A novel approach to study the inclusion mechanism of imidazole derivativesin micellar chromatography

A chromatographic approach was proposed to describe the existence of surfac tant micelles in a surfactant/hydroorganic phosphate buffer mobile phase. U sing this mixture as a mobile phase, a novel mathematical theory is present ed to describe the inclusion mechanism of imidazole derivatives in surfacta nt micelles. Using this model, enthalpy, entropy and the Gibbs free energy were determined for two chromatographic chemical processes: (i) the transfe r of the imidazole derivative from the mobile phase to the stationary phase ; and (ii) the imidazole derivative inclusion in surfactant micelles. These thermodynamic data indicate that the main parameter determining chromatogr aphic retention is distribution of the imidazole derivatives to micelles of surfactant while the interaction with the stationary phase play a minor ro le. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.