CHROMATOGRAPHY
CHROMATOGRAPHY, Vol. 29 (2008), No. 3, pp. 13-20
Focusing Review
Effect of solvation of hydrophobic packing materials by mobile phase solvents on solute retention in reversed-phase liquid chromatography
Masami Shibukawa
Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Abstract:
Many studies have been conducted that examine retention mechanism in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), and two main models, solvophobic adsorption on the surface of alkyl bonded phase and partition into the bonded alkyl chains, have evolved so far. On the other hand, two other models that involve analyte distribution between the mobile phase and the eluent solvent layer formed by solvation of the alkyl bonded phase have recently been proposed. One of them postulates the exclusive adsorption of organic modifiers on the hydrophobic surface, while the other claims that water is also a component of the solvent layer. This report provides a brief review of the strategies of these approaches for elucidating the physicochemical structure of the liquid layer formed by solvation of RPLC packing materials and the effect of the liquid layer on solute retention in RPLC.
Keywords: retention mechanism; reversed-phase liquid chromatography; solvated liquid layer