HILIC Separation of Epinephrine and Epinephrine Sulfonate on Zodiac HST N Column

Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) is a hormone and neurotransmitter belonging to the catecholamine class, synthesized from the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. This method enables the determination and quantification of epinephrine and epinephrine sulfonate in biological matrices such as urine, blood, and serum, as well as in pharmaceutical formulations.

Separation is achieved using the Zodiac HST N column under mixed-mode hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) conditions. Epinephrine is retained through a combination of cation-exchange and HILIC mechanisms, while epinephrine sulfonate is retained primarily by HILIC interaction. Retention of both analytes can be fine-tuned by adjusting buffer concentration, pH, and acetonitrile content.

Detection can be performed using UV, ELSD, or LC/MS, and the method is compatible with volatile mobile phases such as ammonium formate or ammonium acetate, making it suitable for preparative-scale purification.