Evaluation of ternary mobile phases for reversed-phase liquid chromatography: Effect of composition on retention mechanism

The effect of varying mobile phase composition across a ternary space between two binary compositions is examined, on four different reversed-phase stationary phases. Examined stationary phases included endcapped C8 and C18, as well as a phenyl phase and a C18 phase with an embedded polar group (EPG). Mobile phases consisting of 50% water and various fractions of methanol and acetonitrile were evaluated. Retention thermodynamics are assessed via use of the van’t Hoff relationship, and retention mechanism is characterized via LSER analysis, as mobile phase composition was varied from 50/50/0 water/methanol/acetonitrile to 50/0/50 water/methanol acetonitrile. As expected, as the fraction of acetonitrile increases in the mobile phase, retention decreases. In most cases, the driving force for this decrease in retention is a reduction of the enthalpic contribution to retention. The entropic contribution to retention actually increases with acetonitrile content, but not enough to overcome the reduction in the enthalpic contribution. In a similar fashion, as methanol is replaced with acetonitrile, the v, e, and a LSER system constants change to favor elution, while the s and c constants change to favor retention. The b system constant did not show a monotonic change with mobile phase composition. Overall changes in retention across the mobile phase composition range varied, based on the identity of the stationary phase and the composition of the mobile phase.