Micellar liquid chromatographic determination of diuretics by diazotization and coupling with the Bratton-Marshall reagent

A chromatographic procedure that uses micellar mobile phases of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and propanol at pH 3 is reported for the determination, in urine samples, of thiazide diuretics (althiazide, bendroflumethiazide, chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, hydroflumethiazide, and trichloromethiazide), and other diuretics having a sulphonamide substituent in the benzene ring. Precolumn derivatization with sodium nitrite and N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine, to form the coloured azo dyes of the hydrolyzed diuretics, decreased the polarity of the compounds and, consequently, their retention in the micellar eluents, and permitted detection in the visible region, eliminating thus the high background of the urine matrix and increasing the selectivity. Limits of detection were approximately 2 mu g/ml. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.