Gas Chromatography of Catecholamines using Dimethyl Sulfoxide as an Effective Solvent for Trimethylsilylation.

Abstract

Separation of catecholamines by gas chromatographic technique requires the preparation of suitable derivatives. A procedure was developed which involved the treatment of amine mixtures with hexamethyldisil-azane in dimethyl sulfoxide followed by the addition of an aliphatic ketone. Hydroxyl groups are converted into trimethylsilyl ether and primary amines are converted into Schiff bases. Secondary amino group remains unchanged. The separations were carried out with a 1% DC 1107 column. Catecholamines extracted from bovine adrenal medulla were separated and estimated under these conditions and good reproducible data were obtained.