Exceptional Carryover Performance of the Arc HPLC System for Chlorhexidine Sample

Significance of the Topic

Carryover in HPLC systems poses a critical challenge by causing inaccurate quantitation, potential batch failures and reduced sample throughput. This issue is especially problematic for viscous antimicrobial agents such as chlorhexidine gluconate, which is widely used in pharmaceutical, dental and healthcare applications. Effective suppression of carryover is essential to maintain data integrity and support quality control in routine and research laboratories.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study compares the injector carryover performance of the Waters Arc HPLC System and a leading competitor HPLC platform. Using the United States Pharmacopeia monograph method for organic impurities of chlorhexidine gluconate, the investigation assesses carryover levels in initial and sequential blank injections to determine system reliability under real world analytical conditions.

Methodology

The USP monograph organic impurities procedure was replicated with the following conditions

• Column temperature set to 30 C and flow rate of 1.0 mL min
• Gradient run time of 65 min using mobile phase A 0.1 percent trifluoroacetic acid in water ACN 80 20 and mobile phase B 0.1 percent TFA in ACN water 90 10
• Detection wavelength at 254 nm and sampler temperature maintained at 8 C
• Injection volume of 10 µL with water ACN 9 1 as both purge and needle wash solvent
• Test sample prepared by diluting 20 percent aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate 100 times; further dilution performed for carryover assessment
• Post blank injections inserted after analytical sample sequences to detect residual analyte peaks

Used Instrumentation

• Waters Arc HPLC System equipped with 2998 Photodiode Array Detector
• XSelect HSS C18 column with 3.5 micron particle size

Results and Discussion

In the competitor HPLC system a carryover of 0.0015 percent was detected in the first post blank injection and increased to 0.0027 percent after multiple sample injections. In contrast, the Arc HPLC System exhibited undetectable carryover for chlorhexidine gluconate across more than seventy injections over four days. This superior performance is attributed to the advanced flow through needle design which continuously washes the needle interior and the user configurable wash settings. These features eliminate residual analyte without requiring method redevelopment, ensuring consistent precision and reproducibility.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Elimination of injector carryover enhances data accuracy and reduces risk of false positive impurity peaks
• Maintenance of high sample throughput by minimizing additional wash cycles and method adjustments
• Effective for viscous or sticky analytes that challenge conventional injector designs
• Supports quality control workflows in pharmaceutical, industrial and clinical laboratories

Future Trends and Potential Uses

The success of low carryover injector designs suggests broader adoption in routine and high sensitivity applications. Future directions include integration of adaptive wash protocols based on sample chemistry, miniaturized flow through needle technologies for UHPLC, and coupling with artificial intelligence algorithms to predict and prevent carryover in complex matrices.

Conclusion

The Waters Arc HPLC System demonstrates exceptional injector carryover suppression for chlorhexidine gluconate, ensuring reliable quantitation and consistent method performance. By addressing a common analytical challenge without method redevelopment, the system enhances efficiency and data quality in demanding chromatographic workflows.

Reference

1. Dlugasch A Simeone J McConville P Alliance Carryover Performance Part 1 Carryover Improvement Achieved Through Instrument Design Changes for the Alliance HPLC System Waters Application Note 720006386EN 2018
2. Bheeshmacharyulu S Boyidi T Pullancheri D Wagh P Successful Achievement of Ultra Low Injector Carryover of Benzyl Alcohol Using Arc HPLC Waters Application Note 720007076EN 2020