Retention parameters of aromatic hydrocarbons with mono-substituted polar groups in binary RP-HPLC systems

Summary Capacity factor (k′) values of aromatic hydrocarbons with mono-substituted polar-groups are correlated for reversed-phase systems involving stationary phases with C₁₈ or C₄ ligands chemically bonded to silica and a binary aqueous eluent containing modifiers: methanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, isopropanol, dioxane or dimethoxyethane. The relative retention variations of the solutes are interpreted with special consideration of their interactions with non-polar stationary phases and the molecular structure of the modifiers and solutes. Rules for retention and selectivity optimisation in RP-HPLC systems are given.