Countercurrent Chromatography Separation of Polar Sulfonated Compounds
Description of Invention:
The invention is a method and apparatus for separating a quantity of a sulfonated polar compound from other compounds in a mixture using countercurrent chromatography. The inventors have found that countercurrent chromatography techniques may be employed to separate different species of polar sulfonated compounds that have resisted isolation in preparative amounts by other chromatographic methods. Countercurrent chromatography is a technique that has been used to separate a variety of compound mixtures, but has not been previously employed to separate multigram quantities of polar sulfonated compounds without use of a ligand. In one embodiment, pH-zone-refining countercurrent chromatography has been found especially successful in this application. It has also been found that the use of an X-type planetary centrifuge is beneficial to obtaining good results. For two particular species of polar sulfonated compounds, the use of a cross-axis (X1.5L-type) centrifuge successfully separated preparative quantities (100 mg, gram, or multi-gram quantities) of material to greater than 99% purity. The cross axis centrifuge facilitated the use of polar solvent systems with high retention of the stationary phase, resulting in successful separation and/or purification of large quantities of polar compounds.
Inventors:
Adrian Weisz (NHLBI) Yoichiro Ito (NHLBI)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-304-2002/0 --
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/405,789 filed 23 Aug 2002
For Additional Information Please Contact: Michael Shmilovich J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-5019
Email: shmilovm@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
