title: Determination of fatty alcohol ethoxylates by derivatization with phthalic anhydride followed by liquid chromatography with UV-vis detection.
abstract: The esterification of fatty alcohol ethoxylates (FAEs) with phthalic anhydride in 1,4-dioxane was studied. At 110 degrees C and in the presence of urea, which increased the reaction rate, esterification was completed in 60 min. The reaction yield did not decrease when the sample contained up to 50% water. For the non-ethoxylated alcohols, the UV-vis response factors of the derivatives were not significantly different from each other (f=1 for C12E0 as reference). The response factors decreased when the number of ethylene oxide units, m, increased, reaching constant values of ca. 0.40 and 0.65 for the n=8 and 18 series, respectively, when m>or=3. Using a C8 column and gradient elution with acetonitrile/water plus 0.1% acetic acid, FAEs in industrial mixtures and cleaning products were characterized. At column temperatures of 25 and 35 degrees C, homologous series with even values of n from 8 up to 20, were resolved up to m=14 and 18, respectively, and at 25 degrees C, series with consecutive even and odd values of n were resolved up to m=7. Within the series, superior resolution of the ethoxymers with large values of m was achieved; however, the elution order was reversed for the m=1 and 0 ethoxymers, which produced overlapping of a few peaks within the series. A simple procedure for the accurate prediction of the concentrations of all the ethoxymers in industrial samples was described. After preconcentration with C18 solid-phase extraction cartridges, FAEs were also characterized and quantified in environmental samples (river and sea water). The LODs were ca. 2 microM (S/N=3) in the injected solutions.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Química Analítica, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Micó-Tormos
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Simó-Alfonso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramis-Ramos
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005233:Fatty Alcohols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D010796:Phthalic Anhydrides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014508:Urea; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005233:Fatty Alcohols; D010796:Phthalic Anhydrides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014508:Urea; C043103:phthalic anhydride