Applications and retention properties of alternative organic mobile phase modifiers in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Reverse-phase liquid chromatography has been a widely used analytical technique in many laboratories around the world for several decades. In reverse-phase liquid chromatography method development applications, for the majority of analytical chemists, the use of organic phase modifiers is limited to acetonitrile and methanol. In an effort to minimise the impact on the environment while improving analyst health and safety, analytical method development has seen a rise in interest in greening analytical procedures, including the use of environmentally friendly alternative organic phase modifiers. Another focus of exploring alternative organic modifiers is to maximise the selectivity space of the typically used octadecylsiloxane-bonded silica stationary phase. The aim of this review is to explore how analytical chemists employed alternative solvents as organic phase modifiers in reverse-phase liquid chromatography for various applications and their retention properties.