Determination of dissolved thiols using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatographic determination of fluorescently derivatized thiolic compounds

A method employing solid-phase extraction coupled with HPLC separation of thiol-monobromobimane (mBBr) derivatives was developed and optimized to quantify dissolved thiols at concentrations as low as 0.1 nM for glutathione (GSH) and γ-glutamylcysteine (γEC) in natural waters. The reducing reagent, tri-n-butylphosphine (TBP), is needed for complete derivatization. At the optimal addition of TBP ([TBP]/[mBBr]=0.4–1.6), no interference from copper was observed. The thiol fluorescence signal was totally suppressed if the mole ratio of TBP to mBBr was 2.6 or greater. Consistent recovery of thiols standards in a NaCl solution (0.5 M) was obtained using the Waters HLB reversed-phase resin, and blank levels of GSH and γEC were extremely low (less than 0.03 nM). The detection limits for GSH, γEC and phytochelatin-2 (PC-2) were 0.03, 0.03, and 0.06 nM, respectively.