A Comparison of Overlapping Resolution Mapping with Ideal Separation to Optimize the Mobile Phase Composition for High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography

Abstract

Abstract The two data analysis methods, overlapping resolution mapping (ORM) and ideal separation (IS), are compared to optimize themulti-component mobile phase composition for high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). In this study, the separation of 11 anthraquinone dyes are evaluated using both ORM and IS to select the best mixture of three blends for the mobile phase. The three blends are composed of the four solvents benzene, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, and hexane with each blend having a Snyder's solvent strenth of about ∊ = 0.3. Comparing the results for the two data analysis methods showed ORM selected mobile phases that maximized the separation of the nearest pair of compounds while IS selected mobile phases that simultaneously maximized the overall separation for all sample components. Selection of the method for data analysis dependes on the objective of the optimization process. Resolution contour maps are generated for both ORM and IS to find regions of optimum mobile phase composition.