SORPTION BEHAVIOR OF ALKYL BONDED PHASES IN REVERSE-PHASE, HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

A comparison of selectivity data obtained from n-alkane-water/methanol liquid-liquid partitioning systems and from analogous bonded n-alkyl reverse-phase chromatographic systems was used to characterize the sorptive behavior of the bonded phase. The magnitude of In alpha as a function of bonded alkyl chain length in the chromatographic system suggested a liquid-like partitioning of hydrocarbonaceous solutes into the bonded alkanes. The quasi-solution behavior of the bonded phase is dependent on solute size and bonded chain length. It was also found that liquid-liquid partition coefficients could be obtained using entrained n-alkanes on the corresponding n-alkyl bonded phase chromatographic columns.