CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR PREDICTION OF RETENTION IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY

The desire to model chromatographic retention derives from both theoretical and practical needs. There are fundamental questions concerning the interactions of molecules in separation systems and the modeling of chromatographic retentions is critical for methods development: This paper reviews the current strategies for predicting retention in HPLC with emphasis on RP-HPLC. Three main categories are discussed: methods utilizing a physical model, methods which assume no model, and methods with an abstract or hidden model. The theoretical background, practical application, and relative merits of each approach are discussed.