Applications of immobilised artificial membrane chromatography to quaternary alkylammonium sulfobetaines and comparison of chromatographic methods for estimating the octanol-water partition coefficient.

The chromatographic behaviour of a series of quaternary alkylammonium sulfobetaines of general formula RN-(CH3)2(CH2)nSO3-, where n = 2-4, has been examined using an immobilised artificial membrane column. The k values have been correlated both with experimentally determined values for the octanol-water partition coefficient (P) and with aquatic toxicity measurements. Other indirect chromatographic methods for measuring log P for these compounds using reversed-phase columns and octanol-coated columns have also been investigated.