Liquid chromatography, chemical oxidation, and online carbon isotope dilution mass spectrometry as a universal quantification system for nonvolatile organic compounds.

A procedure for the universal detection and quantification of polar organic compounds separated by liquid chromatography (LC) based on postcolumn carbon isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) was developed. The eluent from the LC column is mixed online with a continuous flow of (13)C-enriched sodium bicarbonate, and the sodium persulfate oxidation reaction in acidic media is employed to achieve isotope equilibration. All carbon-containing compounds eluting from the column are oxidized to (12)CO(2) and (13)CO(2), respectively, and the carbon dioxide is separated from the aqueous phase using a gas-permeable membrane. The gaseous carbon dioxide is then carried to the mass spectrometer for isotope ratio measurements. Different water-soluble organic compounds were evaluated using a flow injection configuration to assess the efficiency of the oxidation process. Most water-soluble organic compounds tested showed quantitative oxidation. However, chemical structures involving conjugated C═N double bounds and guanidinium-like structures were found to be resistant to the oxidation and were further studied. For this purpose, (13)C(1)-labeled creatine (with the isotopic label in the guanidinium group) was employed as model compound. Specific conditions for the quantitative oxidation of these compounds required lower flow rates and the addition of metallic catalysts. This novel approach was tested as a universal detection and quantification system for LC. A simple standard mixture of four amino acids was separated under 100% aqueous conditions and quantified without the need for specific standards with good accuracy and precision using potassium hydrogen phthalate as internal standard. The main field of application of the developed method is for the purity assessment of organic standards with direct traceability to the International System of Units (SI).