Novel applications of broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS) as a detector for HPLC at ultraviolet wavelengths from 250 - 400 nm

Almdaaf, M, Bazina, N, Ahmed, T ORCID: 0000-0002-1959-8490, Sarker, M ORCID: 0000-0003-4698-2161 and Islam, M (2026) Novel applications of broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS) as a detector for HPLC at ultraviolet wavelengths from 250 - 400 nm. Journal of Chromatography A, 1785. pp. 1-11. ISSN 0021-9673

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Abstract

The first application of broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS) as a detection method for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral range of 250–400 nm is reported. A custom-designed HPLC-BBCEAS system, incorporating a laser-driven light source (LDLS) and high reflectivity cavity mirrors (R ≥ 0.99), was employed for the separation and quantification of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) anthracene and pyrene at near-UV wavelengths (300–400 nm). Minimum detectable absorption coefficients, αmin(t) of 9.8 × 10⁻⁶ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½ and 9.6 × 10⁻⁶ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½ were achieved for anthracene and pyrene at 338 nm and 333 nm, respectively, with 6.8 × 10⁻⁶ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½ observed for anthracene at 356 nm. These values correspond to 25-fold and 18-fold improvements in sensitivity compared to a conventional Perkin-Elmer HPLC-UV system. In the deep-UV region (250–300 nm), the separation and detection of vitamin D₂ and D₃ were demonstrated using both the LDLS and a 280 nm LED with R ∼ 0.96 cavity mirrors. LDLS-based measurements yielded αmin(t) values of 5.1 × 10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½ and 4.0 × 10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½ for D₂ and D₃, respectively, while the LED measurements exhibited enhanced sensitivity with values of 7.7 × 10⁻⁵ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½ and 5.8 × 10⁻⁵ cm⁻¹ Hz⁻½. These findings demonstrate that HPLC-BBCEAS enables broadband, multiplexed, and highly sensitive detection of UV-absorbing analytes and extends the practical detection range of HPLC into the deep-UV region.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Broadband cavity enhanced absorption; spectroscopy (BBCEAS); High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy; Vitamin D2 and D3 detection; Anthracenes; Pyrenes; Cholecalciferol; Calcifediol; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Reproducibility of Results; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS); High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy; Vitamin D2 and D3 detection; Anthracenes; Calcifediol; Cholecalciferol; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Pyrenes; Reproducibility of Results; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; 34 Chemical Sciences; 3406 Physical Chemistry; Anthracenes; Calcifediol; Cholecalciferol; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; Pyrenes; Reproducibility of Results; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; 03 Chemical Sciences; 09 Engineering; 10 Technology; Analytical Chemistry; 34 Chemical sciences; 40 Engineering
Subjects:	R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Divisions:	Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	17 July 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	15 September 2026
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2026 13:35
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2026 13:35
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.chroma.2026.467285
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29432

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