Separation by liquid chromatography (under elevated pressure) of benzyl and nitrophenyl glycosides of oligosaccharides

Liquid chromatography under elevated pressure (l.c.) was employed for the separation of some benzyl and nitrophenyl glycosides of a variety of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-saccharides. The separation was conducted on a Waters Carbohydrate Analysis column by use of a mixture of acetonitrile-water as the mobile phase. In general, monosaccharides emerged first from the column, followed sequentially by di-, tri-, and tetra-saccharides. It was observed that the pattern of substitution imparts a noticeable effect on the elution profiles of isomeric oligosaccharides. Also, substitution of a hydroxyl group with a methyl group, or its replacement with a fluorine atom, led to a substantial decrease in retention times of some oligosaccharides. Moreover, resolution was clearly enhanced, and retention times were congruently increased by decreasing the water content of the mobile phase.