APPLICATION OF 2-D STATISTICAL-THEORY OF OVERLAP TO 3 SEPARATION TYPES - 2-D THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY, 2-D GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY, AND LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

A modified statistical theory of overlap for two-dimensional (2-D) sep arations was applied to three types of 2-D separations: 2-D thin-layer chromatography (2-D TLC), 2-D gas chromatography (2-D GC), and liquid chromatography/capillary electrophoresis (LC/CE). The 2-D TLCs were d eveloped in this laboratory on two adsorbents by overpressure layer ch romatography and ascending TLC from a standard solution containing 30 polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. The other separations were given to us for interpretation by colleagues. The coordinate pairs of maxima i n these separations were determined and interpreted using procedures t hat predict from them the number of mixture components. For 2-D TLCs d eveloped on one adsorbent, this number agreed to within 5% of the know n number of mixture components. For 2-D TLCs developed on another adso rbent, this number was incorrect but was shown to be incorrect by simu lation. The numbers calculated from the other separations were interna lly consistent and also were consistent with simulations developed to mimic the separations. In particular, a portion of a 2-D GC of kerosen e containing compounds of nine carbon atoms had modest overlap, and LC /CEs of tryptic digests of thyroglobulin and cytochrome c appeared to have virtually no overlap.