Dear colleagues,
I am trying to analyse a plasticizer solubilized in 50/50 ethyl acetate/butyl acetate by LC/MS, with a C18 column protected with a guard column (eluents : LC/MS grade Methanol or Acetonitrile, and water buffered by ammonium acetate).
Several time, the guard column has clogged, even when I filter the samples via 0.2 micron.
I am using polypropylen tips to prepare my samples.
Do you think ethyle or butyl acetate could solubilize a little the tips or dammage the column ?
Could you please recommend any method that you routinely used to prepare and filter your samples (e.g. that are sufficient resistant to exposure to aggressive organic solvents such as ethyl or butyl acetate)?
If you have any other idea of what could cause the clogging, don't hesitate to tell me.
Thank you very much !
Two basic questions which may guide you to a solution:
(1) Is your filter chemically compatible with the solvents you are running through it? Syringe filters are the most commonly used filters to prepare these small samples with, but the housing and membrane must be compatible with everything or they too will dissolve into your sample and clog or contaminate your LC/MS system. You can read more on this topic at the attached article, "Syringe Filter Selection for HPLC or LC/MS samples", link.
(2) Does your HPLC method start with mobile phase conditions which are 100% compatible with the sample? IOW: Will your sample dissolve completely in the starting mobile phase? It must do so or you will have a major problem.
http://hplctips.blogspot.com/2014/11/syringe-filter-selection-for-hplc-or.html
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Analytical Chemistry
- Column