Abstract Experiments were run using an n-propyl amine polar bonded phase (Chromosorb LC-9) liquid chromatographic column in both the normal and reversed phase mode. Results confirm that the mechanism of separation in the normal phase is due mainly to a charge transfer interaction between the lone pair electrons on the stationary phase nitrogen and the π electron cloud of the solute PNAs. Elution order seems to depend upon a combination of π energy, and type of ring condensation of the solute. Plots of log I versus number of aromatic carbons for catacondensed PNAs suggest that while the specific interaction is different than that seen in silica chromatography, the overall adsorption effect is comparable. In the reversed phase there may be two types of separation mechanisms: 1) a pure partitioning effect in highly polar mobile phases (methanol/water), or 2) a mixture of liquid-solid adsorption and liquid-liquid partition in less polar solvent systems (acetonitrile/water).