Regularities in the retention of nonsubstituted polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in liquid chromatography on polar adsorbents

Summary The retention of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is studied in liquid chromatography, using columns packed with silica gel with a hydroxylated surface and the same silica gel with surface-bonded amine and nitrile groups. A linear relationship was found between retention and the number of π-electrons in the molecule, the size of the molecule and the different types of carbon atoms in the molecule. The different carbon atoms in a PAH molecule contribute differently to the retention and this contribution depends on the nature of the polar functional groups on the adsorbent's surface and on the nature and concentration of a polar modifier present in a non-polar eluent.     

Microcolumn liquid chromatography of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and some isomeric compounds on cyclodextrin stationary phases

Preparative-grade bonded β- and γ-cyclodextrin stationary phases were used as the packing material of liquid chromato-graphic analytical microcolumns. Although the resulting columns are characterized by relatively low efficiency, the high selectivity of the cyclodextrin phases nevertheless allows their successful use for the separation of different classes of isomeric compounds that are difficult to resolve on conventional LC stationary phases. Examples of baseline (or almost baseline) separations of a number of isomeric compounds, including isomeric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are presented to demonstrate the analytical potential of such columns. Retention behavior of the separated isomers is discussed based on the structure of the solute molecule and the possibility of its inclusion into the molecular cavity of cyclodextrin stationary phases.     

Retention behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in microcolumn liquid chromatography with acridine derivative as stationary phase

Retention behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on an acridine derivative stationary phase was examined in microcolumn liquid chromatography. 3,6-Bis(dimethylamino)-10-dodecylacridinium was electrostatically introduced into a cation-exchanger, and its selectivity was compared with that of octadecylsilyl-bonded silica gel. The former stationary phase provided smaller retention for non-planar PAHs than that achieved by the latter stationary phase. The results suggest that interaction between PAHs and the acridinyl ring dominates the retention of PAHs, and preferential retention of planar PAHs is attributed to the fact that they have more chance to interact with the acridinyl ring of the stationary phase than non-planar PAHs.     

Retention behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons and dansylamino acids in reversed-phase liquid chromatography with cation-exchange-induced stationary phases

The retention behavior of aromatic hydrocarbons and dansylamino acids on cation-exchangers modified with alkylammonium ions has been examined by microcolumn liquid chromatography. Several parameters affected the retention of analytes, involving concentration of the modifier in the mobile phase, its alkyl chain length and mobile phase composition. Stationary phases modified with a reagent having longer alkyl chains achieved better column efficiency.     

Relationship between the average molecular polarizabilities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their retention indices determined on various stationary phases

The Kováts retention indices of 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined on SE-30, OV-101, SE-52, OV-7 and OV-17 stationary phases. A significant correlation has been found between the retention indices and the average molecular polarizabilities of the analyzed substances. Equations were derived for the direct determination of the average molecular polarizabilities from the retention index values. The influence of the temperature on this relationship is also indicated.     

The effect of hydrocarbon chain length and end-capping on the liquid chromatographic properties of stationary phases containing bonded nitrile groups

Summary Stationary phases containing bonded nitrile groups have been synthesized. The effect of the n-alkyl chain length connecting the nitrile groups to the surface and of the end-capping on the chromatographic properties was studied. The synthesized material was compared with commercial nitrile phases in the separation of isomeric cresols and xylenols.     

Cholesteric bonded stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromatography: a comparative study of the chromatographic behavior

The properties of four cholesteric bonded stationary phases differing in the nature of the spacer and the end-capping were assessed using simple chromatographic tests based on the retention of nonpolar compounds and of planar or nonplanar probe solutes. All cholesteric columns showed a hydrophobicity close to that of conventional octadecyldimethylsilyl (ODS) materials. Non-end-capped cholesteric bonded phases showed greater selectivity than ODS ones and both end-capped cholesteric bonded phases exhibit behavior intermediate between that of the non-end-capped original material and that of the ODS bonded phase.     

Study on retention behavior of peropyrene-type polycyclic aromatic hydroccrbons with various bonded stationary phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary The retention behavior of 15 peropyrene-type polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was investigated on various bonded stationary phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. On diphenyl and naphthylethyl bonded phases, high correlations were obtained between the molecular polarizability of solutes and their retention. However, very low or no correlations were found on various octadecyl bonded phases. These facts are discussed by using the electrostatic interaction concept between the solutes and the stationary phase. We conclude that these observations are due to two reasons: the difference in the degree of planarity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the high ability of planarity recognition of octadecyl bonded phases.     

Retention behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in supercritical fluid chromatography on a chemically bonded stationary phases based upon liquid-crystalline polymer

Summary The retention behavior of a set of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in supercritical fluid chromatography have been studied on a chemically bonded stationary phase based upon a side chain liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) with carbon dioxide-based mobile phase. The effects of the mobile phase pressure, column temperature and amount of mobile phase organic modifier have been investigated in order to detect a possible structural change in the liquid crystal polymer linked to the silica support. The influence of these factors on the selectivity coefficients has also been studied. Two distinctive behaviors with temperature are noted at low pressure on the one hand and at higher pressure on the other. This change in behavior is based on the density of the supercritical CO₂ and the PAH volatility rather than on any specific stationary phase structural change. Both lower mobile phase pressure and amount of mobile phase modifier are required to obtain better selectivities. Better planarity recognition is observed in SFC than in HPLC with these new bonded liquid crystal stationary phases. The bonded liquid crystal phase is only weakly affected by the addition of organic modifier in the supercritical CO₂.     

Optimization of micellar liquid chromatographic separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with the addition of second organic additive

The micellar liquid chromatographic (MLC) separations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were optimized for three micellar systems, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), with 1-pentanol as the only organic additive. A difference in the separation was observed between CTAC and SDS/DTAC. Under each optimized separation conditions, CTAC-modified mobile phase provides the least desirable separation, which is attributed to its longer carbon tail (C16 vs. C12). In addition to 1-pentanol, the main organic additive, a second organic additive (3% 1-propanol) in the micelle-modified mobile phase was found to enhance the resolution of PAH chromatographic peaks. However, the extent of the enhancement varies for the different micellar systems, with the greatest resolution improvement seen for CTAC, and little effect for shorter-tail SDS and DTAC. This study shows the potential use of second organic additive (1-propanol), to the main nonpolar additive (1-pentanol), in facilitating the MLC separation of larger nonpolar compounds.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as test probes to investigate the retention behavior of 1,3‐alternate calix[4]arene silica‐bonded stationary phases

A series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of different size and shape has been used to characterize the chromatographic behavior of five calix[4]arene stationary phases in 1,3‐alternate conformation synthesized in our laboratory. The selection of linear, four‐ring nonlinear, and five‐ring PAHs gave data on selectivity changes across range of the calix[4]arene columns. Retention of the 12 aromatic solutes has been evaluated at various methanol contents in the mobile phase (70–100% v/v) and column temperatures (20–45°C). The thermodynamic parameters underlying the retention mechanisms revealed that each of the five calix[4]arene columns exhibited variation in selectivity and retention of PAHs caused by enthalpy and entropy effects. The calixarene stationary phases substituted with electron‐withdrawing groups exhibit enhanced selectivity toward PAHs in comparison to the rest of the investigated columns. The observed divergences are due to differences in solute–stationary phase interactions and originate in π–π and π‐electron transfer specific to the analytes and the type of calix[4]arene functionalization at the upper rim, as well as steric and sorption phenomena.     

Retention characteristics of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in normal phase liquid chromatography

Summary Retention characteristics of series of polymethyl and mono-n-alkyl derivatives of benzene and pyrene, and also of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), were studied using silica and aminopropyl- and cyanopropyl-modified silica. Differences in the selectivities for the studied compound groups were found between the three phases. Deviations from linear behaviour in plots of log (k′)vs. carbon number were observed for the methyl series. These are explained in terms of differences in π-electron delocalisation within the aromatic ring systems. Further, the effect of methyl substitution on selectivity decreased with an increasing number of aromatic rings. Results were obtained which indicated that the primary adsorption site in a cyano column used in normal phase mode, at least for PAH molecules, is the cyano group.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance and high-performance liquid chromatographic evaluation of polymer-based stationary phases immobilized on silica

Three poly(ethylene-co-acrylic) acid copolymers (–CH₂CH₂–)_x[CH₂CH(CO₂H)–]_y with different chain lengths and mass fractions of acrylic acid were covalently immobilized as stationary phases on silica via two variants of spacer molecules (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane). Different mobilities of the alkyl chains in the stationary phases were observed using ¹³C solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The stationary phases with more rigid trans-ordered alkyl chains had better selectivity for geometric -carotene and xanthophyll isomers (provitamin A derivatives). Also, all the separations of the analytes were affected by polar interactions with the chromatographic sorbent. This was further proved by separating more polar cis/trans retinoic acid isomers (vitamin A derivatives). ¹³C high-resolution/magic-angle spinning (HR/MAS) NMR measurements of the chromatographic sorbents suspended in the mobile phase confirmed a dependence of molecular shape recognition ability on alkyl chain conformation.     

Synthesis of phenylalkyl bonded stationary phases and their application in the HPLC of aromatic hydrocarbons

Summary Phenylalkyl modified silica gels have been prepared by reaction of phenylalkyl chlorosilanes with silica gel. The structures of silanes as well as of the chemically modified silica gel have been confirmed by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy. The behaviour of these stationary phases has been investigated in HPLC for the separation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Presented at the 15th International Symposium on Chromatography, Nürnberg, October 1984     

A comparative study of the gas chromatographic behavior of liquid crystals and polyester stationary phases using paraffinic hydrocarbons as standards

Two new categories of stationary phase have been studied: liquid crystals and polyesters. The liquid crystals were p,p′-azoxyphenetol, p(n-hexyloxy)phenyl-p′-methoxy benzoate, and p-pentyloxy-p′-ethoxyazoxybenzene; and the polyester phases 1,4-butanediol succinate (LAC-860), ethylene glycol succinate (LAC-886), diethylene glycol succinate (LAC-738), diethylene glycol adipate (LAC-296), and neopentyl glycol adipate (LAC-769). Abnormal chromatographic behavior, has been observed: an increase in specific retention volumes and an improvement in the separation of normal, branched, and cycloparaffins, depending on their structures, at high temperatures within a specified range. This phenomenon is the opposite of the behavior of traditional stationary phases. From the chromatograms obtained, plots of log v against 1/T, and differential thermal analysis it is concluded that this abnormal behavior may be attributed to the penetration of solutes through the ordered structure of the mesophase and the rod-like molecules of the polyesters. Furthermore, the chromatographic behavior of some of the polyester (LAC-series) stationary phases in respect of temperature changes is similar to that of the nematic mesophases.     

Correlation method for comparison of selectivity and retention on different chiral stationary phases

Summary The main chromatographic properties: selectivity and retention of two chiral stationary phases: (R)-3,5-dinitrobenzoylphenylglycine (CSP I) and (S)-3,5-dinitro-benzoylleucine (CSP II) have been compared on the basis of correlation of retention factors of derivatized esters of amino acids and derivatized aminoalcohols. The differences in retention and selectivity for the two CSPs can be easily estimated from the correlation equation. It is shown that in the case of the correlation for two sets of retention factors obtained on two different CSPs, it is mainly the intercept that decides which CSP has the better selectivity. It is demonstrated that the correlation method provides more informations on the selectivity and retention than comparison of the chromatographic data of single pairs of enantiomers. Additionally, the possible influence of the polar modifier mixed with n-hexane as diluent on the constants in the correlation equation is demonstrated.     

Effect of stationary phase properties and solute molecular size on retention of PAHs in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary The relationship between the retention of PAHs having various molecular sizes and the carbon contents (%) of bonded stationary phases with various types of ligands were investigated. The examined stationary phases were phenyl, diphenyl, triphenyl and benzyl-bonded silicas. The data indicated that sometimes it is not true that the retention of any solute relates linearly to the carbon content of the stationary phase. As the result, it is suggested that the pore size distribution of the silica support, the bulkiness of the ligand bonded to the silica and the molecular size of solute should also be considered before any precise statement can be made.