The CarboPac™ PA1 column: A powerful solution for carbohydrate analysis in ion chromatography
The Thermo Scientific™ Dionex™ CarboPac™ PA1 column has been specifically designed to meet the rigorous analytical needs of chemists specialising in carbohydrates. It enables the separation of non-derivatised carbohydrates at high pH, a method made possible by the exceptional stability of CarboPac columns under basic conditions. Unlike macroporous columns, CarboPac PA1 uses a microporous film-coated resin that offers improved chromatographic efficiency. It is particularly notable for its ability to separate mono-, disaccharides and certain oligosaccharides, including their position, linkage and branch isomers, as well as homogeneous polymers.
The separation mechanism is based on high pH anion exchange chromatography (HPAE) combined with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD). This technique allows carbohydrates to be identified without prior derivatisation, while ensuring increased sensitivity through selective electrochemical detection. The CarboPac PA1 column is designed to operate in pH ranges from 0 to 14, at temperatures between 4 and 60°C, and can withstand pressures up to 5000 psi, ensuring compatibility with modern chromatographic systems.
Typical applications for CarboPac PA1 include sugar analysis in food matrices (juices, molasses, etc.), glycoprotein characterisation, and quantification of simple and complex carbohydrates in biological mixtures. Column performance is validated using reference chromatograms with isocratic elutions of NaOH at 150–200 mM.
To ensure longevity and reproducibility, it is essential to follow strict sample and eluent preparation procedures. Only ultra-pure sodium hydroxide and sodium acetate solutions should be used, prepared in deionised water (18.2 MΩ·cm) and degassed under vacuum. The columns must be protected by a CarboPac PA1 guard column, which can be easily replaced in case of contamination.
