Universal response model for a corona charged aerosol detector

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Chromatography

Background:

• The Corona Charged Aerosol Detector (CoronaCAD) is widely used for detecting non-volatile analytes.
• Understanding its response universality across different elution conditions is crucial for accurate quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a universal model for CoronaCAD response.
• To investigate the detector's response under flow-injection and gradient HPLC conditions.
• To enable accurate quantification of unknown compounds without individual standards.

Main Methods:

• A three-dimensional model was developed relating CoronaCAD response to analyte concentration and mobile phase composition.
• The model was trained using four non-volatile probe analytes across a range of concentrations (1μg/mL to 1mg/mL).
• The model was evaluated using 23 diverse analytes under flow-injection and gradient HPLC using acetonitrile/formic acid mobile phases.

Main Results:

• The model achieved an average error of 9.2% for training analytes.
• Evaluation under flow-injection and gradient HPLC showed average errors of 12.5% and 12.8%, respectively.
• The model successfully described analyte concentration-response relationships and corrected for non-linear gradient HPLC responses.

Conclusions:

• A universal model for CoronaCAD response has been established, applicable to both flow-injection and gradient HPLC.
• The model provides insights into factors influencing CoronaCAD response and aids in quantifying unknown compounds.
• The developed model enhances the accuracy and applicability of CoronaCAD in various chromatographic analyses.