Column Classification and Selection for the Determination of Antibiotics by Micellar Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

Seven commercially available: Zorbax C₁₈, Kromasil C₁₈, C₈, cyano, phenyl, monolithic, and amino stationary phase columns, have been characterized and classified into broadly similar types to simplify column choice. The results were evaluated employing cluster analysis, which shows several interesting groups based on distances (Minkowski and Euclidean) in agreement with the manufacturer's claims: chain density of the stationary phase used, and the presence or not of a silica base. Finally, results showed that C₁₈ columns offer the best chromatographic characteristics for separation and quantification of antibiotics in micellar liquid chromatography.

Keywords:

• Amoxicillin
• Cluster analysis
• Dendrogram
• Micellar mobile phase
• Norfloxacin
• SDS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was part of Projects CTQ2007–64473/BQU and P1–1B2006-12 funded by MEC and Fundació Caixa Castelló-Bancaixa-Universitat Jaume I, respectively. Maria Rambla-Alegre also thanks MEC for the FPU grant.