[Application of high performance anion exchange chromatography for trace analysis of polarizable anions]

Polarizable anions such as Br-, S2O3(2-), I- and SCN- were separated using 45 mmol/L sodium hydroxide solution as the mobile phase on a high hydrophilic IonPac AS16 column. With a pulsed amperometric detector, the detection limits were 0.5, 0.2, 0.05 and 2 microg/L (25.0 microL injected, signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for Br-, S2O3(2-), I- and SCN. The relative standard deviation (RSD) range of trace anions was from 0.8% to 3.7% (n = 9). Under the same chromatographic conditions, these anions were also determined using a suppressed conductivity detector and the detection limits were 1, 1, 2 and 10 microg/L (25 microL injected, signal-to-noise ratio of 3), respectively. The RSD range was from 0.9% to 4.7% (n = 9). Comparing a pulsed amperometric detector with a conductivity detector, the former is 2 to 40 times more sensitive than the latter. For the determination of polarizable anions, a pulsed amperometric detector has higher selectivity, precision and sensitivity.