Reversed-phase liquid chromatography column testing and classification: Physicochemical interpretation based on a wide set of stationary phases

• Published in: Journal of Chromatography A 2007-03, Vol.1144 (2), p.183-196
• Main Authors: Le Mapihan, K., Vial, J., Jardy, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Analytical chemistry; Basic compounds; Biological and medical sciences; Chemistry; Chromatographic methods and physical methods associated with chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid - classification; Chromatography, Liquid - instrumentation; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Cluster Analysis; Column characterization; Exact sciences and technology; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Organic Chemicals - chemistry; Other chromatographic methods; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Principal component analysis; Research Design; Sensitivity and Specificity; Solvent effect; Solvents - chemistry; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet - methods; Stationary phases
• ISSN: 0021-9673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2007.01.034

The high number of stationary phases commercially available for liquid chromatography makes the choice of the analyst a real headache. In order to provide a tool to carry out this choice on objective basis, the present work proposes interpretations of the column classifications obtained, thanks to a previously described testing procedure. The meaning of principal components was attributed to crossing over information carried by loading plots and groups revealed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) on the corresponding score plots. At high solvent ratio, the retention seemed to be governed by enthalpy, whereas at low solvent ratio, entropic phenomena were predominating. Finally, the behavior of known families of RPLC columns was studied giving rise either to homogeneous groups like polar embedded grafts columns or to scattered families like Aqua type columns.