Care and use manual, Short elution gradient 2.1 x 50 mm, Iv. typical chromatographic conditions – Waters XBridge Direct Connect HP 2.1 x 30 mm Column for Automated Sample Preparation with Waters UPLC with Online SPE Technology User Manual
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[ Care and Use ManUal ]
XBridge Direct Connect HP 2.1 x 30 mm Column
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IV. TyPICAl CHROmATOgRAPHIC CONDITIONS
The analytical process begins with loading a sample on to the 
XBridge Direct Connect extraction column (Extraction Column A) 
via the SPE injector port (valve A). The loading pump (QSM) using 
100% aqueous mobile phase (with or without additives) at a flow 
rate of 2 mL/min moves the sample from the injection loop on to 
extraction column A. During the loading step, analytes of interest 
will be trapped on the extraction column, while un-retained inter-
ferences will be discarded to waste. After completing the loading 
step, the extraction column is washed to remove mildly retained 
interferences. After the wash step, the trapped analytes on extrac-
tion column A are eluted with a gradient from the ACQUITY BSM on 
to a UPLC analytical column for peak re-focusing. During the elution 
step of extraction column A, extraction column B is regenerated 
then re-equilibrated (using the QSM) to original conditions for the 
next analysis. The events on each of the parallel extraction columns 
are shown in Figure 2.
Typical mobile phase conditions to use for the load, wash and elution 
of the XBridge Direct Connect HP 2.1 x 30 mm column will depend 
on the analytes of interest. The pH of the mobile phase will affect 
the retention behavior of analytes.
For a typical application consisting primarily of basic compounds, 
such as the analysis of pharmaceuticals in water, a loading condi-
tion using a high pH aqueous mobile phase would usually provide 
good retention of the analytes of interest. An example of this type 
of loading mobile phase is 2% ammonium hydroxide in water, 
pH 10. To wash mildly retained interferences from the extraction 
column without eluting the compounds of interest the percentage 
of organic in the mobile phase can be increased without changing 
the pH. For the example of basic pharmaceuticals in water, the wash 
could be set at 20% methanol with 2% ammonium hydroxide.
Once the wash is completed, the next phase is the elution of the 
trapped analyte from the extraction column on to the analytical 
column. A suitable mobile phase for the example of basic pharma-
ceuticals is a gradient elution using 20 mM ammonium formate in 
water, pH 3.2 for solvent A and 50/50 methanol/acetone with 20 
mM ammonium formate, pH 3.2 for solvent B. 
Figure 2: Timeline showing the events occurring on each of the extraction columns during an online SPE UPLC analysis
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Time
Time
Time
5
4
3
2
1
0
-2
-4
-6
Acquisition
Start
Loading
SPE
wash
Flush
Flush
Re-equilibration
Recon.
5%
95%
SPE A
SPE B
Elution
Re-equilibration
6
5
4
4.04
4.36
3
2
1
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Short Elution Gradient
2.1 x 50 mm