A new approach for trace analysis of guanidine compounds in surface water with resorcinarene-based ion chromatography columns.

Trace levels of pharmaceuticals have been detected in surface water and may pose a health risk to humans and other organisms. New chromatographic materials will help identify and quantify these contaminants. We introduce a new ion chromatographic (IC) material designed to separate cationic pharmaceuticals and report its ability to separate a group of guanidine compounds. Guanidine moieties are strongly basic and protonated under acid conditions, and therefore can potentially be separated on the newly designed stationary phase and detected by ion exchange chromatography. The new column packing material is based on glutamic acids bonded to resorcinarene moieties that in turn are bound to divinylbenzene macroporous resin. Detection limits in the range of 5-30 µg L(-1) were achieved using integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IPAD) for guanidine (G), methylguanidine (MG), 1,1-dimethylbiguanide (DMG), agmatine (AGM), guanidinobenzoic acid (GBA) and cimetidine (CIM). Suppressed conductivity (CD) and UV-vis detection resulted in limits of detection similar to IPAD, in the range of 2-66 µg L(-1), but were not able to detect all of the analytes. Three water sources, river, lake, and marsh, were analyzed and despite matrix effects, sensitivity for guanidine compounds was in the 100 µg L(-1) range and apparent recoveries were 80-96%. The peak area precision was 0.01-2.89% for IPAD, CD and UV-vis detection.

Separation of uremic toxins from urine with resorcinarene-based ion chromatography columns.

People with chronic kidney disease suffer from uremic toxins which accumulate in their bodies. Detection and quantification of uremic toxins help diagnose kidney problems and start patient care. The aim of this research was to seek a new method to assist this diagnosis by trace level detection and separation of guanidine containing uremic toxins in water and urine. To detect and quantify the uremic toxins, new stationary phases for ion chromatography (IC) columns based on glutamic acid functionalized resorcinarenes bound to divinylbenzene macroporous resin were prepared. The new column packing material afforded separation of the five compounds: guanidinoacetic acid, guanidine, methylguanidine, creatinine, and guanidinobenzoic acid in 30min. Peak resolutions ranged from 7.6 to 1.3. Gradient elutions at ambient temperature with methanesulfonic acid (MSA) solution as eluent resulted in detection levels in water from 10 to 47ppb and in synthetic urine from 28 to 180ppb. Limits of quantification for the analytes using pulsed amperometric detection were 30-160ppb in water and 93-590ppb in urine. Trace levels of creatinine (1ppm) were detected in the urine of a healthy individual using the columns.

Transition metal cation separations with a resorcinarene-based amino acid stationary phase.

A resorcinarene-based macrocyclic ligand functionalized with alanine and undecyl groups (AUA) was synthesized and applied to ion chromatographic separations. The selectivity and separation of transition metal ions on a column packed with AUA adsorbed onto 55% cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene resin are presented. The upper and lower rims of the resorcinarene were modified with amino acids and -C(11)H(23) alkyl chains, respectively. The four carboxylic acid groups on the upper rim act as cation-exchangers while the four -C(11)H(23) alkyl chains serve to anchor the ligand to the resin surface by the hydrophobic effect. A systematic study of the effect of different eluent components including non-metal-chelating (HNO(3)) and chelating acids (oxalic acid, succinic acid, dipicolinic acid, and citric acid) on the retention of transition metal ions was investigated. Six metal ions (Mn(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cd(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+)) were separated on the AUA column within a reasonable time with a single eluent gradient using oxalic acid. The separation is compared to that obtained using a commercial column containing carboxylic acid functional groups. The AUA column containing four preorganized carboxylic acid groups showed selectivity for Cu(2+) when no chelating eluent was present, a selectivity which was not observed with the comparison column.

Resorcinarene-based cavitands with chiral amino acid substituents for chiral amine recognition.

Resorcinarene-based deep cavitands alanine methyl resorcinarene acid (AMA), alanine undecyl resorcinarene acid (AUA) and glycine undecyl resorcinarene acid (GUA), which contain chiral amino acids, have been synthesized. The upper rim of the resorcinarene host is elongated with four identical substituents topped with alanine and glycine groups. The structures of the new resorcinarenes were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and the sustained off-resonance irradiation collision induced dissociation (SORI-CID) technique in FTICR-MS. These studies revealed that eight water molecules associate to the cavitand, two for each alanine group. The alanine substituent groups are proposed to form a kite-like structure around the resorcinarene scaffold. The binding of AMA, AUA, and GUA with chiral R- and S-methyl benzyl amines was studied by (1)H NMR titration, and compared to that of a binary L-tartaric acid and the monoacid phthalyl alanine (PA). The results show that these compounds interact with amine guests; however, with four carboxylic acid groups, they bind several amine molecules strongly while the binary L-tartaric acid only binds one amine guest strongly. The simple compound PA, which contains one carboxylic group, shows weak binding to the amines. The (1)H NMR titration of AUA with primary, secondary, and tertiary chiral amines showed that it can discriminate between these three types of amines and showed chiral discrimination for chiral secondary amines.

Cation separation and preconcentration using columns containing cyclen and cyclen-resorcinarene derivatives.

The selectivity and separation of transition metal ions on two columns packed with cyclen-based macrocycles adsorbed onto 55% cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene resin are presented. The N-cyclen and cyclen-resorcinarene stationary phases were made by adsorbing hydrophobically substituted N-cyclen or a cyclen-resorcinarene derivative (cyclenbowl) on the resin, respectively. The stability constants of cyclen with transition metal ions demonstrate that cyclen has selectivity for Cu²âº over other transition metal ions. Mn²âº, Co²âº, Ni²âº, Cd²âº, and Zn²âº ions were separated from Cu²âº using HNO3 eluent with the cyclenbowl column. The preconcentration of Cu²âº in parts per billion level from a high concentration matrix of Mn²âº, Co²âº, Ni²âº, Cd²âº, and Zn²âº ions was achieved in the cyclenbowl column using a nitric acid eluent gradient. Recovery of Cu²âº at >98% was obtained based on direct interaction of metal ion and cyclen. Although Mn²âº, Co²âº, Ni²âº, Cd²âº, and Zn²âº were not separated by HNO3 eluent, addition of oxalic acid yielded a very good separation. A retention mechanism is proposed for the latter system in which the protonated cyclen units attract negatively charged HC2O4⁻ ions that cooperate with cyclen sites in retaining transition metal ions.

Anion separation and preconcentration with cyclen and cyclen-resorcinarene derivatives.

N-undecyl cyclen and a resorcinarene bowl bearing four cyclen arms have been applied as anion exchangers in ion chromatography by strong adsorption to a reversed-phase column. The column loaded with the resorcinarene bowl cyclen tetramer exhibited significantly better performance in anion separation than that with N-undecyl cyclen monomer in isocratic elution mode. Both columns were tested for polarizable anion preconcentration or removal. By changing the eluent type from sodium bicarbonate to sodium hydroxide, the degree of protonation of the cyclen molecules could be modified, and the column capacity for anion retention adjusted thereby. Capacity gradient elution was successfully applied to removing sample matrix ions in the preconcentration of perchlorate and perrhenate ions as example analytes.

Determination of perchlorate in drinking water by ion chromatography using macrocycle-based concentration and separation methods.

Macrocycle-based ion chromatography provides a convenient, reliable method for the determination of perchlorate ion, which is currently of great interest to the environmental community. This study shows that effective perchlorate determinations can be made using standard conductimetric detection by combining an 18-crown-6-based mobile phase with an underivatized reversed-phase mobile phase ion chromatography (MPIC) column. One unique feature of this method is the flexibility in column capacity that is achieved through simple variations in eluent concentrations of 18-crown-6 and KOH, facilitating the separation of target analyte anions such as perchlorate. Using a standard anion exchange column as concentrator makes possible the determination of perchlorate as low as 0.2 ug/L in low ionic strength matrices. Determination of perchlorate at the sub-ug/L level in pure water and in spiked local city hard water samples with high background ion concentrations can be achieved this way. However, like other IC techniques, this method is challenged to achieve analyses at the ug/L level in the demanding high ionic strength matrix described by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1,000 mg/L chloride, sulfate and carbonate). We approached this challenge by use of the Cryptand C1 concentrator column, provided by Dionex Corporation, to effectively preconcentrate perchlorate while reducing background ion concentrations in the high ionic strength matrix. The retention characteristics of the concentrator column were studied in order to maximize its effectiveness for perchlorate determinations. The method makes possible the determination of perchlorate at the 5 ug/L level in the highest ionic strength matrix described by the EPA.

Anion binding by a tetradipicolylamine-substituted resorcinarene cavitand.

Anion binding has been achieved with a resorcinarene substituted with four 2,2'-dipicolylamine moieties on the upper rim. The four dipicolylamine groups reside in proximity on one rim of the cavitand. The dipicolylamine groups were protonated with triflic acid to provide the cationic ammonium sites for anion binding. This anion receptor binds strongly to anions of different geometries, such as H(2)PO(4)(-), Cl(-), F(-), CH(3)CO(2)(-), HSO(4)(-), and NO(3)(-). The association constants for binding these anions are large, on the order of log K = 5 in CD(3)CN, a solvent of intermediate dielectric constant. These values represent significant binding compared to other cavitands with nitrogen pendant groups. Evidence suggests that the cavitand provides two identical receptor sites formed by two dipicolylamine groups, facilitating the simultaneous binding of two anions. Intramolecular binding of anions between two protonated dipicolylamine groups is indicated on the basis of the comparison to a structurally similar monomeric analogue and by semiempirical PM3 molecular modeling. Titrations with the analogue result in much weaker anion association, even at high concentrations, indicating the importance of proximity and preorganization of sites on the cavitand upper rim.

Use of mobile phase 18-crown-6 to improve peak resolution between mono- and divalent metal and amine cations in ion chromatography.

It is difficult to quantify NH4+ by ion chromatography in the presence of high concentrations of Na+ due to peak overlap. The Dionex IonPac CS15 column, which contains phosphonate, carboxylate, and 18-crown-6 functional groups, was originally developed to overcome this problem. We have found that the addition of 18-crown-6 to the eluent promotes improved peak resolution between Na+ and NH4+ even at concentrations as high as 60,000 to 1 using this column. Its use also improves the separation of alkali and alkaline earth metal and amine cations. Mobile phase 18-crown-6 increased the retention times of CH3NH3+, NH4+, and K+, and decreased the retention time of Sr2+. The retention times of Li+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, (CH3)2NH2+, and (CH3)3NH+ were not affected. This method makes possible the direct analysis of ammonia from nitrogenase, the enzyme responsible for biological nitrogen fixation. The resolution of the NH4+ peak from the Na+ and Mg2+ peaks improved from zero resolution to values of 6.19 and 5.65, respectively. This technique considerably reduces the analysis time of NH4+ in the presence of high concentrations of Mg2+ and Na+ over traditional indophenol measurements.

Surface area determination of a polystyrene-divinylbenzene chromatographic packing material via ionic amphiphile adsorption from aqueous mobile phases and application of Gouy-Chapman theory.

A method for the determination of the chromatographically accessible area of a reversed-phase column similar to the method of Hägglund and Ståhlberg [J. Chromatogr. A 761 (1997) 13] is applied to a column containing a polystyrene-divinylbenzene resin. Its theoretical basis is Gouy-Chapman theory in combination with an electrostatically modified linear adsorption isotherm. The surface area value determined for the resin, 96 m2/g, is much less than the reported surface area value, 400 m2/g, determined by N2 sorptometry and application of Branauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) theory. The method also provides a value for the number of moles of native anionic sites present on the column.