Suppressed anion chromatography using mixed zwitter-ionic and carbonate eluents

Effect of mixed eluents which contain zwitterions such as 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES), 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid (MOPS), 2-(cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES) and 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPS) and carbonate for suppressed conductivity ion chromatography (IC) were studied. The retention behaviors of all species were affected with different anion exchange columns when adding some zwitterion into carbonate eluent. The retention time of all species, especially those of strong retetion, was substantially shortened in AS14A column with either Na2CO3/CHES or Na2CO3/CAPS as eluent while a general increase in retetion time was noticed in AS9-HC column. Low pH of eluent was achieved when zwitterion was added. Without much changes in the background conductivity after suppressed, CHES could be used as suppressed conductivity ion chromatography eluent for determination of species unstable in strong alkaline, such as determination of phosphate in heteropoly acid (HPA) samples in AS14 column. The mixed eluent could also affect the selectivity when it was applied to the study of simultaneous separation of anions and cations in AS9-HC column by suppressed ion chromatography.