The effect of pH on the high pH anion-exchange chromatography elution of monosaccharides

We have studied the elution behaviour of six common monosaccharides, fucose, galactosamine, glucosamine, galactose, glucose and mannose, on the CarboPac PA-100 column. The relative elution positions of galactose, glucose and mannose were dependent on the sodium hydroxide concentrations, a phenomenon which was likely to be the result of differential ionisation of the hydroxyl groups at ring positions two and four. The optimal resolution of the monosaccharides studied was achieved by elution with 30 mM sodium hydroxide with no appreciable loss in sensitivity at this low concentration.