Study of dead volume measurement in packed subcritical fluid chromatography with ODS columns and carbon dioxide-modifier mobile phases

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography development of a predictive analytical tool to selectively extract bioactive compounds by supercritical fluid extraction and pressurised liquid extraction

Selective extraction is a great concern in the field of natural products. The interest is to apply specific conditions favouring the solubility of targeted secondary metabolites and avoiding the simultaneous extraction of unwanted ones. Different ways exist to reach selective extractions with suited conditions. These conditions can be determined from experimental studies through experimental design, but a full experimental design takes time, energy, and uses plant samples. Prediction from varied solubility models can also be applied allowing a better understanding of the final selected conditions and eventually less experiments. The aim of this work was to develop and use a chromatographic model to determine optimal extraction conditions without the need for numerous extraction experiments. This model would be applied on the selective extraction of the desired antioxidant compounds in rosemary leaves (rosmarinic and carnosic acids) vs chlorophyll pigments to limit the green colour in extracts. This model was achieved with Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) and then applied to Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) and Pressurised Liquid Extraction (PLE) assays. SFC models predicted low solubility of chlorophylls for low (5%) and high (100%) percentage of solvent in carbon dioxide. Also, low solubility was predicted with acetonitrile solvent compared to methanol or ethanol. This was confirmed with different extractions performed using SFE with different percentages of solvent (5, 30, and 70%) and with the three solvents used in the SFC models (acetonitrile, methanol and ethanol). Also extractions using PLE were carried out using the same neat solvents in order to confirm the SFC models obtained for 100% of solvent. Globally, extractions validated the SFC models. Only some differences were observed between ethanol and methanol showing the complexity of plant extraction due to matrix effect. For all these extracts, the content of carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid was also monitored and selective extraction conditions of bioactive compounds could be determined.

Development of an analytical method for chlorophyll pigments separation by reversed-phase supercritical fluid chromatography

Chlorophyll pigments give the green colour to plants, which is a quality attribute of food and vegetables. However, the chemical structure of native chlorophyll can change during varied processes (drying, freezing, extraction) applied to plants, which produce degradation compounds that could have a brown and unwanted colour. Systematic experiments have been conducted in supercritical fluid chromatography with a C18 stationary phase to understand and model the chromatographic behaviour of the compounds with respect to the nature of the modifier (MeOH, ACN, and MeOH/ACN 50/50) and its percentage, from 10% to 100%. Specific retention changes were observed, which provide numerous analytical conditions to achieve compound separation. The chromatographic profile of the extract containing native chlorophyll a, b and numerous phytylated chlorophyll derivatives (pheophytin a, a', b, b'; hydroxypheophytin a, a', b, b'; pyropheophytin and lactone derivatives) is strongly impacted by the nature of the modifier and, because of the complexity of the extract, the optimal conditions obtained are unusual for supercritical fluid chromatography. An original method development using an optimization criterion was discussed for the analyses of samples, leading to a fast analytical method with a very low backpressure and a flow rate gradient, but a simplest and rapid method is also suggested for samples displaying fewer derivatives.

A simple subcritical chromatographic test for an extended ODS high performance liquid chromatography column classification

This paper describes a new test designed in subcritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to compare the commercial C18 stationary phase properties. This test provides, from a single analysis of carotenoid pigments, the absolute hydrophobicity, the silanol activity and the steric separation factor of the ODS stationary phases. Both the choice of the analytical conditions and the validation of the information obtained from the chromatographic measurements are detailed. Correlations of the carotenoid test results with results obtained from other tests (Tanaka, Engelhard, Sander and Wise) performed both in SFC and HPLC are discussed. Two separation factors, calculated from the retention of carotenoid pigments used as probe, allowed to draw a first classification diagram. Columns, which present identical chromatographic behaviors are located in the same area on this diagram. This location can be related to the stationary phase properties: endcapping treatments, bonding density, linkage functionality, specific area or silica pore diameter. From the first classification, eight groups of columns are distinguished. One group of polymer coated silica, three groups of polymeric octadecyl phases, depending on the pore size and the endcapping treatment, and four groups of monomeric stationary phases. An additional classification of the four monomeric groups allows the comparison of these stationary phases inside each group by using the total hydrophobicity. One hundred and twenty-nine columns were analysed by this simple and rapid test, which allows a comparison of columns with the aim of helping along their choice in HPLC.

Effects of modifiers in subcritical fluid chromatography on retention with porous graphitic carbon

The effect of different modifiers in subcritical fluid chromatography (SubFC) on interactions between solute and porous graphitic carbon (PGC) and between solute and carbon dioxide-modifier mobile phases was studied by the use of linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs). This study was performed to allow efficient optimization of the composition of the carbon dioxide-modifier mobile phase in regard of the chemical nature of the solutes to be separated. With all modifiers tested (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran and hexane), the solute/stationary phase interactions are greater than the solute/mobile phase ones. Dispersion interactions and charge transfer between electron donor solute and electron acceptor PGC mainly explain the retention on this surface, whatever the modifier. These interactions are quite constant over the range of modifier percentage studied (5-40%). For acidic compounds, the retention variation is mainly related to the change in the basic character of mobile and stationary phase due to the variation of modifier percentage. Changes in eluting strength are mostly related to adsorption of mobile phase onto the PGC with methanol and acetonitrile, and to the increase of dispersion interactions between the solute and the mobile phase for other modifiers. Relationships between varied selectivities and solvation parameter values have been studied and are discussed in this paper.

Glycolipid class profiling by packed-column subcritical fluid chromatography

The potential of packed-column subcritical fluid chromatography (SubFC) for the separation of lipid classes has been assessed in this study. Three polar stationary phases were checked: silica, diol, and poly(vinyl alcohol). Carbon dioxide (CO2) with methanol as modifier was used as mobile phase and detection performed by evaporative light scattering detection. The influence of methanol content, temperature, and pressure on the chromatographic behavior of sphingolipids and glycolipids were investigated. A complete separation of lipid classes from a crude wheat lipid extract was achieved using a modifier gradient from 10 to 40% methanol in carbon dioxide. Solute selectivity was improved using coupled silica and diol columns in series. Because the variation of eluotropic strength depending on the fluid density changes, a normalized separation factor product (NSP) was used to select the nature, the number and the order of the columns to reach the optimum glycolipid separation.

Advantages of the use of monolithic stationary phases for modelling the retention in sub/supercritical chromatography

The low viscosity of supercritical fluids enables the coupling of columns, which favours both the high efficiency of separation and the ability of tuning the selectivity. However, it increases the inlet pressure then modifies the fluid density, i.e. the eluotropic strength of the mobile phase. In this case, the latter is rather different depending on the number of coupled columns. This fact prevents the calculation of the chromatographic parameters for coupled columns from the results obtained from one. In subcritical conditions, by using silica rod columns, which have bimodal porous structure, the flow resistance parameter is dramatically reduced. Consequently, the addition of monolithic columns induces only slight internal pressure changes and the fluid density does not vary with the column length. In this case, the calculation of retention factor and selectivity based on retention values obtained on each separate column provides accurate results allowing to determine the optimum column length in regard to the studied separation. After a better characterisation of the stationary phase included in the Chromolith column, this paper describes the beta-carotene isomers separation obtained by coupling up to six Chromolith columns to an octadecyl bonded particulate one. These compounds were studied because of the difficulty to separate these cis/trans isomers. No abnormal apparent dead volume change due to fluid density variation was reported, and good correlations between experimental and calculated retention factors and selectivities were observed. The optimum separation requires five highly porous columns coupled to a YMC Pack Pro. Moreover, the use of monolith packing allows to decrease both the retention factor and the analytical time by comparison to previous studies.

Interaction mechanisms on octadecyl packed columns in subcritical fluid chromatography with CO2-modifier mobile phases

An experimental design was carried out for describing the interaction mechanisms between solutes and octadecyl bonded silicas in subcritical fluid chromatography (SubFC), with CO2-methanol and CO2-acetonitrile mobile phases. The effects of modifier amount, temperature and outlet pressure were studied. The homologous series of alkylbenzenes was mainly used as probe, and results were in part assessed with other series. Curves between the methylene selectivity (alphaCH2) and the alkyl chain carbon number (Cn) were plotted, because changes of slope or discontinuity in these curves are yielded by interaction mechanism modifications. Moreover, the linearity of the Van 't Hoff curves with CO2-acetonitrile mobile phases has enabled one to calculate the transfer enthalpy (deltaH) for each homologue. The curves log k = f(-deltaH) allow a discrimination of the retention behaviors between the short and the long homologues for CO2-acetonitrile mobile phases. Depending on the analytical conditions, different oriented partition mechanisms occur for the long homologues, when the short ones seem to be fully embedded into the grafted chains near the silica surface. With methanol-CO2 mobile phases the discrimination between the homologues disappears and the methylene selectivity curves correspond to a bulk partition mechanism. The differences in the interaction mechanisms following the modifier nature are related to the adsorption the mobile phase onto the stationary phase, because the amount of adsorbed mobile phase modifies the bonded chain mobility. With methanol, an important adsorption of the mobile phase occurs, when this adsorption is reduced with acetonitrile. In this latter case, an anisotropy in the stationary phase mobility can explain the observed difference in the interaction mechanisms of homologues. Finally, effects of stationary phase chain length (from C18 to C22) and bonding density (from 2.5 to 3.4 micromol m(-2)) were also reported.

Analysis of non-saponifiable lipids by super-/subcritical-fluid chromatography

Because of the particular properties of carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide/modifier mobile phases, super- or subcritical-fluid chromatography (SFC) can be an alternative to more classical chromatographic methods such as gas chromatography (GC) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the separation of unsaponifiable lipids. These fluids can also be helpful in the extraction and/or the concentration steps of sterols, tocopherols or carotenoids from complex samples. Supercritical extraction, off-line prefractionation or semi-preparative supercritical fluid chromatography, carried out before the analysis are described. The effects on separation of analytical parameters such as pressure, nature of and modifier percentage or stationary phase nature are also reported. The performance of capillary, packed or capillary packed columns is discussed, as well as the consequences of their use (choice of stationary phases, type of coupled detector). Numerous examples of fine separations are reported.