Intermolecular interactions in liquid adsorption chromatography

Summary For the investigation of intermolecular interactions in adsorption from solution, which are the basis of selectivity in molecular liquid chromatography (LC), it is convenient to use the LC method itself. Using this method the Henry's constants, K₁, and other thermodynamic adsorption characteristics of hydrocarbons and of a series of polar substances on hydroxylated silica surface were determined from aqueous solutions. On the basis of the adsorption of hydrocarbons from water solutions the structure of the chemically modifying layers formed by different hydrocarbon groups on the silica surface is considered. The role of conformation ability of straight-chain bonded phases is demonstrated. Hydrocarbons are adsorbed on the hydroxylated silica surface more strongly from aqueous solutions than from solutions in saturated hydrocarbons and their retention increases with the increase in the number of carbon atoms in the molecule. The retention in LC is determined by the intermolecular interaction of the solute and solvent molecules with the adsorbent, as well by the contribution of the intermolecular interaction, between the solute and the solvent.The thermodynamic characteristics of adsorption of cymarin from water-ethanol solutions on hydroxylated silica gel and on silica gel surface modified by diphenylsilyl groups is compared. The solubility of silica gel modified by diphenylsilyl groups at different composition of water-ethanol eluent at different temperatures is investigated.Enlarged text of a paper presented at the Sixteenth International Symposium on Advances in Chromatography, Barcelona, Spain, September 28–October 1, 1981.