The Separation of Organic Analyte Cations on a Low-Capacity Cation Exchange Column Using Indirect UV Detection

Abstract

The retention of organic analyte cations on a low-capacity cation exchange column using indirect UV detection was studied. It was found that a combination of cation exchange/reversed-phase interactions affected the retention of organic analyte cations provided the analytes have both a cationic charge site and a hydrophobic center. The factors that influenced the organic analyte cation retention were: concentration of organic modifier, concentration of UV absorbing analyte, pH, and mobile phase ionic strength. Elution orders for several of the organic analytes studied on the low-capacity cation exchange column were different than those observed on silica-based strong cation exchange columns.