Abstract:

Computer-assisted optimization of high performance liquid chromatographic separation conditions can be used to obtain optimized experimental conditions in relatively short time and low cost, and has been widely applied to the separation of complex samples. Based on “moving overlapping separation range map” method, a novel method of optimizing multi-segment stepwise gradient elution conditions, “adjustable moving overlapping separation range map” method, was developed. By predicting the retention time, peak width and resolution of each solute under different mobile phase conditions, the overlapping separation range map of the solutes in the sample is plotted. When the mobile phase composition on the current step is optimized, the overlapping separation range map for solutes eluted in next one or two steps is replotted simultaneously by considering the influence of elution conditions for current step on the retention of uneluted solutes. It is helpful to consider the separation of each solute in the sample simultaneously and find optimized separation conditions close to the global optimum by investigating the effect of mobile phase conditions for current step on the separation of solutes eluted in the current and next one or two steps. By slightly adjusting the optimized separation conditions using grid search method, the separation performance can be further improved. The application of “adjustable moving overlapping separation range map” method was illustrated by using experimental data from literature. The advantage of this method in high performance liquid chromatography was verified in binary mobile phase system.

Key words: adjustable moving overlapping separation range map , separation condition optimization, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)