Stationary phases for peptide analysis by high performance liquid chromatography: a review

A survey is given of modern stationary phases employed in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of peptides. The physico-chemical properties of peptides and their consequences for the selection and optimization of the separation system are briefly discussed, followed by a summary of the approaches to the selection and characterization of stationary phases. The properties and applicability of various stationary phases are then critically reviewed, including aspects such as size-exclusion, ion-exchange, reversed-phase, hydrophobic-interaction, affinity and chiral systems, as well as some specialized separation techniques. Emphasis is placed on the most recent literature.