Sequential Centrifugal Partition Chromatography: A New Continuous Chromatographic Technology

Abstract

In solid-support-free liquid-liquid chromatography, both phases can be used as a mobile phase and, moreover, their role and flow direction can be reversed during the course of the separation. This is the background of the concept of sequential centrifugal partition chromatography (sCPC) developed to perform a continuous separation in a cyclic manner. The feed is continuously introduced between two centrifugal partition chromatographic columns and two products are alternately collected at the opposite ends of the columns. In this work, a method is presented to select the operating parameters of an sCPC unit for the complete separation of a binary feed mixture. The method uses, as a basis, a restricted number of experiments needed to determine the distribution equilibrium of the components to be separated and to evaluate the column hydrodynamics. The method was validated experimentally for the separation of a binary mixture of hydroquinone and pyrocatechol.

Theoretical study of sequential centrifugal partition chromatography

“…It is worth mentioning that the approach proposed in this work was successfully validated experimentally in our laboratory …”

“…This is of course not beneficial for the unit productivity. A detail description of the steps (experiments) needed for the selection of the sCPC unit flow rates for a particular separation task can be found in Hopmann et al…”

Continuous Synthesis and Purification by Coupling a Multistep Flow Reaction with Centrifugal Partition Chromatography

“…The throughput could be easily increased by scaling up the column capacity or by converting it into a true moving‐bed system by introducing the sample solution continuously into the intermediate point of the column (e.g., between two columns). This system is the first continuous‐flow adsorbent‐free final‐product purification technique, and should find wide applicability in the synthesis of APIs or intermediates thereof.…”

Sequential Centrifugal Partition Chromatography

“…The proposed shortcut design method was validated experimentally for separation of binary mixtures containing components with similar physical properties, namely: (1) two isomers, hydroquinone and pyrocatechol (Hopmann et al, 2012a;Hopmann and Minceva, 2012), and (2) two molecules with molecular structures that differ by only one double bond, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin (Goll et al, 2013). The proposed shortcut design method was validated experimentally for separation of binary mixtures containing components with similar physical properties, namely: (1) two isomers, hydroquinone and pyrocatechol (Hopmann et al, 2012a;Hopmann and Minceva, 2012), and (2) two molecules with molecular structures that differ by only one double bond, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin (Goll et al, 2013).…”

“…More details about applied theoretical models and methods are available inGoll et al (2013), Hopmann et al (2011, 2012a,Minceva (2012), and V€ olkl et al (2011). sCPC unit operating conditions given inTable 10.3.This example demonstrates the usefulness of theoretical models for design of sCPC separations.…”