HPLC: High Pressure Liquid Chromatography

2013 Chem 413

Introduction
Chromatography can be described as a mass transfer process involving adsorption
using a nonpolar stationary phase and a mobile polar phase titrating through the column. The
active component of the column, the sorbent or the stationary phase, is typically a granular
material made of solid particles (e.g. silica, polymers, etc.), 2-50 m in size. The components of
the sample mixture are separated from each other by means of mobile phase and different
degrees of interaction with the sorbent particles based on their relative polarity. The pressurized
liquid is typically a mixture of solvents (e.g. water, acetonitrile and/or methanol). Its composition
and temperature plays a major role in the separation process by influencing the interactions
taking place between sample components and sorbent. These interactions are physical in
nature, such as hydrophobic, dipole-dipole or ionic.
High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a chromatographic technique used
to separate a mixture of compounds in analytical chemistry and biochemistry with the purpose
of identifying, quantifying or purifying the individual components of the mixture. Before the
invention of HPLC, chemists had column chromatography at their disposal, and column
chromatography was time consuming.
To speed up a classic column chromatography, chemists would have to use a short
column for separation, however this lead to poor separation of molecular components held
within solution. The basic setup of a classic column chromatography would include the column
that varied in I.D. from 10 to 50nm and column lengths of 50-500cm. The column was then
packed with the stationary phase ranging in particle size from 150 to 200 m thick. Chemists,
wanting to speed the separation process up, first experimented with the introduction of a
vacuum source or a high pressure source. However, they found with the increased negative or
positive pressure, the column length would have to be increase linearly in order to acquire a
valid separation that could be used for analytical data with a high confidence level. Chemists
realized that with the development of pressurized systems, reducing the particle size would
increase the efficiency. It was not until the late 60s that chemists and industrial engineering
process acquired adequate technology and manufacturing techniques to develop a smaller
grained stationary phase that would be cohesive with a pressurized system. Today, HPLC has
many uses including medical (e.g. detecting vitamin D levels in blood serum), legal (e.g.
detecting performance enhancement drugs in urine), research (e.g. separating the components
of a complex biological sample, or of similar synthetic chemicals from each other), and

manufacturing (e.g. during the production process of pharmaceutical and biological products),
(Kealey, 1987).
Block Diagram and Explanation
A basic block diagram of an HPLC is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Block Diagram of an HPLC

Your desired solvent mixture travels through capillary tubes, from the solvent reservoir to the
pump, where it is becomes highly pressurized. The pump is also used to control the flow rate of
the mobile phase substance,which is typically measured in mL/minute. The prepared sample is
then injected into the line, where it travels with the solvent into the HPLC column. There are
many different columns you can choose from, depending on the sample you want analyzed. As
the solvent moves through the column, molecules from your sample will stick to the silica in the
column and detach at different times, making them distinguishable from one another. The
detector detects when these molecules detach from the silica and reports the data in the form of
a chromatogram. Various types of detectors can be used such a UV-VIS, fluorescence, or an
evaporative-light scattering detector (ELSD). Once the solvent has traveled through the column
it goes into a waste container, or can be collected if desired.
The parameters of the HPLC, like any instrument, are important and are dependant on
your sample. The solvent mixture, containing a strong solvent and a weak solvent, will depend
on whether your sample is polar in nature or not. Common solvents include water, methanol and
acetonitrile. Two different solvent methods can be use, isocratic or gradient. With isocratic, the
solvent mixture stays the same, 50:50 for example. With a gradient, the solvent will start with a
100:0 ratio of weak solvent:strong solvent and increase in increments over time to the final

mixture ratio. Its important to flush the system before running your samples in order to insure
that the solvents used for the previous sample does not interfere with your samples. The mobile
phase flow rate is important and can range from 1-10 mL/min, though 1 mL/min is a good place
to start with most experiments. Its important to monitor pressure when adjusting the flow rate,
as the pressure should not exceed 400 bar. The injection can also vary in volume, anywhere
from 0.1-100.0 L. For concentrated samples, 3-5 L is appropriate and 25 L for dilute
samples. Starting with an injection of 10 L is typical. The temperature can be adjusted but for
most samples 25 C is adequate. The temperature setting should never exceed 50-60 C. You
also need to know what wavelengths in the UV-VIS spectrum you want to monitor. A diode array
detector has a range of 210-400 nm and for samples, the default program setting are fine. The
HPLC at UAF is an Agilent 1100 Series and is located in downstairs instrument room. (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Labeled Agilent 1100 Series HPLC at UAF

HPLC data is given in the form of a chromatogram, which looks much like data from
other instruments. (Figure 3)

Figure 3: Example HPLC Chromatogram (Mixture of Perfume and Water)1

The x-axis is labeled with a time unit, typically minutes, and the y-axis can be a variety of things
depending on the specifics of each experiment. For example, if you were using a UV-VIS
element as a detector, the y-axis would be labeled absorbance. From the chromatogram,
compounds can be both identified and their concentrations quantitated. The tools found within
the HPLC software on the computer can be extremely useful in analyzing a chromatogram. You
can determine peak height, peak area and also see the specific spectrum associated with a
given peak.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hplc-perfume-chromatogram.png

Individual Component Diagrams

Figure 4: Degasser for the HPLC. This is has small tubes with small holes in them that allows the
escape of the gas as it travels through the vacuum. It does not allow any liquid to go through though.

Figure 5: The pump of the HPLC, moves the solvent from the jars on the top of the machine to the
auto sampler

Figure 6: Autosampler, this allows for multiple samples to be run with the same method without
having to have an individual standing there monitoring and changing the sample every 30 minutes.

Figure 7: The column. This is where the sample and the solvent are passed through allowing the
sample to cling to the packing at different times due to the difference in the chemical composition.
These differing times are called retention times. And can be used to help analyze the sample.

Figure 8: The diode array.

HPLC Instrument Operation

Safety Precautions: Make sure all waste is properly disposed of in designated containers. Make
sure youve reviewed the MSDSs for the solvents that you are using.
1. Check solvent bottles and waste container. Be sure the necessary
solvents are present and bottles are full. Also, note the location of the
solvent bottles (A1, A2, B1, B2) you will use (see diagram right). All
solvents must be HPLC-grade and filtered. Also, make sure that your
waste container has adequate space.
2. Connect your column. After deciding which column you should use, mount it on the
column holder (Figure 2) and connect the injection and waste lines to the column. The
arrow(s) on the column
will indicate the direction
of flow. All connections
to the pump should be finger tight.
3. Add samples to autosampler. Insert your sample(s) into the autosampler and note of
which slot your samples are in.
Samples that are to be analyzed with HPLC should have a concentration of about 1 mg/mL (ref).
All samples must be filtered using a syringe and ~25 m filter (ref). Unfiltered samples run the
risk of damaging the column. Degassed samples are best, as bubbles can cause complications
with the instrument. The solvents used in preparing your samples should be the same mixture
as the mobile phase you plan to run through the column.
4. Turn on the instrument in correct order. It is essential to turn on the components of the
HPLC in the correct order:
a. Enter your name and solvent
information in the log book.
b. Log onto to computer.
Username: Administrator and
password: 3000hanover.
c. Turn on the interface and wait
until it beeps and reads not ready (~1 minute).
d. Make sure that the interface and computer are communicating by looking at the CAG
Bootup server.

e. Turn on the 5 components of the

HPLC in order:
i. column,
ii. diode array,
iii. autosampler,
iv. pump, and
v. degasser.
Allow these systems to power up for
2-3 minutes.
f.

Before you open the software on

the computer, allow time for the
autosampler to stop moving.
This indicates the instrument is ready. Click on the Instrument 1
ONLINE icon on the desktop.

g. If you plan to use the Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD):

i.

turn on the instrument by switch in the back.

ii. turn on the gas tank near the instrument (flow should be 3.5
bar or 51 psi)
iii. Turn on light
iv. Temperature should be 60 C for a aqueous mobile phase and
40 C for an organic mobile phase. Flow rate should be 1ml/ min.
v. Connect the detector inlet after the UV detector.
5. Flush lines with proper solvent mix. If you were not the last user, be sure to flush the
lines with the solvent mixture you will be using. To do this,
a. Disconnect column inlet and drain inlet line into a waste container.
Cap the column so the column does not dry out.
b. Select your solvent mixture. Under the Instrument tab at the top select Set up
Pump. This will bring you to the setup menu.
i. Enter your desired flow rate, stop time, and solvent mixture. The flow should
be anywhere from 1-2 mL/min, depending on the manufacturer
recommendations for your specific column.

ii. To change the solvent

mixture, adjust the percent of
solvent B and the computer
will automatically adjust the
percent for solvent A.
iii. Make sure that the numbers
in the Timetable (outlined in
red) match the numbers
entered for time, %B, flow
and max pressure above,
otherwise the system will freak out. Hit OK and now you can flush the lines.
iv. Under the Instrument tab at the top select System On to turn on the pump,
thermostat and DAD. Allow the lines to flush until the pressure is stable.
v. Once the lines are done flushing, you can turn off the pump by clicking on the
pump icon and selecting Controls.
vi. Select Off in the upper left hand corner and click OK. Once the pump is off,
you can reconnect the injection line to the column.
vii. Once the column is connected turn the pump back on by going back into the
pump controls and selecting On then hitting OK. Monitor the pressure to
make sure it doesnt exceed the specifications of your column.
viii. If you are using the ELSD, connect it behind the UV
detector after flushing column for a few minutes.
6. Create a method.
a. Under the Method tab, select Load Method, or New Method.
b. Under the Method tab, select Edit Entire Method. This will walk
you through the setup of your method.
c. Edit Edit Method pop up window. Check
all boxes and click OK.
d. Edit Method Information. Here you can
make notes about your sample, the
solvents used and any other information
you might need. Click OK.

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e. Edit Set up Pump. These should

be the same parameters you used
to flush the lines. Be sure that the
flow rate, solvent mixture, and max
pressure are the same in the top
portion of the screen are the same
as in the timetable portion below.
Click OK.
f.

Edit Set up Injector. This is the amount of your

sample that will be injected. Standard injection
volumes are 3-5 L (ref?). The optimization for
most experiments can be set to none.

g. Edit ADC1 ADC Signal. This window controls the Light Scattering Detector (ELSD).
The default settings seem to function. Select OK.
h. Edit ADC1 Timed Event Table.

i.

Edit DAD Signals. In this tab,

select which wavelengths you want to monitor. You can monitor up to 5 wavelengths
at a time, A-E.
Make sure that you have the boxes checked next to the wavelengths you want
to monitor.
You can select UV and/or VIS lamps by checking the boxes next to them on the right.
You can also select which spectra you want stored, but its a good idea to save it all.

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j.

Edit Column Thermostat Method.

Next you need to set up your
thermostat and select which column
you are running.
For most experiments 24*C is an
acceptable temperature.
Select either Column 1 or Column 2
from the drop down menu on the right.
The injection lines for the respective
columns are labeled with small pieces of
colored tape so you know when column
you have connected, 1 or 2.

k. Edit Signal Details. From the pulldown

menu, select which signals to monitor in the
main window. Add a signal to your method
by selecting which
signal you want in the
pulldown menu and
clicking Add to
Method. Click OK.
l.

Edit Integration
Information. The
default settings for
this are adequate so
just click OK.

m. Edit Specify Report. The next step is the report menu.

Select where and how you want your data to be saved. DO
NOT select to print your data since the instrument is not
hooked up to a printer.
Other than the Destination parameters, all the default
setting are adequate.
n. Edit Instrument Curves. Select which signals you overlayed
in the data report. For example, you can select the Flow

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option and a spectrum of the flow rate will be

overlayed on the spectral data collected from the UV.
o. Edit Run Time Checklist. Enter any commands to
be carried out before or after you run a sample.
Typically, these commands are unnecessary and you
can just leave it blank and select OK.
p. Save your method. Under the Method tab select
Save Method and you can name your method and
save it to a location of your choosing. Make sure that
you dont save over an existing method.
7. Set up Sample Run.
a. Load Method. Under method tab, click Load Method. Review your method
parameters by selecting Edit Entire Method under the Method tab.
b. Next, go to the Instrument tab and select System On. This will turn on the pump,
lamp and thermostat. This can also be done by clicking on button on the bottom
right of the window showing the column conditions.
8. Setting up a single sample.
Start run by clicking on the
Single Sample Icon. From here,
click on the vial icon, below the
green Start button, and select
9. Sample Info. From this menu,
you can edit the information
about your sample. You can
edit the operator name, the
subdirectory where the file will be saved, the prefix
and sample number for your sample, as well as any
additional information in the bottom box. Its a good
idea to make the prefix for the sample the date that it
was collected. You also need to input the location of
the sample, the numbered slot your vial is in within
the autosampler.

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Hit the green Start button. The data collected will appear on the screen and be
automatically saved to the location you designated previously.
10. Setting up several samples. You can also
run a sequence of samples, so long as theyre
all using the same mobile phase.
a. Under the Sequence tab, select
Sequence table. Edit this table with
the appropriate information. Be
especially carful to selec the
appropriate method and use the
correct autosampler position.
b. Select the sequence icon in the upper
left of the screen.
c. Click the green Start button
11. Running samples.
a. Once the sample information has been entered and the system is on and ready to
run a sample, many parts of the window will turn green. Including the autosampler,

the instrument injector, column, and detector. Also the green box under the single/
multiple sampler.
b. the click the green Start button to start the run.
c. Once a run has started, the green boxes will turn blue.

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12. Viewing your data. The data collected will appear on the screen and be automatically
saved to the location you designated previously.
You can also choose which spectra you want to
view in the main window by clicking the Change
button and adding or removing spectra from the
viewing window. Pressure is one that you should
always be monitoring.
13. Shut down Instrument. Before closing the
software, turn of the pump by clicking on the
pump icon, selecting Controls and selecting
the Off option in the upper left-hand are of
the screen. You can then exit the software.
When asked if youd like to turn off the pump,
thermostat and lamp select Yes. Once the solware is closed, you can turn off the
instrument components and lastly the interface. You should turn off the instrument in the
reverse order that you turned it on.
Be sure to clean up the instrument area, empty waste bottles, remove your solvent
bottles, et when you are finished.
14. Viewing and exporting your data. You can export the data that you collect from the
computer as a CSV file to be opened in Excel later.
a. Open the Instrument 1 Offline software. From here you can open your saved data
by going to File and Load Signal. Find your saved data and select which sample
data youd like to look at. All data is saved in the d:/ drive and within the Data folder.
You shouldve created a folder when you ran your samples.
If you have trouble connecting your data files to samples, use the file information
button just below the files listed. This will give you the information from the file run
sequence. With the file naming convention (ex: 001-0203) is the first three digits
correspond to autosampler position (001) the next two (02) correspond to position in
run sequence, and the last two digits correspond to replicates (03).

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b. Once you have your

data open, you can go
to File then Export
and select CSV. A
box will pop up and
here you can select
which signal you want
to export. Select the
Signal option on the
left-hand side and click
OK.
c. Make sure you note where the computer is
saving the data to. Also, add a number after
export in the file name, otherwise the
software will just keep replacing the same file
over and over. After that you can select which
signal you want to export.
d. Once you have exported the data, you can
copy the file to a flash drive to be opened in
Excel later.

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Troubleshooting
In case of disaster contacts: Dr. Hayes, Dr, Iceman, Dr. Green or his lab members, Dr. Rasley.
One of the most common errors in not turning on the instrument components in the
correct order. Take the time to make sure you do this to avoid any problems. If the software
gives you a specific error code, consult the various manuals, located in a big stack next to the
HPLC computer, and once you find the specific error code, the manuals will walk you through
how to correct the error. Otherwise Mike Jaramillo, Adai, and Professor Rasley can all help with
the HPLC.
If the pressure randomly drops, this could indicate a leak. Make sure that no solvent drips onto
the instrument otherwise censors will register a leak and shut the instrument down.

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Instrument Maintenance
Always make sure that you empty any waste containers after using the HPLC. It is a
good idea to run a test for a column that hasnt been used recently or is old, to make sure that it
is working properly and hasnt been contaminated.

References

Introduction to Modern Liquid Chromatography, 2nd ed,. New York: Wiley, 1979

S. Lindsay, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, New York, Wiley, 1992

Operating Manual, High Performance Liquid Chromatograph, Agilent 1100; VWD, DAD,
FLD, and RID.
http://share.psu.ac.th/system/assets/media/files/000/007/356/original_Operating_Manual
_HPLC_1100.pdf?1306827231

Jaramillo, Mike. SOP for Agilent 1100 Series HPLC Instrument

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