Chromatography Fundamentals (EN) Flashcards
What is HPLC?
High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC; formerly referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography) is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate components in a mixture, to identify each component, and to quantify components.
What is resolution (R) in HPLC?
Resolution describes the ability of a column to separate the peaks of interest. It describes whether you have achieved base line separation or not.
Which parameters are influencing resolution?
Resolution takes into consideration efficiency (N), selectivity (α) and retention.
Why is good resolution important?
Baseline separated peaks ensure the most accurate quantitative result.
Which parameter has the highest influence on resolution?
Selectivity (α)
What means Retention time (tr) in Liquid Chromatography?
The time between the instant of injection and the detection of the component is known as the Retention time (tr).
What is Chromatography?
Chromatography is a physical method of separation that distributes components to separate between two phases, one stationary (stationary phase), the other (mobile phase) moving in a definite direction.
What is efficiency (N)?
It describes the separation power of the column. Column efficiency is used to compare the performance of different columns.
Which parameters are influencing colum efficiency?
Column length (increasing colum length increases efficiency) and particle size (decreasing particle size increases efficiency).
Which parameters are influencing the Retention factor (k)?
- Stationary phase
- Mobile phase
- Temperature
What is the Retention factor (k)?
The Retention factor measures the period of time that the sample component resides in a stationary phase relative to the time it resides in the mobile phase. It is calculated from the Retention time (tr) divided by the time for an unretained peak (t0).
What is selectivity or separation factor (α)?
Selectivity is a measure of the time or distance between the maxima of two peaks. If α = 1, the two peaks have the same retention time and co-elute. It is defined as the ratio in capacity factors.
Why is a high plate number (N) desired in chromtography?
High plate number provides sharp and narrow peaks, better detection and peak capacity to resolve complex samples.
What kind of diffusion lead to peak broadening inside the column?
- Eddy diffusion
- Axial or longitudinal diffusion
- Resistance to mass transfer
What does the Van Deemter Equation describe?
The van Deemter equation relates the resolving power of a chromatographic column to flow and kinetic parameters which are responsible for peak broadening.