Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Gaucher
University of Co!gary
Calgary, Alberto, Cenada
An lntrodu<tion to Chromatog raphy
(1early for the practicing chemist and the column. Soon after this in 1944 Consden, Gordon,
particularly for the practicing biochemist an u nder- and Martin (7) replaced the silica gel support by strips
standing of basic chromatographic principies along of paper and so initiated the wide-spread use of pa per
with a working knowledge of the varíous types of chrmnatagraphy. In the same year, Craig (8) estab-
chromatography are indispensable. Thus the object of lished the usefulness of the non-chromatographic
this presentation is to serve as a preliminary practica! multiple partition separation technique of counter
introduction and guide to chromatography . current clistribution by developing the first practical
apparatus. A subsequent design by Craig and co-
Historical Development ( J ) workers (9, 10) is still in use today. A further advance
The separation technique known as chromatography in partition chromatography occurred in 1952 when
was extensively used and described for the first time by James and Martin (11 ) published the first account of
Tswett (2, 3), a Russian chemist-botanist in 1903. gas-liquicl chromatography in which the mobile phase is
His interest in the green and yellow pigments of a gas rather than a liquid as in paper chromatography.
Unnoticed during this period of partition chromatog-
chloroplasts resulted in one of the first descriptions of
raphy's rapid development was the beginning of a
what is now known as aclsorption column chromatog-
raphy. dramatic improvement in adsorption chromatography
which involved the utilization of an adsorbent in the
When a petroleum ether solution is filtered through a colum n form of a thin !ayer on a glass plate. Thus the descrip-
of adsorbent (1 use mainly calcium carbonate which is tamped
firmly into a narrow glass tube), the pigments are resolved, ac- tion by Stahl (12) in 1958 of an ingenious device for
cording to the adsorption sequence, from top to bottom into preparing these "open columns" initiated the rapid
various colored zones, since the more stronly adsorbed pigments adoption of thin-layer chromatogra phy. Finally the
displace the more weakly adsorbed ones and force them farther discovery by Porath and Flodín (13) in 1959 that gels of
downward. This separation becomes practically complete when,
af ter the pigment solution has flowed through, one passes a stream crossliI1ked dextran (Sephadex) possessed the prop-
of pure solvent through the adsorbent colurn n. Like light rays erties of an almo t perfect "molecular sieve" led to the
in the spectrum, the diff erent components of a pigment mixture, development of the unique chromatographic procedure
obeying a law, separate on the calcium carbonate column and called gel filtration which fractionates molecules such
can thus be qualitatively and quantitatively determ.ined. I call as proteins by virtue of diff erences in their size. Stim-
such a preparation a chromatogram, and the corresponding
method the chromatographic method. ulated particu1arly by the biochemist's continuing
. . .It is self-evident that the adsorption phenomena described interest in separating the complex molecular com-
are not restricted to the chlorophyll pigrnents and one must as- ponents of the cell, advances in chromatographic meth-
sume that ali kinds of colored and colorless chernical compounds ods will undoub tedly continue. The extraordinary
are subject to the same laws.
advances in our understanding of the biological world
Perhaps becau se the need was not yet great at the molecular level which have resulted from the use
enough, this powerful new separation technique went of chromatographic methods are innumerable and
virtually unused until 1931 when Kuhn, Winterstein, unparnlleled.
and Lederer (4) separated the isomers of such polyene
pigments as carotene on a "Tswett" column. The
Adsorption and Partition
chromatographic separation of many natural pigment s
followed. While such colored hydrophobic compounds Chromatography may be defined as an analytical
were admirably separated by this techrúque, the nee.d technique (14) for separating compou nds on the basis of
to separate colorless, hydrophilic compounds, such as diff erences in affinity for a stationary and mobile phase.
the constituents of the proteins, the polysaccharides, These diff erences in affinity involve the processes of
and the nucleic acids, was increasingly evident . Thus either adsorption or partitíon. Adsorption involves
th next chromatographic advances utilized the phe- the binding of a compound to the surface of a solid
nomena of ion exchange and partition. While ion phase. For example, the purification of a compound
exchange was first recognized as a property of alumínum by solution in an organic solvent followed by treatment
silicates in soils, the widespread use of ion-exchange with activated charcoal is dependent upon the. impmity
chromatogra phy awaited the synthesis of the first ion- being adsorbed preferentially onto the charcoal. Par ti-
exchange resins by Adams and Holmes (5) in 1935. tioQ. on the other hand involves the relative solubility of
Then in 1941, Martin and Synge (6) developed pa rti- a compound in two phases resulting in the "partition"
tion column chromatography. They found that a mix- of that compound between the two phase . For exam-
ture of amino acids applied to the top of a sílíca gel ple, the extraction of an organic compound from an
column containing definite amounts of water could be aqueous solutíon with ether is dependent upon the
separated by passi1.1g a suitable organic solvent through organic compound being dissolved preferentia lly in the
the method of choice far analytical separations and sion of all types into either partition or adsorption
sorne preparative separations. chromatography as in the table is not rigid. Virtually
In ion exchange chromatography (38, _ 39), ionized all the types of chromatography mentioned exhibit a
compounds in aqueous solution (mobile phase) are combination of physical eff ects. Thus ion exchange
separated by virtue of their diff erences in aflinity far resins exhibit molecular sieve properties, while dextran
ionized groups which are an integral part of an insoluble gels exhibit both ion exchange and adsorption proper-
salid phase (stationary phase). These ionic solids are ties. Both tlc and adsorption column chromatography
usually synthetic polystyrene resins in bead form which require sorne adsorbed water far optimum adsorption
contain either acidic groups (cation exchangers) or chromatography. And paper chromatography separa-
basic groups (anion exchangers) . Thus a mixture of tions can be achieved using water as both the mobile
cations in aqueous solution applied to the top of a and stationary phases! This situation exemplifies the
column packed with a cation exchange resin in the still very empirical natu.re of chromatography and the
hydrogen ion form will displace the hydrogen ions and fact that experience rather than theory is still of great-
form a narrow adsorbed band at the top of the column. est value.
Upan adding a solution of sorne other appropríate cat-
ion, the cations to be separated will be displaced, mov- Ch romatograph ic Methodology
ing down the column at diff erent rates according to It is evident from the various types of chromatog-
their relative affinity far the resin. Because the ex- raphy described, that chromatographic methodology or
change capacíty and therefore the eff ectiveness of in other words the physical set-up used, may vary
synthetic ion exchange resins is dependent upan considerably. This is indicated in arder of increasing
penetration of the resin bead by the ionic salutes to be complexity in Figure 2. The resolution, simplicity,
separated, the pare size of these beads determines the and rapidity of any separation is often dependent upon
size of the salute which can be eff ectively separated. this physical set-up. Thus while "complete" chro-
Thus while available ion exchange resins are of great matography is simplest and most rapid, "flowing" or
value in separating small molecules such as amino gradient elution chromatography is capable of greater
acids, they exclude large macromolecules such as pro- resolution . This is because flowing chromatography
teins. However cellulose and dextran (Sephadex) ion eff ectively increases the length of a chromatographic
exchangers (i.e., DEAE (diethyl amino ethyl) cel- set-up, while gradient elution chromatography de-
lulose and DEAE Sephadex) are commonly used to creases peak broadeníng and therefore increases resolu-
separate such macromolecules on the basis of íonic tion.
affinities . While non-equilibrium conditions (caused far example
Having classified and described the various types of by high flow rates) may result in "tailing" and "front-
chromatography ít is noteworthy that the simple diví- ing," it is the exístence of non-linear partition or adsorp-
COUNTER CURRE NT DISTRIBUTION
tion isotherms which are the majar cause of such peak
"0ATC H" i •cOMPLETC • " FLOWlNG " "GRAOl(NT ELUTION broadening eff ects. Thus the amount of a substance
PROCE:DURE S ----;.. CHHY CHR0MAT0GRAPHY CHROMATOGRAPHY
.. SJ..,Pl.( oll/11/NG OF -A lil OlllLl l'lt /I SC '*;t1C:H S -/1 MOtUL[ l'Jj/1$[ WHr C" - ...o.!11.[ PHASE
taken up by the stationary phase depends upon this
nro Plt•SCS IN ..
8CUIC . FLASll,ETC
NOT P<lOC((O "AST THE [NO
OT THC SU1'0NARI' PHAS.C
OH .A SHECT Of' l'.APER , THlN
PROCEEOS 1'4ST THE ENO Of'
THE S TATi ONAlt,. PHA$[ OH ..
""P(lt QR COlVlllN
CON'TIN\IOVSL" CHU..GING
co...PCS1TrON ¡S f/4( C'Ol.IJ.VN
CLV•NT .
substance's concentration in the mobile phase. A plot
1..A CR l'l..U'C , PJ.CllCO TUH',
m
of "amount in stationary phase" (A,) versus "concentra-
t.
tion in the mobile phase" (Cm) at constant temperature
illustrates thís relationship. As illustrated in Figure 3
- 01 ¡ Dl ".... 1:1-J
y
¡iJhjjj
1ub• Hm!MI•-+
these adsorption or partition isotherms determine
whether a chromatography peak is symmetrical or
exhibits "tailing"
For example in or "fronting."
case B, as the band moves clown the
... 'ª · 'ª
-OCCOLOAIZ ATION •1Tt1
CH.UCO•L
-H PEll Ctd O!U'!'OGR.llP tn
-noN l.-/IYE R CMllOM4TOl;IUPMY
- OE SC[NOLNG P.llP[R
(MltOMATOGA/IPH
-PARf1110H , L flLTRUjQN
•DSORPTION • .llND IOH (X(ttAHlj.f_
column, the concentration of the compound in the
-51,.PL.[ [TH[lt -E TR USION CHlt0fOJ0GR.llF"IY -PAAT !TIC!ló.G CL flLTA.lltl°", GAS· COLU MN (HjlOlilJ.TOGA/IPM Y
EXTR.llCT!OM
-llCM OV&l.- OF Cn" .WITH
LIOUID , &OSOllPT !OH ANO ION
EC:H•HG[ C11fl01i1.11 TOGR.llPH r
mobile phase decreases at the back of the band while
A CUICIN DCHAHGf:
increasing at the front. Simuitaneously the amount of
compound held by the stationary phase increases at the
f ig ure 2. Types of ch romatogra phy based on the physical set-up. back and decreases at the front, reslilting in "tailing."
··lL_ a . lI_
A
< S Jm e1r1 ) may be produced using the gradient device described
by Peterson and Saber (44) and marketed by Buchler
Cm Tube N11mber
Instrument. , Inc., Fort Lee, New Jer ·ey. Finally it
.!!.
!Toilil'IQI ··L_ ¡¡:
o
2
jl_A_ should be noted that in the method described above the
·olutions in the reservoir and in the mixing chamber
··LL
w Tube N11mber ·h ould not d iff er in density by more than 53. How-
.
f.
ffl'onlin9)
Cm
l Tube N11mber
ever a modified methocl of value for adsorption column
chromatography, where for example a methanol
(den ity 0.79) : chloroform (density 1.49)
Figu re 3. ·The effect of odsorption or porlilion isotherms on peak shope grarlient is used, has been described by Wren (45) .
(28).
Literature Cited
Tailing is almost inevitably found to some extent in (1) ZECHMEIBTER, L., "P.rogress in Chromatography 1938-1947," Chapman
adsorption chromatography. Symmetrical peaks are and Hall, London, 1950.
(2) RomNSON, T., J. CHEM. Enuc., 36, 144 (1959).
more common in partition chromatography . Fronting (3) STRAIN, H. H., AND SnERMA, J., J. CHEM. Eouc., U, 235 (1967) .
(4) KUHN, R., WINTERSTEIN , A., AND LEDERER, E., Hoppe-Seyl .er's Z.
is relatively rare. Physio! . Ghem., 197, 14 1 (1931).
Since the phenomenon of tailing is often the cause of (5) AoAMS, B. A., ANO HoLMEs , E. L., J . Soc. Chcm. lnd. (London), 54 ,
1 (1935).
poor resolution (40) , an invaluable technique first (6) MARTIN, A. J. F., AND SYNGE , R. L. M., Biochem . J ., 35, 1358 (1941) .
described by Alm, Williams, and Tiselius (41) is that of (7) CoNSDEN, R., GonnoN , A . 1-l., AND MAHTIN , A. J. P., Biochem. J., 38,
224 (1944) .
gradient elution. This teclmique involves the use of (8) Cn.AIG, L. C., J. Biol. Chem., 155, 519 (1944) .
an eluant solution in which the concentration of the (9) CRAIG , L. c.. AND POST, o.. Ana!. Ghem., 21, 500 (1949).
(10) CRAIG , L . C., 1-IAUSMANN , \V., Aun ENS, P., A ND HAnFENIST , E. J.,
most powerful eluting agent grad ually increases, thus Anal . Ghe-m., 23 , 1326 (1951).
(11) JAMES, A. T., ANO MAllTIN, A . J. P., Biochem. J., 50, 679 (1952) .
forming a concentration gradient clown the column. (12) ST.rnL, E. Chemiker-Ztu. 82, 323 (1958).
The tail or rear portion of a peak is therefore always in (13) PonATH J., AND FLODt N, P.. Nature , 183, 1657 (1959) .
(14) CAssrnY, H. G., J. Cm:M. Eouc., 33, 482 (1956).
contact with a stronger eluant solution than is the (15) W1LLIAMBON, B., AND CnAJG, L. C.. J . Biol.. Chem., 168, 687 (1947).
front of the peak. The tail therefore moves more (16) JoUNBON, M. J., "Dcsign or Chrom atograph ic Proccdures" in UMDR EIT,
\'V . \V., BuRRJS, R. H., AND STAUFE R, J. ]1'. , "l\'Ianomet.ric Tech niq ues,"
rapidly than the peak itself and is eliminated. A ('Hh Ed.), Bu rgess Publishing Co., Minneapol is, 1964 , p. 233.
variety of continuous elution gradients may be pro- (17) CLARK , J. M . Jn., ( Editor ) , "Experi mental Biochemistry ," W. H.
Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 1964., p . 190.
duced by using two eluant container of diff erent size (18) GrnvrnGS, J. C., J. CHEM . En c., 44 , 704 (1967) .
and/or shape (42, 43). As indicated in J<igure 4, (19) CRAJG, L. C., "Counter Current Distribu tion" in Ft..ORKIN, M., AND
STOTZ, E. J-1. (Editor s)i "Comprehensive Biochem istry," American
E l sevier , New York, 1962 , Vol. 4, p. l.
RE:LATIVE RE:LATIVE (20) ) Anal . Chem., American CbemicaI Society, Washington, various reviews
CROSS -SE CTIQNAL GRAOIENT
PPARATUS FLO PRODUCE O eacb April.
W ARE.AS RATES
(21) HEFTMANN , E. ( Editor ), "Chromatography," (2nd Ed.), Reinhold ,
New York, 1967.
(22) JAMES, A . T., AND Monms, L. J., "New Biochemfoa.l Separations,"
Van N ostrand, Loodon, 1964 .
(23) LEDEREll, M. ( Editor ) , J. Ghromatour., El sev ier, Amsterdam.
(24) LtmEREI<, M. ( Editor), Ghromatour. Rw ., Elsevier , Amsterdam.
(25) L EnI!:nER , E.• AN D LEDERER, :rvI., in FLOR KlN, h1., AND SToTz, E. H.,
( E dt'.tors), ucomprehe nsive Biochem.istry, " American Elsevier ·ew 1