The AminoPac^® PA1 column is a high-speed, pellicular, strong, anion-exchange column offering unique separation characteristics for the resolution of amino acids in a variety of specialized applications.

• Resolves phosphorylated and other amino acids by anion-exchange chromatography.
• Separates acid-labile amino acids under basic pH conditions.

The AminoPac PA1 delivers high-efficiency separations as a result of the nonporous core particle. The strong anion-exchange characteristics are imparted by agglomerating to the surface of the nonporous core MicroBead^TM particles that are functionalized with the quaternary ammonium functional group. This approach imparts to the column much higher capacity than is typical for standard nonporous resins. The AminoPac PA1 column is targeted for the separation of strongly acidic or acid-labile amino acids using OPA or ninhydrin postcolumn derivatization. 

The unique anion-exchange selectivity of the AminoPac PA1 column can be used to resolve peaks that cannot be resolved using a cation-exchange column. For example, O-phosphorylated amino acids are only slightly retained and are poorly resolved on cation-exchange columns, but on the AminoPac PA1, these amino acids are well resolved and are eluted near the end of a hydrolysate chromatogram. Another example is the separation of arogenic acid from its degradation products and from tyrosine and phenylalanine. Arogenic acid, a precursor to tyrosine and phenylalanine, decomposes under the acidic conditions required for cation-exchange separation or PITC derivatization. The separation of phenylalanine from tyrosine is of primary interest in the diagnosis of phenylketourania (PKU) in infants. The separation is moderate on a cation-exchange column, but there is significantly more resolution on the AminoPac PA1 anion-exchange column.