HPLC Analysis of Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA) on Amaze TH Mixed-Mode Column

Application description

Trifluoroacetic acid is an organic acid used in chemical analysis as well as a counter-ion for basic drugs. It is a strong acid which is very polar in nature. It is a structural analog of acetic acid with lower pKa (pKa of 0.2) due to fluorine substitution. TFA is used as precursor for many fluorinated compounds. It is used as a reagent in chemistry due to its properties (reactivity, solubility in water/ organic solvents, and volatility). Trifluoroacetic acid is considered as an ion-pairing reagent, even it has much less hydrophobicity than longer chain fluorinated acids. We have developed a robust method for the analysis of TFA in HILIC and anion-exchange mode. Good peak shape and retention is obtained with LC/MS compatible conditions. This method can be used for the analysis of trifluoroacetic and other fluorinated acids in various samples and sample matrices. The Amaze TH column can be used for the analysis of hydrophilic basic and acidic compounds including drugs and counter-ions. The retention time is controlled by the amount of ACN, buffer pH and buffer concentration