Improved reagent for trimethylsilylation of sphingolipid bases.

This paper describes the trimethylsilylation of sphingolipid bases under conditions that give derivatives of improved stability. The retention times of the common C(18) and C(20) long-chain bases, including the anhydro bases, obtained on a commercially available gas-liquid chromatographic column with a nonpolar stationary phase are given. Data are also presented on the separation of the erythro and threo isomers of sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine, as the trimethylsilyl ethers of the N-acetyl derivatives.