Theoretical basis of liquid adsorption chromatography with mixed mobile phases and its connection with the theory of adsorption from multicomponent solutions

Abstract

This review surveys the theoretical studies carried out on liquid adsorption chromatography (LSC) with multicomponent mobile phases with emphasis on the work performed by the authors. Section IV deals with the fundamental equations describing physical adsorption from multicomponent liquid mixtures of nonelectrolyets on homogeneous and heterogeneous solid surfaces, which are a natural basis for formulating the theory of LSC with mixed mobile phases. The main theoretical considerations refer to liquid mixtures of nonelectrolytes consisting of spherical molecules and involve nonideality of the bulk and surface solutions, energetic heterogeneity of the adsorbent surface and differences in molecular sizes of solutes and solvents. These considerations are formulated in terms of the so called quasi-chemical model, in which the adsorbate-adsorbent and adsorbateadsorbate interactions are represented by suitable quasi-chemical reactions. The above review is enriched by two sections: Sections V and VI present a literature survey and the first descriptions of LSC with mixed mobile phases; Section X deals with present and future studies of the LSC process by means of the methods of statistical thermodynamics.