Separation of aliphatic and aromatic amines by the ion interaction reagent RP-HPLC technique

Ion interaction reagent RP-HPLC has been employed for the separation of some typical aliphatic and aromatic amines. The effects on retention of the alkyl chain length of the eluent, and of the eluent flow-rate have been studied. The use of solutions of hexylaminium-, octylaminium-and decylaminium-salicylate has been tested and compared, employing both conductometric and spectrophotometric detection. On the basis of the results obtained, the optimal experimental conditions can be chosen for each separation. Aliphatic and aromatic mono and diamines can be separated and detected, with an average sensitivity of the order of 40 ng without any pretreatment or derivatization. The retention data obtained for amines, compared with those obtained with the same ion interaction reagents for anions, help in the interpretation of the mechanism involved in the technique.