Bare silica as a reverse-phase stationary phase: liquid chromatographic separation of antihistamines with buffered aqueous organic mobile phases.

Unbonded silica gel is an effective support for reverse-phase liquid chromatographic separations of lipophilic amines. Simple buffered aqueous-organic mobile phases provide rapid isocratic separations of antihistamines. Phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, chlorpheniramine maleate, and dextromethorphan hydrobromide are separated in 8 min on bare silica with a mobile phase of 75% methanol and 25% water which is 0.01 M in (NH4)2HPO4. Quantitation is reproducible. A wide variety of additional compounds may be separated using the same mobile phase.