The use of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for the Speciation of Organotin Compounds

Abstract

This review of the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the speciation of organotin compounds which are primarily of significance in the marine environment is divided into sections on the basis of the different HPLC modes of separation. However, it should be noted that such a classification does not exist in reality. For instance, in an ion-pair reversed-phase system the separation mechanism for the ionic solutes may be ion-pair partitioning, or ion exchange, or both. The relevant practical information (e.g. column type, mobile phase, method of detection and detection limit) is presented in tabular form. A brief overview of the reported detection methods is included, because the delay in development of an easily interfaced, specific and sensitive detector has hindered the use of HPLC for organotin speciation studies. The literature reviewed covers publications from 1977, the year of the first application of HPLC to organotin speciation, to April 1995.