LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC RETENTION AND SEPARATION OF PHENOLS AND RELATED AROMATIC-COMPOUNDS ON REVERSED PHASE COLUMNS

Isocratic column liquid chromatographic systems with UV absorbance detection at 280 nm have been developed for the separation of 29 phenolics and related compounds. The selectivity was investigated on silica-, carbon- and polymer-based separation columns for the separation of phenolic type of components. The effects of various acetonitrile/buffer mixtures, and pH of the mobile phase, and their impact on the retention of the phenols was assessed. Tables of retention times on the four columns for the 29 phenols with two different acetonitrile/buffer mixtures, together with the retention times at three pHs from 6.5 to 2.3 with varying levels of organic modifier on the LiChrospher RP 18 column are presented. As an application, the analysis of real river water samples from the Ebro river is described using a solid phase extraction step prior to injection into the chromatographic system.