Selection of the optimal solvent grade for the mobile phase in HPLC with electrochemical detection based on FUMI theory.

The optimum conditions of the mobile phase for HPLC with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) were selected from among solvents of different grades with the standard deviation (SD) of area measurements based on FUMI (function of mutual information) theory as a criterion. In HPLC-ECD for determining baicalin and baicalein using a phosphoric acid-methanol-water mixture (0.5:60:40, v/v/v) as a mobile phase, the effects of three grades of phosphoric acid, of five grades of methanol, and of seven grades of water on the measurement precision were examined. The mixture, if characterized by the minimum SD of measurements, was selected as the optimal mobile phase. This selection method saves considerable amounts of chemicals and experimental time, and would be a useful exploration technique for the routine check and troubleshooting of HPLC-ECD.