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- Posts: 238
- Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2004 11:53 pm
It feels like a silly question, but I am trying to save face
While working on a project I developed an HPLC method to separate urea from some urea- and guanidine derivatives by UV. On validating the method we demonstrated some reasonable LOQ's, however the urea peak can be interfered by some background peaks from time to time (reagent quality, probably). My manager's boss (:shock:) came to me and asked if had I tried to GC urea. I said rhetorically (paraphrasing) "I don't think so; it'll decompose, won't it?" to which he replied "urea derivatives would likely decompose, but urea itself is surprisingly resilient". By this time I had already demonstrated that the derivatives wouldn't hold up to GC but I had not even bothered trying urea. I mean, for it's size it's a relatively high-melting solid. Physical data tells me it decomposes at just over 130°C.
With it's single carbon atom and the decomposition data am I backed that it wouldn't chromatograph well or am I going to have to prove it at work on Monday?
Thanks for any input.
