Determination of alcohols using condensation agent carbazole-9-acetyl-benzene-disulfonate by high performance liquid chromatography with pre-column fluorescence derivatization

A sensitive LC method for the determination of alcohols, using fluorescent condensation agent carbazole-9-N-acetylbenzne-disulfonate(CABS), has been d eveloped. A mixture of alcohols and triethylamine catalyst in dichlorometha ne or chloroform is treated with CABS to give quantitative yields of esters . Emission maximum for the derivatized alcohols is 365 nm (lambda(ex) 335 n m). The labeled derivatives are very stable, no significant decomposition i s observed after heating in 40 % at 40 degrees C for 24 h. The method, in c onjunction with a multi-gradient program, offers baseline resolution of com mon alcohol derivatives on a reversed-phase C-18 column. Studies on derivat ization conditions indicate that primary and secondary alcohols react very fast with CABS in the presence of triethylamine in dichloromethane or chlor oform to give the corresponding fluorescent derivatives. This method is mor e convenient and more efficient than previous methods which require prior c onversion of carboxylic acids to acyl chlorides. The separation of alcohol derivatives has good reproducibility and the rsd's (n = 5) for 50 pmol of e ach alcohol are 4 %. Detection limits are at the fmol level.