Ion-exclusion chromatography with the direct UV detection of non-absorbing inorganic cations using an anion-exchange conversion column in the iodide-form.

An ion-exclusion chromatographic method for the direct UV detection of non-absorbing inorganic cations such as sodium (Na(+)), ammonium (NH(4)(+)) and hydrazine (N(2)H(5)(+)) ions was developed by connecting an anion-exchange column in the I(-)-form after the separation column. For example, NH(4)(+) is converted to a UV-absorbing molecule, NH(4)I, by the anion-exchange column in the I(-)-form after the ion-exclusion separation on anion-exchange column in the OH(-)-form with water eluent. As a result, the direct UV detection of Na(+), NH(4)(+) and N(2)H(5)(+) could be successfully obtained as well as the well-resolved separation. The calibration graphs of the analyte cations detected with UV at 230nm were linear in the range of 0.001-5.0mM. The detection limits at S/N=3 of the cations were below 0.1muM. This method was applied to real water analysis, the determination of NH(4)(+) in river and rain waters, or that of N(2)H(5)(+) in boiler water, with the satisfactory results. This could be applied also to low- or non-absorbing anions such as fluoride or hydrogencarbonate ions by the combination of a weakly acidic cation-exchange resin in the H(+)-form as the separation column and the anion-exchange conversion column.