Users' questions

How do you use trifluoroacetic acid?

How do you use trifluoroacetic acid?

At a low concentration, TFA is used as an ion pairing agent in liquid chromatography (HPLC) of organic compounds, particularly peptides and small proteins. TFA is a versatile solvent for NMR spectroscopy (for materials stable in acid). It is also used as a calibrant in mass spectrometry.

Which phase is used in HPLC?

The combination of a polar stationary phase and a nonpolar mobile phase is called normal-phase chromatography. In reversed-phase chromatography, which is the more common form of HPLC, the stationary phase is nonpolar and the mobile phase is polar.

Why do you add formic acid to mobile phase?

First of all formic acid makes your mobile phase compatibile to MS. It could improve resolution in case of proteins or peptides because it acts as ion pair agent however not very strong. The disadvantage of formic acid comes from its higher UV cut-off comparing to phosphoric acid.

What would happen if no TFA is added to the mobile phase?

When no TFA was added to the mobile phase, proteins have not been eluted from the stationary phase, even at relatively high (80% B) organic content.

Is trifluoroacetic acid a strong acid?

TFA is a stronger acid than acetic acid, having an acid ionisation constant, Ka, that is approximately 34,000 times higher, as the highly electronegative fluorine atoms and consequent electron-withdrawing nature of the trifluoromethyl group weakens the oxygen-hydrogen bond (allowing for greater acidity) and stabilises …

Why is trifluoroacetic acid used in HPLC?

TFA is widely used as a mobile phase additive in the HPLC separation of biological molecules, such as proteins and peptides, because it acts as an ion-pairing reagent and equilibrates quickly so that it can be used with gradient elution.

Which detector is used in HPLC?

UV detector
UV detector is a very commonly used detector for HPLC analysis. During the analysis, sample goes through a clear color-less glass cell, called flow cell. When UV light is irradiated on the flow cell, sample absorbs a part of UV light.

What is the role of pH in HPLC mobile phase?

When samples contain ionisable compounds, mobile phase pH can be one of the most important variables in the control of retention in a reversed‑phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) separation. Since most compounds analysed by RP-HPLC contain one or more acidic or basic functional groups, most mobile phases require pH control.

What makes a good mobile phase?

Mobile phase components should be non-hazardous and non-toxic. They should not pose any health hazard to the operator. Mobile phase shouId be inert towards sample constituents and the stationary phase. Any reactions can lead to formation of insoluble suspensions which can result in column blockages.

Why TFA is used in HPLC?

Which of the following is not a stationary phase?

4. Which of the following is not a stationary phase? Explanation: Solid-solid chromatography is not a stationary phase because solid-solid phase cannot provide any fluidity. Explanation: Liquid chromatography is a technique for separating ions that are dissolved in a solvent.

When is it important to add drops of trifluoroacetic acid during HPLC?

Polar ion groups in hydrophobic C8,C18 column is not desired. Since the retention of ionizable compounds is very sensitive to the mobile phase pH, it is necessary to control the pH of the mobile phase by the addition of a buffer. A buffer maintains the pH when a small amount of acid or base is added.

Which is better formic acid or TFA for HPLC?

Formic acid is a better ion-pairing agent than TFA, if you are using MS in line with HPLC. 0.1 % TFA works great for HPLC elutions. best wishes. most stationary HPLC phases based on silica particles are much more stable during longer time periods when the mobile phase is slightly acidic.

How to increase mobile phase flow rate in HPLC?

Use organic modifier in mobile phase 2. Increase buffer strength Increasing flow rate 1. Check and adjust pump flow rate (see 2.4) Column overloaded 1. Reduce amount of sample injected 2. Use column with larger i.d. Increasing Retention Times Changing mobile phase composition 1. Cover solvent reservoirs (see 2.1) 2.

What are the effects of TFA in HPLC?

Nothing in HPLC has only one effect The two most easily describable effects of TFA in the system you are proposing are: 1. pH control (somewhere around 2.1 if memory serves).