The development and applications of open tubular liquid chromatography

The instrumentation and column modification technology necessary to implement open tubular liquid chromatography was developed, The use of this technique to separate complex samples is presented.

Efficient chemically coated and chemically bonded open tubular columns were prepared. A column coated with β, β'-oxydipropionitrile was able to separate a complex mixture of twelve alkyl phenol isomers. The same mixture has not been separated by conventional liquid chromatographic techniques. Columns bonded with octadecylsilane were used to separate mixtures of derivatized amines. Reported procedures used to chemically etch glass surfaces were modified to produce improved results.

A modified absorption detection system was constructed and evaluated. The system proved to be suitable for wide bore columns. Laser excited fluorescence was adapted for use as a detection method in open tubular liquid chromatography. This method was found to be over 1000 times more sensitive than absorption detection. The use of quartz capillary tubes in the construction of detector flow cells is presented and evaluated.

Complex natural samples were separated by open tubular liquid chromatography. The alkyl phenol compounds in a coal-derived liquid were separated and tentatively identified. A chromatographic separation of a derivatized urine sample is also presented.