Comparison of methods for separating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

A comparison is made of different stationary phases (silica gel, cellulose, acetylated cellulose, and 3-aminopropyl-, ethyl-, octyl-, octadecyl-, and diphenylsilanized silica gel), mobile phases, and development techniques (conventional, continuous, and multiple) for the separation of environmentally important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Reversed-phase separations using octadecylsilanized silica gel and methanol-water or methanol-water-based ternary solvent systems were found to give the best separations. A new development technique, multiple development with application of the mobile phase further up the plate at each successive development, provided superior resolution of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compared with conventional multiple development.