Luminescence par transfert d'énergie: Apport des lanthanides dans la détection de composés d'intérêt pharmaceutique et biologique, en chromatographie liquide et électrophorèse capillaire

Lanthanide sensitized luminescence is a very attractive alternative to UV detection and other luminescence techniques, ie, fluorescence and phosphorescence in separation sciences regarding the detection of drugs and xenobiotics because of the large Stokes shift, narrow emission band and long lifetime. After reporting theoretical luminescence properties of lanthanides in solution, we have reviewed some published applications of HPLC determination with Ln³⁺ sensitized luminescence detection. Advantages and limitations of this technique are discussed. Normal phase (NP) HPLC is very attractive due to the lack of quenching effect of water whilst reversed-phase (RP) HPLC is applicable to more compounds than NP-HPLC. However, pH adjustment and quenching effect of water on Ln³⁺ luminescence are the main drawbacks of RP HPLC. Elution properties and pH adjustment are two arguments to select the mode of addition of Ln³⁺, ie, pre- or post-column in the HPLC system. Sensitized Ln³⁺ luminescence detection is a much more specific method of detection than UV or fluorescence after HPLC separation but nevertheless does not always exhibit a significant increase in analytical performance when the donor itself is a strong fluorophore. Development of more powerful excitation sources could improve the limit of detection of the Ln³⁺ sensitized detection technique. First determinations by capillary electrophoresis using Ln³⁺ sensitized luminescence seem limited by not fully adapted apparatus. This review suggests that it would be useful to obtain predicting factors about the drug to know whether it is suitable to be measured by an HPLC/Ln³⁺ approach.