High-performance liquid chromatography of alkylbenzenes on alumina

Abstract The influence of the molecular structure of 46 alkylbenzenes and related compounds on their retention behaviour on alumina has been studied. A moisture control system (MCS) was incorporated into a closed circuit to maintain the long-term equilibration of the water content between the mobile and the stationary phase. The MCS was filled with silica containing 0.5 and 1% water, respectively. The retention of the measured compounds is influenced by the number of alkyl groups, their length, shape and arrangement.