Friday, November 22, 2019

Selection of buffer in HPLC method development

The choice of buffer for HPLC method development is significant since it can impact on the HPLC isolation. It is significant that the buffer has a pKa close to the preferred pH as the buffers best control the pH at their pKa.

To make an aqueous mobile phase is the most important stage of RP-HPLC method development for ionic molecules. This contains a consideration of the effects of pH on the retention time of a component, concentration, and type of buffer, solubility and its effect on detection. Inappropriate selection of buffer, in terms of pH, ionic strength, and buffering species may result tailing and irreducible retention time of polar and ionizing compounds in the reversed-phase separation. 
Complexities such as interactions between molecules and partial ionization, molecules and other active sites on stationary phases can be conquered by selecting the appropriate buffer its correct ionic species and ionic strength in the mobile phase. In separations LC-MS that rely too much on the correct choice of acid, base, buffering species, and other additives, a buffer have to be selected based on its ability to suppress and not inhibit the ionization of the molecule at the MS interface. The retention time of ionic components in reversed-phase chromatography is fundamentally influenced by the pH of the mobile phase. The RT of non-ionic components is minimum affected by the pH of the mobile phase.
Buffer is a solution of a weak base and its conjugate acid or weak acid and its conjugate base. They reduce the effect of hydroxide and hydrogen ions and reduce pH fluctuations upon the dilution. Usually, the range of pH is 2.00 to 8.00 for RP-HPLC on silica-based packing. The selection of a buffer solution is usually governed by the preferred pH. If the pKa close to the pH then the buffers best control the pH. The most commonly used buffer systems for reversed-phase chromatography are phosphoric acid and its potassium or sodium salts, acetate buffers, which are also frequently used for separation. 
The phosphate buffer is ideal for most HPLC separations, as it has two pKa values, (2.1 and 7.1) and UV transparency. But the use of phosphate buffer in LC-MS is not appropriate, it prefers volatile buffer systems i.e. Acetate, TFA, ammonia, and formate, etc.
Buffer Concentration: A higher the concentration of the buffer that increases the buffer capacity will give a more reproducible separation of partially ionized analytes at the pH of the mobile phase, typically, a buffer concentration of 10 to 50 mM is sufficient for separation of components. A highly concentrated buffer will cause a high backspace for the system.
Buffer pH: The retention time of ionic components in reversed-phase chromatography are basically affected by the pH of the mobile phase as compared with non-ionic components. In general, the pH range of buffer solution or mobile phase for RP-HPLC is 2.00 to 8.00. The selection of buffer solutions is usually controlled by the preferred pH.
Effects on Detection:
The selection of buffer is also reliant on the means of detection. For conventional UV/VIS detector, the buffer solution must be transparent, effectively in this range, particularly important for gradient elution separation.
Buffer Solubility:
This is particularly significant while working with the gradient elution method. The solubility can be determined empirically by mixing the specified volume fractions of the organic solvent and the buffer solution. The presence of precipitates solutions specifies that the solubility issues with the solute and mobile phase or solvent. A general rule is that the organic phase should not exceed 50%, which should be used with the buffer.


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