Overview

Adsorption of analytes to autosampler vial surfaces can negatively affect quantitative accuracy, reproducibility, and sensitivity in chromatographic analyses. This study evaluated how different chemical functional groups influence analyte loss in autosampler vials and compared the performance of RSA™ Reduced Surface Activity Glass Vials to conventional glass autosampler vials.

A range of test compounds was selected to investigate the relationship between molecular functionality and adsorption behavior. Results showed that analyte loss increased as the number of amine functional groups increased. The greatest losses were observed with permanently cationic compounds such as thiamine and cetylpyridinium chloride.

RSA™ Autosampler Vials exhibited substantially lower analyte adsorption than both standard glass vials and market-leading certified glass vials. These results demonstrate the practical benefits of RSA™ surface chemistry for analytical laboratories working with basic, polar, ionic, and low-concentration analytes.

Why RSA™ Vials Reduce Adsorption

Conventional glass vial surfaces contain numerous hydroxyl groups, commonly referred to as silanol groups. These active surface sites can interact with positively charged or basic compounds, resulting in analyte loss through adsorption.

RSA™ Reduced Surface Activity Glass Vials are manufactured to minimize these active surface sites. By reducing surface silanol interactions, RSA™ vials help maintain sample integrity, improve recovery, and increase confidence in quantitative analytical results.

Method Conditions
Tested Items : RSA™, Glass Vials and AQR™ Screw Caps v. Market Leading Vials.
Specifications: Reduced Surface Activity Glass, Clear, 2 ml, Write-On, Screw Top Vials and AQR Caps
Catalog No.: 9509S-1WCP-RS

Columns: 
- Diamond Hydride™, 4 μm,100 Å
- Bidentate C18™, 4 μm, 100 Å
Catalog Nos.:
-- 70000-10P
-- 40018-10P
Mobile Phase: Various Isocratic settings were used
Flow rate: 1.0 mL / minute
Sample Preparation: 5.0 ppm reference standards in DI water diluent. Portions of the same samples were transferred to the two vial types and injected into an HPLC initially and again after four hours. Peak areas were recorded and compared to initial injections to calculate percent recovery.