| Abstract: | A new method of quantitative structure‐retention relationship (QSRR) is proposed for estimating and predicting gas chromatographic retention indices of alkanes by using a novel molecular distance‐edge vector, called μ vector, containing 10 elements. The QSRR model (Ml), between the μ vector and chromatographic retention indices of 64 alkanes, was developed by using multiple linear regression (MLR) with the correlation coefficient being R = 0.9992 and the root mean square (RMS) error between the estimated and measured retention indices being RMS = 5.938. In order to explain the equation stability and prediction abilities of the M1 model, it is essential to perform a cross‐validation (CV) procedure. Satisfactory CV results have been obtained by using one external predicted sample every time with the average correlation coefficient being R = 0.9988 and average RMS = 7.128. If 21 compounds, about one third drawn from all 64 alkanes, construct an external prediction set and the 43 remaining construct an internal calibration set, the second QSRR model (M2) can be created by using calibration set data with statistics being R = 0.9993 and RMS = 5.796. The chromatographic retention indices of 21 compounds in the external testing set can be predicted by the M2 model and good prediction results are obtained with R = 0.9988 and RMS = 6.508. |
