New calixarene-bonded stationary phases in high-performance liquid chromatography: comparative studies on the retention behavior and on influences of the eluent

SPE-UHPLC-FLD Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Five Anthraquinones in Human Urine Using Mixed-Mode Bis(tetraoxacalix[2]arene[2]triazine) Modified Silica as Sorbent

The five anthraquinones compounds (including aloe-emodin, emodin, physcion, chrysophanol, and rhein) are regarded as the main effective ingredients in rhubarb (Dahuang in Chinese, one of the commonly used Chinese herbal medicines). In this work, a simple and effective solid phase extraction (SPE) method based on bis(tetraoxacalix[2]arene[2]triazine) modified silica gel as adsorbent was developed. Coupled with UHPLC-FLD, the developed method was successfully applied for the measuring of main anthraquinones in human urine after oral administration of the extracts of rhubarb. To obtain the highest recoveries of the five anthraquinones in the SPE process, the main parameters which may affect extraction efficiency were optimized. The optimized sorbent amount, sample loading pH, sample loading rate, washing solution, and eluent condition were obtained. The developed method showed good linearity in 0.012-1.800 μg mL-1 for the five anthraquinones with correlation coefficients more than 0.9993. The investigated LOD values ranged from 3.9 to 5.7 ng mL-1, while the LOQs were between 12.0 and 18.2 ng mL-1. The recoveries of the method were also investigated, which were in the range of 94.8-106.6%. The application of the mixed-mode SPE materials in the proposed method was feasible and simple, and suitable for the enrichment of anthraquinones in urine samples.

Simultaneous Analysis of Two Phytohormones in Chili and Wheat Using HPLC Using Novel Calixarene as SPE Sorbent

In this paper, a high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) detection method, using tetraazacalix[2]arene[2]triazine-modified silica gel (NCS) as solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent, was developed for extracting and purifying the two phytohormones (indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)) in chili and wheat samples from different organs of chili and wheat. The limits of detection were about 0.02 and 0.04 μg/mL, and the limits of quantification were 0.04 and 0.20 μg/mL for IAA and IBA, respectively. The intraday and interday RSDs (n = 6) of peak areas and retention times were in the range of 0.76-1.20%. In addition, overall recoveries through the extraction and NCS-SPE purification ranged from 78.4% to 86.8% for IAA and IBA were obtained. Compared with the commercial SPE sorbents, NCS featured excellent selectivity to retain IAA and IBA in the sample matrices. In addition, the results more clearly indicated that high IAA and IBA content existed in roots and leaves of wheat and chili; in other organs of the plants, the concentration of the two phytohormones is lower. The results from theoretical computation were consistent with the retention behaviors of IAA and IBA on NCS. The proposed NCS-SPE-HPLC method is highly effective for trace analysis of the two phytohormones in plant samples.

Chromatographic separation of clenbuterol by bonded phases bearing nano-baskets of p-tert-calix[4]-1,2-crown-3, -crown-4, -crown-5 and -crown-6

BACKGROUND

Clenbuterol (salbutamol), which increases muscle mass and decreases adipose tissue, is misused as a nutrient-repartitioning agent in livestock. In this paper a new sensitive method for determining clenbuterol in livestock is presented. The novelty of this approach is the separation and determination of salbutamol enantiomers with marked quantitative merits.

RESULTS

Four proton di-ionisable Nano-baskets, namely 5,11,17,23-tetrakis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-25,26-bis(carboxy-methoxy)calix[4]arene-27,28-crown-3, -crown-4, -crown-5 and -crown-6 in the cone conformation, were synthesised and used to prepare bonded phases for high-performance liquid chromatography separation. The new synthesised bonded phases were characterised and optimised. The bonding interactions of solute/bonded phases were examined and the main interactions are reported.

CONCLUSION

The clenbuterol levels in six samples of livestock meat (pork, pork casing, beef, beef casing, mutton and mutton casing) were analysed and the results revealed that for the best bonded phases the limits of detection and quantitation were 0.06 and 0.2 µg mL(-1) respectively.

Preparation and characterization of six calixarene bonded stationary phases for high performance liquid chromatography

Six calixarene bonded silica gel stationary phases were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Their chromatographic performance was investigated by using PAHs, aromatic positional isomers and E- and Z-ethyl 3-(4-acetylphenyl) acrylate isomers as probes. Separation mechanism based on the different interactions between calixarenes and analytes were discussed. The chromatographic behaviors of those analytes on the calixarene columns were influenced by the supramolecular interaction including pi-pi interaction, space steric hindrance and hydrogen bonding interaction between calixarenes and analytes. Notably, the presence of polar groups (-OH, -NO(2) and -NH(2)) in the aromatic isomers could improve their separation selectivity on calixarene phase columns. The results from quantum chemistry calculation using DFT-B3LYP/STO-3G* base group were consistent with the retention behaviors of PHAs on calix[4]arene column.

p-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene-1,3-bis(allyloxyethoxy)ether Coated Capillaries for Open-Tubular Electrochromatography

The preparation and characterization of p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene-1,3-bis(allyloxyethoxy)ether (CA[4]-BAE) chemically coated capillaries via a free-radical reaction with vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) that was attached onto the inner wall previously were carried out. IR spectra and decreased electroosmotic flow (EOF) suggested that the capillary was successfully coated with CA[4]-BAE. A slight slope of EOF versus pH at 5 < pH < 9 would help to make the separation reproducible. The CA[4]-BAE-coated capillary showed improved separations of toluidine isomers, naphthol isomers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compared with an uncoated capillary. The special selectivity indicates that there is a certain extent of host-guest interactions between the solutes and the CA[4]-BAE coating.

High-performance liquid chromatography of di- and trisubstituted aromatic positional isomers on 1,3-alternate 25,27-dipropoxy-26,28-bis-[3-propyloxy]-calix[4]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase

A new 1,3-alternate 25,27-dipropoxy-26,28-bis-[3-propyloxy]-calix[4]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase (1,3-Alt CalixPr) has been prepared and used for the separation of di- and trisubstituted aromatic positional isomers by HPLC. The effect of organic modifier content, pH and column temperature on retention and selectivity of the benzene derivatives were studied. The retention mechanism was also discussed. The results indicated that the stationary phase behaves like a reversed-phase packing. However inclusion, hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions seem to be involved in separation process.

Preparation and characterization of a p-tert-butyl-calix[6]-1,4-benzocrown-4-bonded silica gel stationary phase for liquid chromatography

A p-tert-butyl-calix[6]-1,4-benzocrown-4-bonded silica gel stationary phase (CR6BS) was first prepared via 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as coupling reagent for high performance liquid chromatography. The structure of the new stationary phase was characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT), elemental analysis and thermal analysis. The chromatographic performance of the bonded-stationary phase was evaluated by using neutral, acidic and basic solutes as probes. Meanwhile, comparative study of the new stationary phase with a p-tert-butyl-calix[6]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase (C6BS, the parent) and ODS was done under the same chromatographic conditions. The results show that the new stationary phase has an excellent reversed-phase property, which is similar to C6BS and ODS. However, the selectivities for some aromatic compounds are different from the parent phase (C6BS) and ODS, especially the latter. In one hand, as hybrid of calixarene and crown ether, CR6BS with the oxygen atoms of ether-bridge can provide the complexation sites for the solutes, lacking of C6BS. On the other hand, the rigid conformation of CR6BS may be responsible to the different performance partially. CR6BS exhibits high selectivity in the separation of alkylated aromatics from their parents as compared with C6BS.

Preparation and characteristics of sol–gel-coated calix[4]arene fiber for solid-phase microextraction

5,11,17,23-Tetra-tert-butyl-25,27-diethoxy-26,28-dihydroxycalix[4]arene/hydroxy-terminated silicone oil coated fiber was first prepared and applied for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with sol-gel technology. The possible sol-gel mechanism was discussed and confirmed by IR spectra. It showed wonderful selectivity and sensitivity to polar (aromatic amines), nonpolar (benzene derivatives, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and high boiling point compounds (phthalates) and the extraction equilibria were reached quite fast. The coating has high thermal stability (380 degrees C) and solvent stability (organic and inorganic), thus its lifetime is longer than conventional fibers. In addition, it has surprising fiber-to-fiber and batch-to-batch reproducibility. The detection limits were quite low and the linear ranges were pretty broad for all analytes.

Preparation and Characterization of a New p-tert-Butyl-calix[8]arene-bonded Stationary Phase for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

A new p-tert-butyl-calix[8]arene-bonded silica gel stationary phase (CABS) was prepared via 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as a coupling reagent for HPLC. Its structure was characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT), elemental analysis and thermal analysis. The chromatographic performance of new packing was evaluated by using basic, acidic and neutral aromatic compounds as probes compared with conventional ODS. The results show that the new stationary phase has an excellent reversed-phase property and high selectivities for substituted aromatics compared with ODS, because CABS can provide various sites for the analytes, such as hydrogen-bonding interactions, pi-pi interactions, and inclusion complex, besides hydrophobic interactions.

Characterization of calixarene- and resorcinarene-bonded stationary phases

New HPLC phases with supramolecular selectors on the basis of calixarenes and resorcinarenes were investigated for the first time by means of empirically based test mixtures. The tests, originally developed for common reversed phases, were chosen to evaluate fundamental chromatographic properties of the new materials. In the first part of these studies three descriptors (hydrophobic retention capacity--k'(hyd), hydrophobic selectivity--alpha(hyd), steric selectivity--alpha(ster)) were determined. Except of higher alpha(ster) values and alpha(hyd) values with some methods for the resorcinarene phase the phases with supramolecular selectors were classified as less hydrophobic possessing lower hydrophobic and steric selectivities compared to three RP-C18 phases and a p-tert-butyl phenyl ether phase. The results were confirmed by means of a separation of geometric isomers of thioxanthenes. In contrast, in spite of lower k'(hyd) and alpha(hyd) values calixarene phases were more selective than the Kromasil-C18 phase in the separation of gestagenic and androgenic steroids due to specific interactions with the steroids of similar lipophilicity.

Separation of cis- and trans-isomers of thioxanthene and dibenz[b,e]oxepin derivatives on calixarene- and resorcinarene-bonded high-performance liquid chromatography stationary phases

The chromatographic behavior of six calix[n]arene phases (n=4, 6, 8) and one calix[4]resorcinarene phase is described for the separation of cis- and trans-isomers of three thioxanthene (flupentixol, clopenthixol, chlorprothixene) and one benz[b,e]oxepin derivative (doxepin). The influences of two different organic modifiers (MeOH, MeCN) for the separation of the isomers on every column are described. Different selectivities of the stationary phases exist as a function of the ring size of the calixarenes and their substitution at the "upper rim" with p-tert.-butyl groups. Furthermore, the influence of free phenol groups on the resorcinarene phase is discussed. Relations between structural elements of the analytes and the retention behavior on the stationary phases are found. The selectivity of the calixarene and resorcinarene stationary phases is compared with a RP-C18 phase containing the same base silica. Advantages of the resorcinarene as well as of the calixarene columns exist for the separation of cis- and trans-isomers of three compounds dependent from the substitution in position 2 of the thioxanthenes, respectively the kind of the basic side chain of all substances.