LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONSWITH CERIUM(IV) OXIDE AS PACKING MATERIAL

Cerium oxide (CeO2) was evaluated as a column packing material for liq uid chromatography. A pretreated CeO2 slurry was made in ethylene glyc ol and was forced into a stainless steel tube (125 X 4.6 mm) for 60 mi n at a constant pressure of ca. 550 kg/cm(2). Naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene and chrysene were successfully separated using pure n-hexane a s a mobile phase. The column efficiency is approximately 500 theoretic al plates. The separation efficiency of the CeO2 column pas compared w ith a commercial silica gel column. The main advantage of the CeO2 col umn was its improved separation efficiency for phenanthrene and pyrene .