High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is one mode of chromatography, the most widely used analytical technique. Chromatographic processes can be defined as separation techniques involving mass-transfer between stationary and mobile phases. Present day liquid chromatography that generally utilizes very small packing particles and a relatively high pressure is referred to as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

HPLC utilizes a liquid mobile phase to separate the components of a mixture. These components are first dissolved in a solvent, and then forced to flow through a chromatographic column under high pressure. In the column, the mixture is resolved into its components. The amount of resolution is important, and is dependent upon the extent of interaction between the solute componentsand the stationary phase. The stationary phase is defined as the immobile packing material in the column. The interaction of the solute with mobile and stationary phases can be manipulated through different choices of both solvents and stationary phases. As a result, HPLC acquires a high degree of versatility not found in other chromatographic systems and has the ability to easily separate a wide variety of chemical mixtures.

…