Mathematical models of solute retention in gas chromatography as sources of thermodynamic data. Part IV. Aliphatic alcohols as the test analytes

This study is the fourth consecutive part belonging to the cycle devoted to an alternative approach to deriving certain thermodynamic magnitudes. The previous three papers were dedicated, respectively, to ketones, aldehydes, and alkylbenzenes. In our present study (similar to the previous ones) the following working procedure is adopted. With the aid of capillary gas chromatography, the retention times are obtained for a wide variety of the aliphatic alcohols. The analyses are carried out isothermally on stationary phases of different polarity and at five different measuring temperatures. These data constitute an experimental basis for further processing with the aid of the specially devised mathematical equations. The fitting parameters of these equations, due to their physicochemical meaning, enable determination of certain thermodynamic data. Nine equations used in this study are the relationships coupling the selected retention data relative retention (r), non-reduced relative retention (rG), the retention factor (k), or the Kováts retention index (I)] and a variety of the physical magnitudes the boiling point of the analyte (T(B)), its molar volume (Vm), or its molar refraction (Rm)]. These relationships are tested with respect to their performance to predict the molar enthalpy of vaporization (deltaHvap) of the analytes of interest (i.e., of aliphatic alcohols). Evaluation of the equations' performance is carried out through a comparison of the numerical values generated from this approach with those originating from the other methods, and a very good agreement was found between these two series of the data. The best molar enthalpy vaporization values (deltaHvap) are obtained from the retention data originating from the most polar of the three investigated stationary phases (i.e., DB-Wax). Models V and VIII proved the best performing ones among the nine models tested in this study.