Abstract
The suitability of the silicone polymers, SE-30, QF-1, and XE-60, for the quantitative separation of the common bile acid methyl esters, their acetates, and trifluoroacetates was investigated using narrow bore columns (1/8 in. × 3 ft or 5 ft, 195°–220 °C, 1–2% (w/w) stationary phase). Under the experimental conditions selected, complete and essentially quantitative separations were obtained only with the trifluoroacetylated bile acid methyl esters on QF-1 columns. The separations of the acetylated methyl esters were complete on the SE-30 columns, but for quantitative determinations the area response obtained in the hydrogen flame ionization detector had to be corrected for losses during chromatography. The other columns and derivatives either failed to give complete separations or the area response could not be corrected in any simple way to give the weight or mole proportions of the test mixture.