Semi-preparative high-resolution recycling liquid chromatography.

A semi-preparative high-resolution system based on twin column recycling liquid chromatography was built. The integrated system includes a binary pump mixer, a sample manager, a two-column oven compartment, two low-dispersion detection cells, and a fraction manager (analytical). It addresses challenges in drug/impurity purification, which involve several constraints simultaneously: (1) small selectivity factors (α < 1.2, poor resolution), (2) mismatch of elution strength between the sample diluent and the eluent causing severe band fronting or tailing, (3) diluent-to-eluent mismatch of viscosity causing viscous fingering and unpredictable band deformation, (4) low abundance of the impurity relative to the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) (<1/100), and (5) yield and purity levels to be larger than 99% and 90%, respectively. The prototype system was tested for the preparation of a trace impurity present in a concentrated solution of an API, estradiol. The ultimate goal was to collect ∼1 mg of impurity (>90% purity) for unambiguous structure elucidation by liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR 600 MHz and above). First, the particle size (3.5 µm) used to pack the 4.6 mm × 150 mm long twin columns is selected so that the speed-resolution of the recycling process is maximized at 4000 psi pressure drop. Next, the production rate of the process is also maximized by determining the optimum number (7) of cycles and the corresponding largest sample volume (160 µL) to be injected. Finally, the process is fully automated by programming the time events related to (1) sample cleaning, (2) transfer of the targeted impurity from one to the second twin column, and (3) impurity collection. The process was tested without interruption during one week for the collection of a trace impurity (α = 1.166, strong acetonitrile-methanol sample diluent, concentration ∼2 mg/L) from a concentrated (10 g/L) stock solution (60 mL total) of estradiol. The process enriches the impurity content relative to the API by about a factor ∼5000. For the lack of a sufficient collected amount (∼120 µg only) of the pure impurity (purity 50% only), NMR experiments could not provide reliable results. Instead, the combination of LC-MS (single ion monitoring) and UV absorption spectra (λmax shift) revealed that the targeted impurity was likely the low-abundant enol tautomeric form of the ketone estrone, a possible intermediate or by-product of the synthesis reaction of estradiol.

Performance optimization of ultra high-resolution recycling liquid chromatography.

The optimization of a twin-column recycling separation process (TCRSP) for maximum resolution or maximum speed-resolution was investigated. The general optimization method was based on the construction of kinetic plots by assuming an ideal TCRSP (no efficiency loss upon recycling). For the optimization, we examined three chromatographic parameters: operation pressure (3000, 6000, 9000, and 12,000psi), column length (10, 15, and 25cm), and column inner diameter (i.d.) (2.1, 3.0, and 4.6mm). Accordingly, the highest TCRSP resolution level is expected for 25cm long columns packed with 2.5, 2.0, 1.7, and 1.6µm particles at pressures of 3000, 6000, 9000, and 12,000psi, respectively. The maximum speed-resolution performance is expected for 10cm columns packed with 3.7, 3.0, 2.6, and 2.4µm particles. 3.0mm i.d. columns are best to minimize the negative impacts of thermal and inter-column dispersion effects on the TCRSP performance. The method was illustrated for the challenging separation (selectivity factor α<1.02) of small molecules in RPLC at a maximum pressure of 6000psi using commercially available columns. Accordingly, 3.0×150mm columns packed with 2.5µm cellulose-1 Trefoil particles (chiral separation, γ-phenylbutyrolactone, α=1.01, efficiency N=4500) and 2.7µm Cortecs-C18 particles (isotope separation, α=1.02, N=14, 500) particles were found to be the most suitable columns to maximize speed-resolution performance. Further optimization of the TCRSP performance was required by reducing the inter-column sample dispersion that could cause undesirable peak tailing. A standard 2.4µL Rheodyne valve and 100µm i.d. tubes were replaced with a home-made 0.5µL low-dispersion prototype valve and 75µm i.d. perfect connection tubes. As a result, the experimental resolution factors were increased by +60% (γ-phenylbutyrolactone, 25 cycles, Rs=0.7→1.1) and +80% (deuterated benzenes, 22 cycles, Rs=1.1→2.0). Direct comparison between the experimental and the predicted TCRSP performance unambiguously demonstrated that the resolution gain was explained by the significant reduction of the peak tailing after a large number of cycles (n>20).

Applications of high-resolution recycling liquid chromatography: From small to large molecules.

A twin-column recycling separation process (TCRSP) is assembled and used to generate higher speed and/or higher resolution levels than those of the usual non-recycling process at the same back pressure. It enables the users to solve very challenging separation problems caused by too small selectivity factors and/or too low column efficiencies. The relative gain in speed-resolution performance increases with increasing the number of cycles in the TCRSP, decreasing the maximum allowable pressure imposed by the LC system, decreasing the column permeability, and with reducing the separation speed. TCRSP is then particularly attractive for conventional LC systems (5000psi maximum) and columns packed with sub-2µm to 3.5µm particles. The performance of the real TCRSP was compared to that of the ideal TCRSP for which the retention factor is strictly pressure-independent. A broad range of separation problems encountered in conventional non-recycling chromatography can be easily solved by using a TCRSP assembly based on two 15cm long columns. Under adsorption conditions, the TCRSP enables the full baseline separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) isomers (benzo[a]anthracene and chrysene) on a 3.5µm XSelect-HSS T3 phase, the complete or improved resolution of racemic mixtures (4-phenylbutanol and bromacil) using the same 2.5µm cellulose-1 chiral stationary phase, and the full resolution of isotopic compounds (benzene/1,3,5-benzene-d3/benzene-d6) on a 2.7µm Cortecs-C18 phase. Under non-adsorption conditions or in size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), the fractionation of a polystyrene standard mixture (molecular weights of 35, 66, 130, 277, 552, 1210, and 2500kDa) was completed after only 8 cycles on a 1.7µm BEH 200Åphase. Similarly, a mixture of intact proteins with molecular weights of 16.7, 66.4, 150, 660, and 1320kDa was fully resolved on a 2.5µm BEH 450Åphase after only 6 cycles. Finally, TCRSP enables the complete separation of a few high-molecular-weight species (monoclonal antibody aggregates, small relative abundance of 1 for 250) from the intact monomeric monoclonal antibody (Vectibix).