Application of liquid crystals in liquid chromatography. From low- to high-molecular-weight liquid crystals

Liquid Crystals as Stationary Phases in Chromatography

The most correct analysis of the compositions of diverse analytes mixtures is significant for analytical studies in different fields; however, many prevalent analytes cannot be identified employing traditional partition gas chromatographic methods. Thus, the increasing requirements on analytes of isomeric compounds and the problems encountered in their separation demand a study of more diverse analytical systems which are characterised by higher selectivity. Therefore, the selectivity and polarities of various liquid crystals (rod-like, banana-shape, biforked, oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen, and metal containing molecules, Schiff-base, and polymeric dendrimers) employed as liquid crystalline stationary phases (LCSPs) have been discussed from both points of views, namely, their analytical applications and thermodynamic characteristics of infinitely diluted probes with different acceptor–donor properties. Extreme particular effort has been paid to the different interdependencies between the bound up chemical structures of liquid crystal molecules with their different acceptor–donor properties and the connected resolution capabilities in the interpretation of the probe—LCSP systems, on the basis of the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ { \ln }V_{g\left( T \right)} = f\left( {\frac{1}{T}} \right) $$\end{document}lnVgT=f1T and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ { \ln }\left( {\frac{{a_{1} }}{{w_{1} }}} \right)^{\infty } = f\left( {\frac{1}{T}} \right) $$\end{document}lna1w1∞=f1T dependencies, with regard to the LCSP compositions, which have been controlled by the counterbalancing of the enthalpy and entropy factors. The properties of binary systems composed of liquid crystalline poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers—rod-like molecules of liquid crystals and effects of the dendrimer structure, the chemical nature, and molecular size of the non-mesogens on the ability to dissolve in the liquid crystalline phases, have been interpreted. Practical applications of metallomesogenes and chiral stationary phases for analytical separation of different organic substances have also been taken into consideration.

Castro MC, Coelho P, M. Raposo MM, Velasco D. Fastest non-ionic azo dyes and transfer of their thermal isomerisation kinetics into liquid-crystalline materials

Neutral azo dyes, based on push–pull bithienylpyrrole systems, exhibit thermal isomerisation rates as fast as 1.4 μs.

Effect of the chain length on the thermal and analytical properties of laterally biforked nematogens

Three laterally substituted liquid crystals were synthesized in order to investigate the effect of a lateral biforked chain on the thermal and analytical properties. The mesogenic molecules have the same core containing four aromatic rings connected by two ester and one diazo linkages, they differ by the length of one chain within the lateral biforked substituent. The phase transition temperatures were obtained by polarized light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The clearing temperature and the nematic range decrease with increasing length of the lateral biforked chain. The stationary phases derived from these nematogens provide excellent resolution of various classes of compounds, including aromatic hydrocarbons (AH), substituted benzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), phenols and volatile organic compounds (VOC) present in the essential oils. The selectivities of the stationary phases were found to decrease according to the length of the side chain.

Packed-column capillary electrochromatography and capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry using a lithocholic acid stationary phase

The preparation and characterization of a novel lithocholic acid (LCA)-based liquid crystalline (LC) stationary phase (SP) suitable for application in packed-column CEC and CEC coupled to MS is described. The extent of bonding reactions of LCA-SP was assessed using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. This characterization is followed by application of the LCA-SP for separation of beta-blockers, phenylethylamines (PEAs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Using the optimum mobile phase operating conditions (pH 3.0-4.5, 10 mM ammonium acetate, 85% v/v ACN), a comparison of the chromatographic ability of the aminopropyl silica phase vs. the LCA-bonded phase was conducted. The results showed improved selectivity for all test analytes using the latter phase. For example, the CEC-MS of beta-blockers demonstrated that the LCA-bonded phase provides separation of six out of seven beta-blockers, whereas the amino silica phase provides four peaks of several co-eluting beta-blockers. For the CEC-MS analysis of PEAs, the LCA-bonded phase showed improved resolution and different selectivity as compared to the aminopropyl phase. An evaluation of the retention trends for PEAs on both phases suggested that the PEAs were retained based on varying degree of hydroxyl substitution on the aromatic ring. In addition, the MS characterization shows several PEAs fragment in the electrospray either by loss of an alkyl group and/or by loss of H2O. Finally, the LCA-bonded phase displayed significantly higher separation selectivity for PAHs and PCBs as compared to the amino silica phase.

Adsorption mechanism in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

The effect of the bonding density of the octadecyl chains onto the same silica on the adsorption and retention properties of low molecular weight compounds (phenol, caffeine, and sodium 2-naphthalene sulfonate) was investigated. The same mobile phase (methanol:water, 20:80, v/v) and temperature (T = 298 K) were applied and two duplicate columns (A and B) from each batch of packing material (neat silica, simply endcapped or C1 phase, 0.42, 1.01, 2.03, and 3.15 micromol/m2 of C18 alkyl chains) were tested. Adsorption data of the three compounds were acquired by frontal analysis (FA) and the adsorption energy distributions (AEDs) were calculated using the expectation-maximization method. Results confirmed earlier findings in linear chromatography of a retention maximum at an intermediate bonding density. From a general point of view, the saturation capacity of the adsorbent tends to decrease with increasing bonding density, due to the vanishing space intercalated between the C18 bonded chains and to the decrease of the specific surface area of the stationary phase. The equilibrium constants are maximum for an intermediary bonding density (approximately 2 micromol/m2). An enthalpy-entropy compensation was found for the thermodynamic parameters of the isotherm data. Weak equilibrium constants (small deltaH) and high saturation capacities (large deltaS) were observed at low bonding densities, higher equilibrium constants and lower saturation capacities at high bonding densities, the combinations leading to similar apparent retention in RPLC. The use of a low surface coverage column is recommended for preparative purposes.

Liquid-crystalline stationary phases for gas chromatography

Physico-chemical properties of new liquid-crystalline stationary phases (LCSPs) for gas chromatography are reviewed. The mechanism of chromatographic separation on liquid-crystalline stationary phases is discussed and examples of analyses of complex mixtures of organic compounds using capillary and packed columns are given.

Cholesterol bonded phase as a separation medium in liquid chromatography. Evaluation of properties and applications

An extensive survey of the properties and separation capabilities of a cholesterol bonded phase is reported. The intermediate hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the bonded cholesterol material allows this stationary phase to be used for both reversed-phase and aqueous normal-phase separations. Interesting high selectivity is reported for the structural isomers of some antibiotics. The cholesterol bonded material does not display "phase collapse" in high aqueous content mobile phases. Variable temperature studies demonstrate that substantial structural changes of the bonded moiety occur that might be used to control selectivity. Finally, separation of some enantiomers of compounds with a variety of chemical structures is reported under reversed-phase conditions indicating that the cholesterol material may be chiral stationary phase with a broad range of applicability.