₀
What is the retention time (tᵣ)?
The amount of time it takes for a specific compound to elute, measured at the height of its peak
It depends on: the relative affinity of the analyte for the different phases, the length of the column and mobile phase flow rate
What is the retention time proportional to?
Retention time is directly proportional to the length of the column
Retention time is inversely proportional to the flow rate
What is the peak width (W)?
A measure of how long it takes for all of the analyte (of one type) to pass the detector
What is the column length (L)?
The length of the chromatographic equipment
What is the resolution (Rₛ)?
A measure of how good the chromatographic method is for separating two specific components of a mixture
It depends on the retention time, peak width and column length
What is the formula for resolution?
Rₛ = (2 x (tᵣ of A - tᵣ of B)) / (W of A + W of B)
What is resolution directly proportional to?
The square root of the column length
What gases usually make up the mobile phase in GC?
Nitrogen, hydrogen or helium
What type of material usually makes up the stationary phase in GC?
A very high-boiling liquid polymer, immobilised on the inner wall of a narrow tube
What are the two most common types of stationary phase in GC?
PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) - low polarity
PEG (polyethyleneglycol) - medium polarity
How does GC work?
A small volume of sample is injected into the start of the column and the analytes in the sample are carried along by the gaseous mobile phase, separating as they travel through the column
At the end of the column, the analytes are detected and the a chromatogram is outputted
How does GC work?
A small volume of sample is injected into the start of the column and the analytes in the sample are carried along by the gaseous mobile phase, separating as they travel through the column
At the end of the column, the analytes are detected and the a chromatogram is outputted
How does packed column GC work?
The column is filled with small particles, which are coated in the stationary phase
The mobile phase moves through the gaps between the particles
How does capillary column GC work?
The capillary walls are coated with a thin film (1-5 micrometres) of the stationary phase
The mobile phase moves through the middle of the capillary
What are the three different types of compound GC can be applied to?
Are naturally volatile e.g. gases and liquids with low boiling points
Are not very volatile at room temperature, but become more volatile when heated e.g. liquids with higher boiling points, and some solids
Are not naturally volatile, but can be chemically converted (derivatised) into volatile compounds
What happens if the analyte in GC has a high affinity for the stationary phase?
It will elute more slowly
What happens in the analyte in GC is more volatile?
Ir will spend more time in the mobile phase, making it elute more quickly
How are the best separation results achieved in GC?
When there is a good match between the polarity of the stationary phase and the polarity of the analytes to be separated - if this is the case, the order the analytes elute will reflect their boiling point
How can high temperatures in GC reduce the resolution of the separation?
It reduces the retention time of the species as they elute more quickly, therefore making the peaks closer to each other
High column temperatures also increases the random thermal motion that the analytes experience, leading to broader peaks
What is isothermal elution?
When there is a single temperature throughout the whole elution process
What is programmed temperature elution?
When there is an increase or decrease in temperature as the elution process goes on - this is useful when there are analytes with significantly different boiling points
Name two methods of GC detection
Flame Ionisation Detector (FID)
Mass Spectrometry (GCMS)
How does FID work?
The mobile phase carrying the analytes with it exits the column and is combusted in a hydrogen flame, generating a supply of CHO⁺ ions which cause a measurable current in the FID
How does the number of CHO⁺ ions impact the magnitude of the peaks?
The more CHO⁺ ions there are, the greater the peak and can therefore help to see the amount of analyte in the species
Why must FID be standardised when determining concentrations of analytes?
The constant of proportionality (or response factor) can differ significantly from one analyse to another
For what substances can Liquid Chromatography (LC) be used?
Compounds that are soluble
Why is LC very useful and can be applied to almost all substances?
The mobile phase and stationary phase can be changed greatly, reflecting any substances with differing polarities
Describe Paper Chromatography
Typically uses a strip of paper as a stationary phase, which is then dipped in a solvent acting as the mobile phase
The solvent moves up the paper, carrying the different analytes up it at different rates
Describe TLC
Typically uses silica powder as the stationary phase which is absorbed onto a thin strip of aluminium
The plate is then dipped in solvent (mobile phase) and then the solvent carries the different compounds up at different rates
This is usually used for monitoring the progress of the reaction
Describe Column Chromatography
Typically uses silica powder as a stationary phase, which is supported in a vertical glass column
A mixture can be placed at the top of the column, and then a solvent can be poured on top
The analytes then elute down the column at different rates, allowing for large scale separations and can purify reaction mixtures
Describe Flash Chromatography
It is the same as column chromatography, with the only difference is that is done under elevated pressure to speed up the elution rates