Determination of Inorganic Anions by Capillary IC Using Hexadimethrine Bromide-Modified Silica Stationary Phases

Abstract

A simple, rapid and highly sensitive capillary ion chromatographic method for direct determination of iodide and thiocyanate is reported. Separation was achieved on a laboratory-made capillary column (100 mm × 0.32 mm i.d.) packed with silica gel, followed by modification with 20 mM hexadimethrine bromide. Sodium perchlorate–methanol (95:5, v/v) was used as the eluent and analyte anions were detected at 225 nm. Iodate, bromate, nitrate, iodide and thiocyanate were eluted within 8 min, with relative standard deviations of the retention time, peak area and peak height smaller than 2.4%. Effects of the eluent composition on the retention behavior were also investigated. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) of iodide was 6.5 μg L⁻¹, whereas that of thiocyanate was 16.2 μg L⁻¹. The method was successfully applied to the rapid and direct determination of iodide in powdered milk and thiocyanate in human saliva without any pre-concentration. The modified column could be used for about 1 month (8 h operation per day) without loss of hexadimethrine bromide.