The hydrophilic interaction like properties of some reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography columns in the analysis of basic compounds

The hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) like properties of an ACE cyano (CN) HPLC column was studied for the separation of some basic compounds. Good separation of a test mix of basic compounds was obtained with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/water (95:5) containing 3.25 mM ammonium acetate. The retention times of the basic compounds decreased with increased ionic strength or with increased water content in the mobile phase. When Trishydroxymethyl aminomethane (Tris) (pKa 8.0), which is a weaker amine than ammonia (pKa 9.3), was used as an additive in the mobile phase retention of the basic compounds was increased. The ACE CN column gave excellent peak shapes for all the basic compounds. The utility of the column for impurity profiling of two basic drugs was tested and some impurities in oxprenolol were characterised by interfacing with Fourier transform mass spectrometry. It was also observed that ACE butyl and ACE phenyl columns retained basic compounds when the columns were eluted with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/water (95:5) containing 3.25 mM ammonium acetate.