2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-6-N,N-diethylaminobenzofuran: a useful reagent for thesensitive determination of alcohols by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection

A simple and highly sensitive method for the determination of short, medium and long-chain alcohols using highperformance liquid chromatography with f luorimetric detection is described. The alcohols were derivatized to their corresponding esters with (4-carboxyphenyl)-6-N,N-diethylaminobenzofuran. T he esterification reaction proceeded rapidly and smoothly in acetonitrile a t 60 degrees C with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochl oride (a coupling agent) in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (a base catalyst). The resulting esters of alcohols from methanol to eicosanol (C- 1-C-20-ol) were separated on a reversed-phase column (Ultrasphere C-8) with gradient elution (acetonitrile-water) and detected fluorometrically (excit ation 387, emission 537 nm). The lower limits of detection (signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for the derivatized alcohols were in the range of 0.2-0.5 pg. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.