Separations in Thin Layer and High Performance Liquid Chromatography Using Alkyl Silica Gel Bonded Phases

Abstract

Separations in thin layer (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using alkyl bonded phases were carried out under optimum solvent conditions for each of three phases, RP-2, RP-8 and RP-18. The phases were tested for their efficiency and resolving power using three groups of compounds in three binary organic-water mobile phases. The organic solvents were acetonitrile, methanol and tetrahydrofuran, which are widely used as solvent modifiers in reversed phase liquid chromatography.

The results showed that, unlike HPLC, TLC using RP-18 plates was the most, and RP-2 plates the least, efficient. A naphthalene and biphenyl mixture which was resolved by HPLC using any of the three solvents and columns was not resolved by TLC using any plate or solvent combination, unless the plate was prewashed with an organic modifier. The addition of NaCl (1–2% wt/vol) to the solvent for TLC speeded development unless an alcohol was used, but did not greatly affect the separation.