Analytical Sciences

Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 19(2), 269 (2003).

Superheated Water Chromatography of Phenols Using Poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) Packings as a Stationary Phase
Takashi YARITA,*  Ryoji NAKAJIMA,** and Masami SHIBUKAWA**
*National Metrology Institute of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 3, Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8563, Japan
**College of Industrial Technology, Nihon University, Izumi, Narashino 275-8575, Japan
A method for the superheated water chromatography of phenols was developed using a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) (PSDVB) stationary phase. The stationary phase of superheated water chromatography must be stable against the attack of water. A durability test for PSDVB packings and octadecylsilyl (ODS)-silica gels indicated that PSDVB packings were stable in superheated water in the temperature range of 100 - 150°C, whereas octadecylsilyl groups of ODS-silica gels cleaved even at 100°C. The retention of phenols on the PSDVB stationary phase decreased with an elevation of the column temperature. The retention mechanism was characterized using a thermodynamic theory that has been used for describing retention in conventional RP-HPLC. The application of the present method to an environmental analysis was also demonstrated, in which a suitable separation with good peak shape was obtained for p-chlorophenol in river-water samples.