Fast and sensitive determination of aluminium with RP-HPLC using an ultra-short monolithic column

• Published in: Analytical methods Vol. 3; no. 11; pp. 2488 - 2494
• Main Authors: Remenyi, Tomas A, Nesterenko, Pavel N, Bowie, Andrew R, Butler, Edward C. V, Haddad, Paul R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2011
• Subjects: Aluminium; Aluminum; Buffers; Calibration; Guards; Methyl alcohol; Recovery; Run time (computers)
• ISSN: 1759-9660; 1759-9679
• DOI: 10.1039/c1ay05192j

A fast and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid-chromatographic method for determination of aluminium in aqueous samples has been developed. The fluorescent aluminium-lumogallion complex ( λ ex 505 nm, λ em 574 nm), was formed with a pre-column reagent and then separated on a Chromolith® RP-18e Guard column using a two-tiered, stepped gradient program, with matrix elimination (5/95 (v/v) methanol/water), followed by elution (90/10 (v/v) methanol/water). This method achieved a run time of 2.5 min without compromising sensitivity (limit of detection = 5.6 × 10 −10 M, limit of quantification = 7.2 × 10 −7 M), precision (3.5% at 3.71 × 10 −6 M) or accuracy (recovery = 97.5% ± 3.2%, n = 5, P = 0.95). This represents an improvement in run time by >50% compared to the fastest previously published method [Lee et al. , Clin. Chem. , 1996, 42 , 1405-1411]. This method uses MES buffer (2-( N -morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid), which compared to other buffers is more easily purified, does not complex with aluminium, and can be used in lower concentrations. This method was applied to analysis of: deionised water for column comparison; seawater for matrix interference effects; and tea-infusion for calibration and recovery studies. Decreased analysis time and improved sensitivity for determination of aluminium in complex samples through the use of a monolithic guard column in the place of a conventional column.