Reverse-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Mechanism Explained by Polarization of Stationary Phase

Abstract

Original results and conclusions on Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RPLC) mechanism are here presented. So far, none of the theoretical approaches applied to the RPLC mechanism can explain the retention and elution mechanisms of most of the analytes by RPLC, especially neutral organic compounds. Our experiences allowed us to state that RPLC retention mechanism most likely occurs through polarization of stationary phase (usually dielectric surfaces) submerged into solvents with huge dielectric constant and high dipole moment (i.e. water and/or acetonitrile) at high pressures as those applied in RPLC systems. The surface polarized interacts with polarizable target analytes (i.e. naphthalene, pyrene or benzo(ghi)perylene) in such a way that the retention depends on the medium polarizability of the target compound. The higher is the medium polarizability of the compound retained the higher is its retention time.