Potentiometric detection for high-performance liquid chromatography is a reality: Which classes of organic substances are the targets?

Abstract

Potentiometric detection in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is shown to be an underexploited technique. The technique can be of great use to less classical potentiometry targets, such as bioorganics, of low as well as of high molecular weight. The understanding of non-faradaic potentiometry is, however, still problematic. Predicting the selectivity and sensitivity of a potentiometric electrode for organic ionizable substances can be done to a certain extent using QSAR methods. Although many new polymer materials and synthetic receptor molecules for organic ionics are being synthesized, few of them are applied in potentiometric membrane coatings. Hydrophilic organics form an interesting target group for these new materials.