Gas chromatographic retention behaviour of polychlorinated naphthalenes on non-polar, polarizable, polar and smectic capillary columns

Six commercially available gas chromatography columns were investigated for performance in separating polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). Retention behaviour on the investigated phases is compared and retention data for 40 congeners on a 5% phenyl—methylpolysiloxane column is reported. For all columns, except the octylmethylpolysiloxane and the smectic, a relation between substitution pattern and retention was found, where substitution in adjacent positions as well as α-substitution increase the retention time. A mathematical model based on these findings was developed and used to predict the relative retention of all congeners from di- up to octachloronaphthalene, on a 5% phenyl—methylpolysiloxane column.