Development of a HPLC method for analysis of linear alkylbenzene sulphonates and detection by UV and FTIR spectroscopy using thermospray interface

A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method, with acetic acid and sodium perchlorate phase modifiers, was developed to separate a mixture of linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS), containing 10 to 13 carbon atoms. The effects of methanol-water compositions and concentrations of used modifiers were investigated and compared. The separation achieved with 50 mg L^-1 acetic acid was found satisfactory whereas a concentration of 10 g L^-1 sodium perchlorate was preferred. Chromatograms obtained with UV and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) detection showed almost similar features and HPLC-FTIR interface spectra of LAS components exhibited excellent agreement of absorption features to those of standard FTIR spectrum and no thermal degradation was found to occur.