Separation and characterization of hydroxyl aromatics in complex fractions from nondistillable coal-derived liquids

Complex hydroxyl aromatic fractions isolated from nondistillable coal-derived liquids were separated by a combination of normal-phase and reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The normal-phase chromatographic step effected the separation of hydroxyl aromatics into mono- and dihydroxyl fractions. The mono- and dihydroxyl fractions from the coal-liquid sample were characterized with infrared and field-ionization mass spectrometry (FIMS). A monohydroxyl fraction of oils from a Kentucky coal-liquid sample was separated with an optimized reversed-phase chromatographic system. The monohydroxyl fraction was completely eluted by using a combination of isocratic and gradient elution conditions. The combination of reversed-phase liquid chromatography and FIMS provided a unique method for the characterization of the monohydroxyl fraction of oils from the Kentucky coal-liquid sample.