Analyte degradation during chromatographic analysis

[Jumpshooter]

I tested a rather structurally complex compound with 2 pPenol rings connected by an etheryl bridge: Phenyl--CH2--Oxygen--CH2--Phenyl and both phenols being chlorinated at one position each though at different carbons on the ring.

Upon chrom analysis I observed two peaks--could one be the break-away structure from the parent compound? When fractured at the --0-- site of the molecule? The Tr are at 8.5 mins and 9.3 mins. Given this veryclose association in Tr's, is this hypothesis tenable? To my knowledge, LC does not degrade compounds in situ.

[Uwe Neue]

This bond is not terribly sensitive to hydrolysis. Plus, if your parent would fall apart at this location, you should get the parent and two product peaks, the right side and the left side. Plus, commonly, the retention of analytes with similar components but roughly two-fold difference in MW is more different than what you are observing.

I think the answer is no...