Separation is a critical process to isolate a particular compound, whether it is a natural product or a synthetic product. Studies of a compound’s characteristics and elucidation structure provides reliable results for pure compounds because there is no interference from other compounds. The primary source of difficulty in a separation process is the high similarity between two or more compounds, such as racemic and homologous mixtures. Liquid chromatography has proven to be an effective solution to those problems. The key to liquid chromatography separation is a sustainable retention and elution process. Stationary phases are essential for separating compounds in liquid chromatography. Various liquid chromatography columns of both preparative and quantitative types have been used and continue to develop. This research will discuss the separation mechanism in liquid chromatography.
Mode of Liquid Chromatography | Separation Principle | Stationary Phase | Analyte | Mobile Phase |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reverse-phase chromatography | Affinity | Silica modified with octadecyl acrylate and 2-vinyl-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine [38] | PAHs | Methanol |
Affinity | Silica modified with octadecyl acrylate and N-methylmaleimide [39] | PAHs and tocopherols | Mixed of methanol and water | |
Affinity | Silica modified with N-Boc-phenylalanine and cyclohexylamine [40] | Phytohormones | Mixed of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile | |
Affinity | Zr6O4(OH)4 MOF modified with 2-amino-terephthalic acid or 4,4′-biphenyl-dicarboxylic acid [41] | PAHs and aromatics compound | Mixed of methanol and water | |
Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography | Ionic | Silica modified with (2-(methacryloyloxy)-ethyl)dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide or 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine [42] | Mixed of toluene, formamide, dimethylformamide, and thiourea | Mixed of water and acetonitrile |
Affinity | Amino silica modified with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and acrylamide derivatives [34] | Nucleosides, organic acids, and β-agonists | Mixed of acetonitrile and ammonium formate solution | |
Affinity | Silica modified with EGDMA and maltose [32] | Nucleobases and nucleotides | Mixed of water and acetonitrile | |
Affinity | Silica modified with vinyl silsesquioxane and dithiothreitol [43] | |||
Ionic and affinity | Silica modified with pyrazinedicarboxylic anhydrate [44] | Oligosaccharides, alkaloid, and organic acid groups | Mixed of acetonitrile and ammonium formate solution | |
Mixed-mode chromatography | Ionic and affinity | Silica modified with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine [35] | Protein and lysozyme | Mixed of acetonitrile, ammonium formate solution, KH2PO4 solution, NaCl solution |
Ionic and affinity | Silica modified with octadecyl and diol groups [8] | Aristolochic acid and derivatives | Mixed of formic acid and acetonitrile | |
Ionic and affinity | Silica modified with glutathione [26] | Protein | Mixed of water, formic acid, acetonitrile | |
Ionic and affinity | poly(12-methacryloyl dodecylphosphatidic acid-co- ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [45] | Ketone aromatic, phenol and derivatives, small organic compounds | Mixed of ammonium formate solution and acetonitrile | |
Affinity | Amino silica modified with octadecyl and carbon dots [31] | PAHs, nucleosides, and nucleobases | Mixed of water and methanol, acetonitrile, and ammonium acetate solution | |
Affinity chromatography | Ionic and affinity | Agarose modified with 2-Mercapto-1-methylimidazole [46] | Protein | NaOH solution |
Ionic and affinity | Sepharose modified with ligand complex [3] | Protein with histidine | Mixed of Tris buffer, sodium chloride, and imidazole | |
Ionic and affinity | Silica modified with N-methylimidazolium ionic liquid [28] | Protein | Mixed of acetonitrile, trifluoroacetic acid, NaClO4 solution, KH2PO4 solution, and NaCl solution | |
Ionic and affinity | Amino silica modified with glutaraldehyde [47] | Protein | Phosphate buffer | |
Ionic chromatography | Ionic | Bentonite modified with chitosan and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) [11] | Cr(III) and Cr(VI) solution | Nitric acid solution for Cr(III) and ammonia solution for Cr(VI) |
Ionic | Polystyrene-methacrylate derivatives modified with poly(amidoamine) [10] | Small anions like nitrate, sulfates, bromide, etc. | NaOH solution | |
Chiral chromatography | Size and affinity | Polysaccharide modified with 3-chloro-4-methylphenylcarbamate [48] | Paroxetine hydrochloride groups | Mixed of supercritical CO2, methanol, and ammonium acetate solution |
Affinity | Isopropylcarbamate cyclofructan 6 groups [49] | Methionine groups | Mixed of methanol, acetonitrile, acetic acid, and triethylamine | |
Size | Silica modified with 3,3′- phenyl-1,1′-binaphthyl-18-crown-6-ether [50] | Amino acids and peptides | Mixed of perchloric acid solution, acetonitrile, and methanol | |
Affinity | Poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) coated with chitosan [9] | Benzoin | Mixed of water and acetonitrile | |
Electrochromatography | Size and ionic | Poly(POSS-co-META-co-DMMSA) [18] | Benzoic acid, nucleosides, bases, glycopeptides | Mixed of phosphate buffer, triethylamine, and acetonitrile |
Affinity | Silica modified with a metal-organic framework (MOF) [20] | Benzenes and derivatives | Mixed of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile | |
Size exclusion chromatography | Size | Poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [51] | Protein | Mixed of water and acetonitrile |