Electron-Acceptor and Electron-Donor Chromatographic Stationary Phases for the Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatographic Separation and Isomer Identification of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins

To assess the impact of environmental toxicants on human health, researchers routinely use GC/MS, and the compounds they use for analytical reference standards must be synthesized, purified, and characterized. Reversed-phase HPLC separation and structure identification of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) isomers (potentially hazardous environmental contaminants) in synthesis reaction mixtures were accomplished by taking advantage of the different retention mechanisms at work on four different stationary phases bonded to silica gel. Hydrophobic, charge-transfer, and dipole-dipole interactions characterize the analyte elution orders of the positional isomers of PCDDs from columns packed with C₁₈, pyrenylethyl, (nitrophenyl)ethyl, and (nitrophenoxy)-propyl stationary phases.