Separation and characterization of octylphenol ethoxylate surfactants used by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on branched fluorinated silica gel columns

Column temperature as an active variable in the isocratic, normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography separation of lipophilic metabolites of nonylphenol ethoxylates

Normal-phase separation of technical grade nonylphenol (t-NP, about 90% 4-nonylphenol), 4-nonylphenol mono-ethoxylate (4-NP1EO) and 4-nonylphenol di-ethoxylate (4-NP2EO) was assessed, with the inclusion of column temperature as an active variable. The compound 2,4,6-trimethylphenol was evaluated for use as internal standard. Isocratic elution with 2-propanol/hexanes mixtures from an amino-silica column and spectrometric UV detection at 277 nm were employed. Technical nonylphenol presented a significant contribution from unknown substances that eluted with retention times similar to that of 4-NP1EO. GC-MS analysis of the unknowns allowed to identify them as isomers of 2-NP. The response of the system to joint variations in flow rate, eluent composition and column temperature was investigated by means of Doehlert statistical experimental design. A model for retention of the analytes as a function of the experimental variables was proposed, and separation selectivity was studied. Selection of the optimal working zone was made through desirability function (D) calculations. Potential co-elution of 2-NP isomers with 4-NP1EO was considered when optimizing the separation. The occurrence of a restricted region of the experimental space where baseline resolution of analytes, associated impurities and internal standard results feasible (D not equal to 0) is apparent.

High temperature liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy analysis of octylphenol ethoxylates on different stationary phases

Temperature was investigated as active parameter in the liquid chromatography (LC) analysis of octylphenol ethoxylates. Significant differences in selectivity were observed when the oligomers were analyzed by reversed phase LC (RPLC) on silica-, zirconia- and polystyrene/divinylbenzene based stationary phases at low (ambient), medium and elevated temperature with acetonitrile/water as mobile phase. As ascertained by LC-mass spectroscopy (MS), in most cases the elution order of the oligomers was completely reversed comparing ambient and high temperature separations. On a graphitized carbon type column, the selectivity remained unchanged, regardless the analysis temperature. Also in normal phase LC, the elution order remained unaffected by temperature variations both for acetonitrile/water and methanol/water mixtures as mobile phase. Surprisingly, when reversed phase LC on a octadecylsilicagel column at different temperatures was repeated with methanol instead of acetonitrile as mobile phase ingredient, the reversal of elution order did not take place. Results are evaluated in terms of thermodynamic parameters.

Determination of triton X-100 in plasma-derived coagulation factor VIII and factor IX products by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Plasma protein pools are often virus-inactivated by the solvent-detergent method, using tri-n-butyl phosphate and Triton X-100, followed by removal and determination of these compounds. We used reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of Triton X-100 in coagulation factor VIII and factor IX products, Octonativ-M and Nanotiv, respectively (Pharmacia, Stockholm, Sweden). The chromatographic system included a C18 silica column and a linear acetonitrile gradient. The advantage of this method is the low detection limit (0.3 microg/ml) combined with detection at 280 nm, which gives a more stable baseline and has less interference from other compounds. As compared to other methods, where shorter wavelengths are used.