Effect of Concentration of Ionic Liquids on Resolution of Nucleotides in Reversed-phase Liquid Chromatography

The chromatographic behaviors of nucleotides (inosine 5'-monophosphate, uridine 5'-monophosphate, guanosine 5'-monophosphate, and thymine monophosphate disodium salts) on a C18 column were studied with different types of ionic liquids (ILs) as additives for the mobile phase in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC). Three ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][BF4]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIm][BF4]), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([EMIm][MS]), were used. Eluents were composed of water and methanol (90/10%, vol) with the addition of 0.5-13.0 mM of ILs. The effects of the concentration of ILs on retention and separation were investigated and discussed. The results showed that the addition of ILs affects the retention and resolution of the tested compounds. Use of 13.0 mM of [BMIm][BF4] as the eluent modifier resulted in a baseline separation of nucleotides without requiring gradient elution. This study demonstrates that ILs can be potentially applied as a mobile phase modifier in RPLC.