Sub-ambient ELSD for enhanced detection of semi-volatile compounds

ANYL 48

Stephen Bullock, ELSD@polymerlabs.com1, John A. McConville, PMC@polymerlabs.com2, and Chris LaClair, Chris.LaClair@polymerlabs.com2. (1) Polymer Laboratories Ltd, Now a part of Varian, Inc, Essex Road, Church Stretton, Shropshire, SY6 6AX, England, (2) Polymer Laboratories, Varian, Inc, Amherst Fields Research Park, 160 Old Farm Road, Amherst, MA 01002
When evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) was first introduced it was only applicable to non-volatile analytes, such as polymers and carbohydrates. It has now become the primary choice of detection for these non-UV absorbing compounds, since ELSD does not rely on the optical properties of the solute. ELSD also offers benefits in terms of baseline stability during gradient elution and uniform response of analytes.

More recently, the analysis of non-UV absorbing semi-volatile analytes, such as drug candidates, has demanded low temperature ELSD operation in order to maximise their detection. Consequently, modern ELS detectors are capable of analyzing compounds in highly aqueous eluents at ambient temperature.

However, for low molecular weight compounds, or compounds with low boiling points (eg short chain hydrocarbons) operating at ambient temperature is still too high and sensitivity to these analytes is very poor using ELSD. To improve the detection of these types of compounds, sub-ambient ELSD is required.

By operating at sub-ambient temperature the ELSD response of thermally sensitive compounds is improved and this presentation features the operation of an evaporative light scattering detector, operating at sub-ambient temperatures for range of HPLC applications. It also highlights the design improvements that are necessary to operate an ELSD at sub-ambient temperatures.

 

General Papers
7:00 PM-9:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Analytical Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006