The characterisation of fatty alcohol ethoxylate based surfactants by
on-line LC-NMR coupling is described. Different surfactant mixtures we
re separated by a mixed exclusion-adsorption method of liquid chromato
graphy and simultaneously characterised by H-1-NMR spectroscopy. Infor
mation about the degree of oligomerisation of the ethylene oxide chain
and the chemical structure of the endgroups can be obtained in a one-
step experiment.