Computational solvent system screening for the separation of tocopherols with centrifugal partition chromatography using deep eutectic solvent-based biphasic systems

Franziska Bezold, Maria E. Weinberger, Mirjana Minceva

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tocopherols are a class of molecules with vitamin E activity. Among those, α-tocopherol is the most important vitamin E source in the human diet. The purification of tocopherols involving biphasic liquid systems can be challenging since these vitamins are poorly soluble in water. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) can be used to form water-free biphasic systems and have already proven applicable for centrifugal partition chromatography separations. In this work, a computational solvent system screening was performed using the predictive thermodynamic model COSMO-RS. Liquid-liquid equilibria of solvent systems composed of alkanes, alcohols and DES, as well as partition coefficients of α-tocopherol, β-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and σ-tocopherol in these biphasic solvent systems were calculated. From the results the best suited biphasic solvent system, namely heptane/ethanol/choline chloride-1,4-butanediol, was chosen and a batch injection of a tocopherol mixture, mainly consisting of α- and γ-tocopherol, was performed using a centrifugal partition chromatography set up (SCPE 250-BIO). A separation factor of 1.74 was achieved for α- and γ-tocopherol.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)153-158
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Chromatography A
Volume1491
DOIs
StatePublished - 31 Mar 2017

Keywords

  • Biphasic solvent system screening
  • COSMO-RS
  • Centrifugal partition chromatography
  • Deep eutectic solvents
  • Tocopherols
  • Vitamin E

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