Characterisation of capillary ionic liquid columns for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of fatty acid methyl esters.
Due to their distinct chemical properties, the application of ionic liquid (IL) compounds as gas chromatography (GC) stationary phases offer unique GC separation especially in the analysis of geometric and positional fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) isomers. Elution behaviour of FAME on several commercialised IL capillary columns including phosphonium based SLB-IL59, SLB-IL60, SLB-IL61 and SLB-IL76 and imidazolium based SLB-IL82, SLB-IL100, and SLB-IL111 as well as a general purpose column SLB-5ms, were evaluated in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The phases were further characterised by using a linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) approach according to the equivalent chain length (ECL) index of FAME. Among all tested IL columns, elution temperatures of saturated FAME increased as their McReynolds' polarity value decreased, except for IL60. ECL values increased markedly as the stationary phase polarity increased, particularly for the polyunsaturated FAME. The LSER study indicated a lowest l/e value at 0.864 for IL111, displaying phase selectivity towards unsaturated FAME, with higher peak capacity within a carbon number isomer group. s and e descriptors calculated from LSER were validated by excellent correlation with dipole moments and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies, with R(2) values of 0.99 and 0.92 respectively, calculated using GAUSSIAN.
Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
Annie Xu
AX
Zeng
Sung-Tong
ST
Chin
Yada
Y
Nolvachai
Chadin
C
Kulsing
Leonard M
LM
Sidisky
Philip J
PJ
Marriott
D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D007536:Isomerism; D008745:Methylation; D008958:Models, Molecular
D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D052578:Ionic Liquids
Abraham descriptors; Equivalent chain length; Fatty acid separation; High resolution gas chromatography; Ionic liquid phases