Question

In liquid chromatography, nonpolar compounds bind _____ tightly than polar compounds on a polar adsorbent and dislodge more easily with nonpolar solvents.

A) More
B) Less
C) Equally
D) Occasionally

Answer 1

In liquid chromatography, nonpolar compounds bind less tightly on polar adsorbent and are more easily eluted by nonpolar solvents due to the like dissolves like principle.

Step-by-step explanation:

In liquid chromatography, nonpolar compounds bind less tightly than polar compounds on a polar adsorbent and dislodge more easily with nonpolar solvents. This behavior is due to the principle that "like dissolves like," which means that polar substances tend to dissolve in polar solvents and nonpolar substances are better dissolved by nonpolar solvents. The attractions that polar compounds form with a polar adsorbent are typically stronger due to dipole-dipole interactions or hydrogen bonding, which are significantly stronger than the London dispersion forces that predominantly affect nonpolar compounds. Hence, nonpolar compounds are more likely to be eluted by nonpolar solvents when using a polar stationary phase in liquid chromatography.