Interactions of basic compounds with ionic liquids used as oils in microemulsion liquid chromatography.

Aqueous microemulsions (MEs), where an oil coexists with water in the presence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), have been proposed as a solution to decrease the amount of organic solvent in the mobile phase needed in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). However, the oil phase of a typical ME is volatile, toxic and flammable, and although it is added in a small amount, it would be desirable to avoid it from an environmental perspective. This is the reason for the proposal of Peng et al.

Performance and modelling of retention in microemulsion liquid chromatography.

The capability of liquid chromatography with microemulsions (MEs) as mobile phases was studied for the analysis of four parabens (butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben) and seven β-adrenoceptor antagonists (acebutolol, atenolol, carteolol, metoprolol, oxprenolol, propranolol, and timolol). MEs were formed by mixing aqueous solutions of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate, the alcohol 1-butanol that played the role of co-surfactant, and octane as oil. In order to guarantee the formation of stable MEs, a preliminary study was carried out to determine the appropriate ranges of concentrations of the three components.

Comparison of surfactant-mediated liquid chromatographic modes with sodium dodecyl sulphate for the analysis of basic drugs.

In reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), basic drugs are positively charged at the usual working pH range and interact with free anionic silanols present in conventional silica-based stationary phases. This translates into stronger retention and tailed and broadened peaks. This problem can be resolved by the addition of reagents to the mobile phase that are adsorbed on the stationary phase, avoiding the access of solutes to silanols.

Effect of buffer nature and concentration on the chromatographic performance of basic compounds in the absence and presence of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride.

In reversed-phase liquid chromatography, the performance for basic compounds is affected by the interaction of the protonated (cationic) species with the anionic free silanols on the alkyl-bonded stationary phases. Using aqueous-organic mobile phases in the absence of additives, the retention may be too high, and the peaks be broad and asymmetric. The performance is improved by addition to the mobile phase of ionic liquids, from which 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([CMIm][Cl]) has especially good characteristics.

Modulation of retention and selectivity in oil-in-water microemulsion liquid chromatography: A review.

Microemulsions (MEs) are stable, isotropically clear solutions consisting of an oil and water stabilized by a surfactant and a co-surfactant. Oil-in-water microemuslion liquid chromatography (MELC) is a relatively new chromatographic mode, which uses an O/W ME as mobile phase. Retention, selectivity and efficiency can be modified by changing the concentration of the ME components and the ratio between the aqueous and oil phases.