Is it possible to use a HPLC with Evaporative Light Scattering Detector for the purpose of separating oligosaccharides ranging from DP1 - DP7?
Yes, you are right, but you can not get these oligosaccharides with ELSD detector.
We typically use a regular refractive index detector to detect oligosaccharides in this range. If you use an amine-based column, separation is straightforward. With a C-18 column, it is possible to see double peaks due to separation of the alpha and beta anomers of reducing sugars.
Out of curiosity, I would wonder why they cannot be detected by ELSD????
It is certainly possible. Go to the Waters home page (waters.com) and download their BEH Amide applications book. You will find several examples including oligosaccharides in the mass range you are interested. Most of the examples are for UPLC but you can do the same on HPLC using columns with 3 or 5 um particles
I believe the difficulty with ELSD is that elution buffer salts would also generate detector signal, with salt gradients you may get too much interference for detecting these sugars.
If all you want is a DP-based separation you can use GPC columns running isocratically on milli-Q and ELSD is a very good option for detection.
In case you want a structure-based separation the amide columns previously mentioned are OK too, but I don't know how the elution gradient would influence the ELSD.
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