Examination of some reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography systems for the determination of lipophilicity

Three reversed-phase systems based on the divinylbenzene-styrene copolymer (PRP-1), the C₁₈-derivatized divinylbenzene-styrene copolymer (ACT-1), and the Nucleosil C₈ columns] were studied for their suitability in lipophilicity determination. Acetonitrile-water was selected as the mobile phase. Correlation between log k′ and log P_cyc for both the PRP-1 and Nucleosil C₈ systems was superior to the correlation between log k′ and either log P_oct or log P_cyc (oct = octanol; CYC = cyclohexane) on the ACT-1 column. On the PRP-1 and Nucleosil columns, correlation between log k′ and log P_oct was much improved when test compounds were grouped into classifications of non-H bonding, single amphiprotics (alcohols, phenols, amides) or double amphiproties. Although the PRP-1 system gave broad peaks with lipophilic substrates, there was good correlation between log k′ values on the Nucleosil silica-based reversed-phase system and the polymer PRP-1 system, indicating that either is suitable for the determination of lipophilicity.