Influence of organic modifiers on the retention characteristics of graphitized carbon column

The retention time of alpha-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl ethylene oxide oligomer surfactants was determined on a porous graphitized carbon column (PGC) in eluents containing acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol tetrahydrofuran, dioxane and 2-ethoxyethanol as organic modifier. Linear relationships were calculated between the logarithm of the capacity factor and the concentration of organic modifier in the eluent. Ethylene oxide oligomers were well separated on the PGC column in acetonitrile-water eluent mixtures. Oligomers were not separated in eluents containing 2-propanol, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane and 2-ethoxyethanol as organic modifier. This result was explained by the supposition that the bulky organic modifiers occupy the active adsorption centers on the PGC surface decreasing in this manner the separation efficiency of the support.