HPLC of aminoacids on silica coated with ammonium tungstophosphate

Summary The chromatographic behaviour of aminoacids on columns of silica coated with different percentages of ammonium tungstophosphate at several buffer phosphate concentrations is reported. The stationary phase shows a high selectivity towards aminobutyric acids and methyl derivatives of tryptophan due to the distance between the carboxylic group and the –NH ₃ ⁺ group involved in the cation-exchange process and/or to the steric hindrance by a methyl substituent. A relationship between HPLC and HPTLC data has been verified and applied to the prediction of the separation of six aminoacids.