Chromatography Forum

Hi, I'm interested to analyze nonionic surfactants (ethoxylates alcohol ) by UV/HPLC , that's what I have to use an agent to derivatize the surfactant, for example with phenyl isocyanate, could you help me?

in the laboratory do not have GC for the analysis of this type of surfactants.

thanks

I don't think that this will work as you expected. You only have two sites available for derivatization and relative impact is very small. If molecular weight is big enough UV activity is not going to be that great, you need to find much more UV-active derivatizing agent. I would consider ELSD/CAD as detection

In our lab for ethoxylated fatty alcohol nonionic surfactants we use a combination of high-temperature GC and GCMS after TMS derivatization, and HPLC using either refractive index or ELSD detector.