Retention Factors and Resolutions of Amino Benzoic Acid Isomers with Some Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids in the form of organic salts are being widely used as new solvent media. In this paper three positional isomers, o-amino benzoic acid, m-amino benzoic acid, and p-amino benzoic acids were separated with four different ionic liquids as mobile phase additives using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The following ionic liquids were used: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIm][$BF_{4}$]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIm][$BF_{4}$]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([EMIm][MS]), and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([OMIm][MS]). The effects of the alkyl group length on the imidazolium ring and its counterion, and the concentrations of the ionic liquids on the retention factors and resolutions of amino benzoic acid isomers were tested. The results of the separations with ionic liquids as the eluents were better than those without ionic liquids. Excellent separations of the three isomers were achieved using 2.0-8.0 mM/L [OMIm][MS] and 1.0-8.0 mM/L [EMIm][MS] as the eluent modifiers.