Surface area, liquid chromatography

High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a variant of the simple column technique, based on the discovery that chromatographic separations are vastly improved if the stationary phase is made up of very small, uniformly sized spherical particles. Small particle size ensures a large surface area for better adsorption, and a uniform spherical shape allows a tight, uniform packing of particles. In practice, coated Si02 microspheres of 3.5 to 5 fxm diameter are often used. 

Liquid-solid chromatography (LSC). This process, often termed adsorption chromatography, is based on interactions between the solute and fixed active sites on a finely divided solid adsorbent used as the stationary phase. The adsorbent, which may be packed in a column or spread on a plate, is generally a high surface area, active solid such as alumina, charcoal or silica gel, the last... 

A form of flux calcined silica of low surface area used mainly as a filter aid and inert support in gas and liquid-liquid chromatography. 

In gas chromatography the value of the partition coefficient d ends only on the type of stationary phase and the column temperature. It is independent of column type and instrumental parameters. The proportionality factor in equation (l.ll) is called the phase ratio and is equal to the ratio of the volume of the gas (Vg) and liquid (V ) phases in the column. For gas-solid (adsorption) chromatography the phase ratio is given by the volume of the gas phase divided by the surface area of the stationary phase. 

In NPLC, which refers to the use of adsorption, i.e. liquid-solid chromatography (LSC), the surface of microparticulate silica (or other adsorbent) constitutes the most commonly used polar stationary phase normal bonded-phase chromatography (N-BPC) is typified by nitrile- or amino-bonded stationary phases. Silica columns with a broad range of properties are commercially available (with standard particle sizes of 3, 5 and 10 im, and pore sizes of about 6-15nm). A typical HPLC column is packed with a stationary phase of a pore size of 10 nm and contains a surface area of between 100 and 150m2 mL-1 of mobile phase volume. 

Gas chromatography (GC) employs a gaseous mobile phase, known as the carrier gas. In gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) the stationary phase is a liquid held on the surface and in the pores of a nominally inert solid support. By far the most commonly used support is diatomaceous silica, in the form of pink crushed firebrick, white diatomite filter aids or proprietary variants. Typical surface areas of 0.5-4 m2/g give an equivalent film thickness of 0.05-1 pm for normal liquid/support loadings of 5-50 per cent by mass. 

To increase Vs, the chromatographer can increase the surface area of the stationary phase materials in normal-phase liquid chromatography, increase the stationary phase volume in reversed-phase or partition liquid chromatography, or increase the ion-exchange capacity in ion-exchange liquid chromatography. In general, if the internal diameter of a column is constant, the retention time... 

The approach to calculate the van der Waals and cavity terms from the molecular surface areas can be used for the calculation of partition coefficients. The results show that for the distribution of hydrocarbons between water and n-octanol the calculated partition coefficient is linear in carbon number. Qualitatively similar data are obtained for the distribution between other solvents and water and the results can be used to predict the retention in liquid>liquid chromatography. On the other hand, if retention in RPC occurs due to reversible binding at the surface of the stationary phase, the significant parameter is not the total surface area of the eiuite but rather the net decrease in the molecular surface area of the stationary phase ligates and that of the eiuite upon binding, i.e., the contact area in the complex. 

Occurs in nature in abundance the principal forms are bauxites and lat-erites. The mineral corundum is used to produce precious gems, such as ruhy and sapphire. Activated aluminas are used extensively as adsorbents because of their affinity for water and other polar molecules and as catalysts because of their large surface area and appropriate pore sturcture. As adsorbents, they are used for drying gases and liquids and in adsorption chromatography. Catalytic properties may be attributed to the presence of surface active sites (primarily OFT, 02, and AF+ ions). Such catalytic applications include sulfur recovery from H2S (Clauss catalysis) dehydration of alcohols, isomerization of olefins and as a catalyst support in petroleum refining. 

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