LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-ELECTROSPRAY MASS-SPECTROMETRY METHOD TO SEPARATE AND DETECT N-TERT.-BUTOXYCARBONYL PEPTIDES

A method to separate and detect peptides was developed. A mixture of 1 6 pentapeptides was chromatographically separated on two different opt ically active chiral stationary phases. The peptides were modified wit h an N-tert.-butoxycarbonyl group at the amino end and a hydrazide gro up at the acid end. Because of the difficulties of dissolving the pept ides in polar solvents, a non-polar one was used. Normal-phase chromat ography conditions were used. By adding water in a post-column manner, the ionisation efficiency was increased and useful mass spectra were obtained. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.