QSPR prediction of GC retention indices for nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds from heuristically computed molecular descriptors

Gas chromatographic retention indices of nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (N-PACs) have been predicted by quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) analysis based on heuristic method (HM) implemented in CODESSA. In order to indicate the influence of different molecular descriptors on retention indices and well understand the important structural factors affecting the experimental values, three multivariable linear models derived from three groups of different molecular descriptors were built. Moreover, each molecular descriptor in these models was discussed to well understand the relationship between molecular structures and their retention indices. The proposed models gave the following results: the square of correlation coefficient, R2, for the models with one, two and three molecular descriptors was 0.9571, 0.9776 and 0.9846, respectively.