Kinetic plot based comparison of the efficiency and peak capacity of high-performance liquid chromatography columns: theoretical background and selected examples

The present contribution reviews the foundations of the kinetic-plot method for the direct comparison of the kinetic performance of different chromatographic support and operating modes. The method directly uses experimental data collected for a specific sample and operating condition of one's interest, and is applicable both under isocratic- and gradient-elution conditions. Experimental proof is provided for the strong relation between the kinetic performance of a given support under isocratic and gradient conditions: a material offering superior kinetic performances under isocratic conditions will remain superior under gradient conditions and vice versa provided the comparison occurs under unbiased conditions. In addition, a review is made of the recent literature using the kinetic-plot method to compare and assess the kinetic performance of high performance HPLC columns and their operation mode.