Book Review
Advances in Chromatography, Volume 47 by Nelu Grindberg and Eli Grushka, Eds.: CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4200-6036-2. Price: USD189.95, EUR 159.99 This latest edition of the Advances in Chromatography Series maintains the high standard of production set over forty years ago. Reviews on chromatography in the fields of bio-, analytical, organic, polymer and pharmaceutical chemistry are presented as well as chapters on countercurrent chromatography, large-scale genotyping and cyclic voltammetry detection. Chapter 1 (Guodong Chen, Urooj A. Mirza, and Birendra N. Pramanik) is an overview of mass spectrometry in protein and peptide characterization including the use of microwaveenhanced reactions, the characterization of recombinant proteins and post-translationally modified proteins. The use of proteomic studies in the area of gene therapy is exemplified by the characterization of adenovirus proteins. Chapter 2 (Yufeng Shen, Jason S. Page and Richard D. Smith) covers advances in the use of capillary LC–MS in proteomics. Column types (packed capillary, and monolithic), electrospray ionization, flow rates, sample capacity, sensitivity, reproducibility and analytical throughput are considered. The limiting proteomic sample analytical size to achieve quantitative LC–MS data is determined and future challenges are briefly considered. Electrophoretic techniques for DNA sequencing and oligonucleotide analysis are described in Chapter 3 (Fen Wan, Jun
Book Review DOI: 10.1365/s10337-010-1688-5
2010, 72, 773–774
Zhang, Benjamin Chu). Physical mechanisms, Sanger sequencing, sequencing media, capillary array electrophoresis, microchips, end-labeled free solution electrophoresis and possible use of current matrices are described together with non-Sanger-based methods. Capillary electrophoreses (CE) and microchip electrophoresis are also described. Chapter 4 (Kaname Ohyama and Naotaka Kuroda) describes some novel mixed-mode stationary phases for electrochromatography that provide an increased cathodic or anodic electroosmotic flow. Packed, monolithic, and open-tubular columns are included, and separation mechanisms are discussed. Separations of peptides, polypeptides, and amino acids are demonstrated. Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) Processes (Malte Kaspereit) are presented in Chapter 5. Advantages of SMB chromatography are outlined: lower eluent consumption, higher product concentrations at high yield and acceptable productivity. SMB chromatography is applied to classical hydrocarbon and sugar separations, and in biotechnology to protein and plasmid DNA purifications. The combination of SMB with selective crystallization, and with chemical reactions is an area open to further research. This is a maturing technology and readers are strongly recommended to read this overview. 108 references generated in less than 12 years indicate the interest in this technique. Chapter 6 considers advances in Resins for Ion-Exchange Chromatography (Arne Staby, Jacob Nielson, Janus Kraup, Matthias Wiendahl, Thomas Budde Hansen, Steffen KIdal, Jurgen Habbuch Jorgen Mollerup). I am sure that the eight
authors of this article were required to check the commercial information available. For newcomers to ion-exchange chromatography this review will save a lot of legwork. They conclude ‘‘there is a demand for ever better ion-exchange resins to improve process economy and speed of process development’’. For that alone, inclusion in ‘Advances’ may be justified. It is unusual in these days to find a work from a single author but Chapter 7 Advances in Pulsed Electrochemical Detection (PED) for Carbohydrates by William R. LaCourse is an invited chapter (Editor’s footnote). Following a concise introduction to the fundamentals of electrochemical detection, applications to carbohydrates, ‘‘fingerprinting’’, characterization of peptones, bacterial polysaccharides, in vitro microdialysis for carbohydrate systems and toxicological applications are described. The feasibility of microelectrodes in microseparations e.g. electrophoretic separations is briefly discussed. Chapter 8 (Andrei Medvedovici, Alexander Farca, and Victor David) reviews the importance of derivatization to achieve increases in detection sensitivity and separation selectivity using HPLC for drug analysis. Sections on kinetics and reaction mechanisms and on pre-column versus post-column derivatization complete this comprehensive review. I found this a very readable introduction to the subject. For further reading there are 249 references and four tables of derivatization reactions. Chapter 9 (by Alain Berthod) Counter Current Chromatography (CCC) is an LC technique that has been around for a long time (the Craig separator) but
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seems to be enjoying a revival of interest due perhaps, to new commercially available equipment. In CCC a supportfree liquid stationary phase is used with a mobile phase working in a countercurrent fashion. Because CCC uses no support material it is an ideal preparative technique. Theory is simple. The mobile and liquid stationary phases are chosen at the same time and because any change in the mobile phase composition will change the stationary phase composition gradient elution is not practical. Being polar, available, costeffective and environment-friendly,
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water is usually part of the biphasic liquid. Column preparation, detectors, and applications are described. The final chapter on Hyphenated Techniques in Thin-Layer Chromatography (Simion Gocan) is the longest with 93 pages and 246 references. One wonders whether this subject warrants so much space particularly when so many of the references are pre-1990. UV/Vis and Fluorescence Spectrometry, IR and FTIR, Photoacoustic Spectrometery, Raman Spectrometry and finally Mass Spectrometry detection are discussed. Problems with sample transfer in each
hyphenated technique are dealt with in some detail and may be the most useful part of this review. This 47th edition brings together some of the more important aspects of chromatography today. It is well indexed, increasing its value as a reference source. I hope the editors will continue to bring out further volumes in the years to come but at ca. $200 financial considerations may eventually throttle the life out of the series and I am not aware of an on-line version in the offing.
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P. A. Sewell
Book Review