Chromatography Forum

I want to separate 1,3 propanediol and 2,3 butanediol and glycerol from a very complex fermentation mixture.
Fortunately, I just got hold of a triple quad. Does anyone know of a column chemistry that would likely separate
those compounds. I'm thinking Hilic but have mostly used only amino or amide phases.

I would try amino phase column first.

Rod

See:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256104/

Nice article, Karen.

Thanks for finding this amino phase LC column method for the poster.

I am sure the poster appreciates your time and effort.

best wishes,

Rod

Nice article, Karen.
Thanks for finding this amino phase LC column method for the poster.

They used an Aminex 87H Ion exclusion column.

I am sure the poster appreciates your time and effort.

I bet that is very close to what they are doing...

It took me less than a minute with google to find it ... I figured one of the Aminex columns would work... I do think an amine column would work but I tend to shy away from them because with fermentation broth they tend to die rather quickly.

In my lab I would first try a UPLC HILIC Amide column with ELSD detection (yes you can see glycerol by ELSD) , as amide columns are bit more stable than amine columns and UPLC could be much faster. That said depending on what is in the broth, Amides can die quickly too.

- Karen

I want to separate 1,3 propanediol and 2,3 butanediol and glycerol from a very complex fermentation mixture.... Does anyone know of a column chemistry that would likely separate
those compounds.

GC ! GC ! GC !

I want to separate 1,3 propanediol and 2,3 butanediol and glycerol from a very complex fermentation mixture.... Does anyone know of a column chemistry that would likely separate
those compounds.

GC ! GC ! GC !

If there are a lot of samples, doing this from fermentation broth will mean changing liners very often... In addition if they are monitoring fermentations, they probably also want sugars... and you can probably get those plus these analytes in a single injection without derivitization with the above LC columns.

- Karen

I think Karen's advice is on target.

Rod

I have an amide and will try it. I can separate the species with my Biorad 87H column but the mixture
is so complicated it's impossible to quantitate things by RID. And then I don't want to run 10mMol sulfuric
into my triple quad.

I tried GC and can measure some things but it's not linear at all. At the low end the compounds drop off
unexpectedly due (I assume) to active site adsorption or decomp on the injector.

Your experience sounds very reasonable and is not surprising at all.

Perhaps a size exclusion sample prep might help?

Good luck.

Rod