The paper deals with the concept of simple automated creation of gradient profile of the mobile phase for gradient-elution sequential injection chromatography (GE-SIC). The feasibility and merits of this concept are demonstrated on the separation and simultaneous assay of indomethacin as active principle and of its two degradation products (5-methoxy-2-methylindoleacetic acid and 4-chloro-benzoic acid) in a topical pharmaceutical formulation.
The GE-SIC separation was performed with a FIAlab (R) 3000 SIC set-up (USA) equipped with an Onyx (TM) Monolithic C18 (25 mm x 4.6 mm, Phenomenex (R)) column, a six-port selection valve, a 5-mL syringe pump and a fiber-optics UV CCD detector. Ketoprofen was used as an internal standard (IS).
The gradient elution was achieved by automated reproducible mixing of acetonitrile and aqueous 0.2% phosphoric acid in the holding coil of the SIC system.