Martin Enmark

Evaluation of co-solvent fraction, pressure and temperature effects in analytical and preparative supercritical fluid chromatography

A chemometric approach is used for studying the combined effect of temperature, pressure and co-solvent fraction in analytical and preparative supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). More specifically, by utilizing design of experiments coupled with careful measurements of the experimental conditions the interaction between pressure, temperature and co-solvent fraction was studied with respect to productivity, selectivity and retention in chiral SFC. A tris-(3,5-dimethylphenyl) carbamoyl cellulose stationary phase with carbon dioxide/methanol as mobile phase and the two racemic analytes trans-stilbene oxide (TSO) and 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) were investigated. It was found for the investigated model system that the co-solvent fraction and pressure were the parameters that most affected the retention factors and that the co-solvent fraction and column temperature were most important for controlling the selectivity. The productivity in the preparative mode of SFC was most influenced by the co-solvent fraction and temperature. Both high co-solvent fraction and temperature gave maximum productivity in the studied design space.

Determination of adsorption isotherms in supercritical fluid chromatography

In this study we will demonstrate the potential of modern integrated commercial analytical SFC-systems for rapid and reliable acquisition of thermodynamic data. This will be done by transferring the following adsorption isotherm determination methods from liquid chromatography (LC) to supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC): Elution by Characteristic Points (ECP), the Retention Time Method (RTM), the Inverse Method (IM) and the Perturbation Peak (PP) method. In order to transfer these methods to SFC in a reliable, reproducible way we will demonstrate that careful system verification using external sensors of mass flow, temperature and pressure are needed first. The adsorption isotherm data generated by the different methods were analyzed and compared and the adsorption isotherms ability to predict new experimental elution profiles was verified by comparing experiments with simulations. It was found that adsorption isotherm data determined based on elution profiles, i.e., ECP, IM and RTM, were able to accurately predict overloaded experimental elution profiles while the more tedious and time-consuming PP method, based on small injections on concentration plateaus, failed in doing so.

Fast estimation of adsorption isotherm parameters in gradient elution preparative liquid chromatography. I: the single component case.

The inverse method is a numeric method for fast estimation of adsorption isotherm parameters directly from overloaded elution profiles. However, it has previously only been used for isocratic experiments. Here we will extend the inverse method so it can be used for gradient elution too. This extended inverse method will make it possible to study the adsorption of substances whose retention factor vary strongly with the mobile-phase composition, like peptides and proteins, where the classic methods will fail. Our extended inverse method was verified using both simulations and real experiments. For simulated overloaded elution profiles we were able to determine almost exact Langmuir adsorption isotherm parameters with the new approach. From real experimental data, bi-Langmuir adsorption parameters were estimated using both the perturbation peak method and the extended inverse method. The shape of the acquired adsorption isotherms did match over the considered concentration range; however, the adsorption isotherm parameters found with the two methods were not the same. This is probably due to the fact that adsorption isotherm estimated with the inverse method is only a good approximation up to the highest eluted concentration in the used chromatograms. But this is not a serious drawback from a process point of view where the main objective is to make accurate predictions of elution profiles. The bi-Langmuir adsorption isotherm obtained with both methods could accurately predict the shape of overloaded elution profiles.

A systematic investigation of algorithm impact in preparative chromatography with experimental verifications.

Computer-assisted optimization of chromatographic separations requires finding the numerical solution of the Equilibrium-Dispersive (ED) mass balance equation. Furthermore, the competitive adsorption isotherms needed for optimization are often estimated numerically using the inverse method that also solves the ED equations. This means that the accuracy of the estimated adsorption isotherm parameters explicitly depends on the numerical accuracy of the algorithm that is used to solve the ED equations. The fast and commonly used algorithm for this purpose, the Rouchon Finite Difference (RFD) algorithm, has often been reported not to be able to accurately solve the ED equations for all practical preparative experimental conditions, but its limitations has never been completely and systematically investigated. In this study, we thoroughly investigate three different algorithms used to solve the ED equations: the RFD algorithm, the Orthogonal Collocation on Finite Elements (OCFE) method and a Central Difference Method (CDM) algorithm, both for increased theoretical understanding and for real cases of industrial interest. We identified discrepancies between the conventional RFD algorithm and the more accurate OCFE and CDM algorithms for several conditions, such as low efficiency, increasing number of simulated components and components present at different concentrations. Given high enough efficiency, we experimentally demonstrate good prediction of experimental data of a quaternary separation problem using either algorithm, but better prediction using OCFE/CDM for a binary low efficiency separation problem or separations when the compounds have different efficiency. Our conclusion is to use the RFD algorithm with caution when such conditions are present and that the rule of thumb that the number of theoretical plates should be greater than 1000 for application of the RFD algorithm is underestimated in many cases.

Evaluation of scale-up from analytical to preparative supercritical fluid chromatography.

An approach for reliable transfer from analytical to preparative scale supercritical fluid chromatography was evaluated. Here, we accounted for the conditions inside the columns as well as to the fact that most analytical instruments are volume-controlled while most preparative scale units are mass-controlled. The latter is a particular problem when performing pilot scale experiments and optimizations prior to scaling up to production scale. This was solved by measuring the mass flow, the pressure and the temperature on the analytical unit using external sensors. Thereafter, it was revealed with a design of experiments approach that the methanol fraction and the pressure are the two most important parameters to control for preserved retention throughout the scale-up; for preserved selectivity the temperature was most important in this particular system. Using this approach, the resulting chromatograms from the preparative unit agreed well with those from the analytical unit while keeping the same column length and particles size. A brief investigation on how the solute elution volume varies with the volumetric flow rate revealed a complex dependency on pressure, density and apparent methanol content. Since the methanol content is a parameter of great importance to control during the scale up, we must be careful when changing operational and column design conditions which generates deviations in pressure, density and methanol content between different columns.

Characterization of an unusual adsorption behavior of racemic methyl-mandelate on a tris-(3,5-dimethylphenyl) carbamoyl cellulose chiral stationary phase

An interesting adsorption behavior of racemic methyl mandelate on a tris-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)carbamoyl cellulose chiral stationary phase was theoretically and experimentally investigated. The overloaded band of the more retained enantiomer had a peculiar shape indicating a type V adsorption isotherm whereas the overloaded band of the less retained enantiomer had a normal shape indicating a type I adsorption behavior. For a closer characterization of this separation, adsorption isotherms were determined and analyzed using an approach were Scatchard plots and adsorption energy distribution (AED) calculations are combined for a deeper analysis. It was found that the less retained enantiomer was best described by a Tóth adsorption isotherm while the second one was best described with a bi-Moreau adsorption isotherm. The latter model comprises non-ideal adsorbate-adsorbate interactions, providing an explanation to the non-ideal adsorption of the more retained enantiomer. Furthermore, the possibility of using the Moreau model as a local model for adsorption in AED calculations was evaluated using synthetically generated raw adsorption slope data. It was found that the AED accurately could predict the number of adsorption sites for the generated data. The adsorption behavior of both enantiomers was also studied at several different temperatures and found to be exothermic; i.e. the adsorbate-adsorbate interaction strength decreases with increasing temperature. Stochastic analysis of the adsorption process revealed that the average amount of adsorption/desorption events increases and the sojourn time decreases with increasing temperature.

Enantioseparation of omeprazole—Effect of different packing particle size on productivity

Enantiomeric separation of omeprazole has been extensively studied regarding both product analysis and preparation using several different chiral stationary phases. In this study, the preparative chiral separation of omeprazole is optimized for productivity using three different columns packed with amylose tris (3,5-dimethyl phenyl carbamate) coated macroporous silica (5, 10 and 25 μm) with a maximum allowed pressure drop ranging from 50 to 400 bar. This pressure range both covers low pressure process systems (50-100 bar) and investigates the potential for allowing higher pressure limits in preparative applications in a future. The process optimization clearly show that the larger 25 μm packing material show higher productivity at low pressure drops whereas with increasing pressure drops the smaller packing materials have substantially higher productivity. Interestingly, at all pressure drops, the smaller packing material result in lower solvent consumption (L solvent/kg product); the higher the accepted pressure drop, the larger the gain in reduced solvent consumption. The experimental adsorption isotherms were not identical for the different packing material sizes; therefore all calculations were recalculated and reevaluated assuming identical adsorption isotherms (with the 10 μm isotherm as reference) which confirmed the trends regarding productivity and solvent consumption.

Chemometric evaluation of the combined effect of temperature, pressure, and co-solvent fractions on the chiral separation of basic pharmaceuticals using actual vs set operational conditions

The need to determine the actual operational conditions, instead of merely using the set operational conditions, was investigated for in packed supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) by design of experiments (DoE) using a most important type of compounds, pharmaceutical basics, as models. The actual values of temperature, pressure, and methanol levels were recorded and calculated from external sensors, while the responses in the DoE were the retention factors and selectivity. A Kromasil CelluCoat column was used as the stationary phase, carbon dioxide containing varying methanol contents as the mobile phase, and the six racemates of alprenolol, atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol, clenbuterol, and mianserin were selected as model solutes. For the retention modeling, the most important term was the methanol fraction followed by the temperature and pressure. Significant differences (p<0.05) between most of the coefficients in the retention models were observed when comparing models from set and actual conditions. The selectivity was much less affected by operational changes, and therefore was not severely affected by difference between set and actual conditions. The temperature differences were usually small, maximum ±1.4°C, whereas the pressure differences were larger, typically approximately +10.5bar. The set and actual fractions of methanol also differed, usually by ±0.4 percentage points. A cautious conclusion is that the primary reason for the discrepancy between the models is a mismatch between the set and actual methanol fractions. This mismatch is more serious in retention models at low methanol fractions. The study demonstrates that the actual conditions should almost always be preferred.

Evaluation and analysis of environmentally sustainable methodologies for extraction of betulin from birch bark with a focus on industrial feasibility

Betulin from birch bark was extracted using two principally different extraction methodologies – classical Reflux Boiling (RB) and Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE). The extraction methods were analyzed based on both recovery and purity as well as for RB industrial feasibility. The purity and recovery for the different extraction methods were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled with three different detection principles: Diode Array Detection (DAD), Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Charged Aerosol Detection (CAD). The chromatographic purity was determined by all detections whereas the DAD was used also for complementary gravimetric calculations of the purity of the extracts. The MS detection (in MS and MS/MS modes) was mainly used to characterize the impurities. Two steps to increase the purity of RB extracts were evaluated – pre-boiling the bark in water and precipitation by adding water to the extract. Finally, the methods were compared in terms of amounts of betulin produced and solvent consumed. The RB method including a precipitation step produced the highest purity of betulin. However, results indicate that PLE using three cycles with the precipitation step gives similar purities as for RB. The PLE method produced up to 1.6 times higher amount of extract compared to the RB method. However, the solvent consumption (liter solvent per gram product) for PLE was around 4.5 times higher as compared to the classical RB. PLE performed with only one extraction cycle gave results more similar to RB with 1.2 times higher yield and 1.4 times higher solvent consumption. The RB process was investigated on an industrial scale using a model approach and several important key-factors could be identified. The most energy demanding step was the recycling of extraction solvent which motivates that solvent consumption should be kept low and calculations show a great putative energy reduction by decreasing the ethanol concentration used in the RB process to lower than 90%.

Choice of Model for Estimation of Adsorption Isotherm Parameters in Gradient Elution Preparative Liquid Chromatography

The inverse method is a numerical method for fast estimation of adsorption isotherm parameters directly from a few overloaded elution profiles and it was recently extended to adsorption isotherm acquisition in gradient elution conditions. However, the inverse method in gradient elution is cumbersome due to the complex adsorption isotherm models found in gradient elution. In this case, physicochemically correct adsorption models have very long calculation times. The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of using a less complex adsorption isotherm model, with fewer adjustable parameters, but with preserved/acceptable predictive abilities. We found that equal or better agreement between experimental and predicted elution profiles could be achieved with less complex models. By being able to select a model with fewer adjustable parameters, the calculation times can be reduced by at least a factor of 10.