What is tailing in chromatography?

Answer 1

Tailing peaks are a known problem in chromatography (both HPLC and GC). It means the analytes are experiencing an out-drawn (extended) retention time and is usually due to one of these factors:

• Contaminated or active injector liner, seal or column
• Dead volume due to poorly installed liner or column
• Ragged column end
• A bad match between the polarities of the stationary phase and the solvent
• A cold region in the sample flow path (GC)
• Debris in the liner or column
• Injection takes too long
• Split ratio is too low (GC)
• Overloading the inlet
• Some types of compounds such as alcoholic amines, primary and secondary amines and carboxylic acids tend to tail

Answer 2

Tailing in chromatography refers to the phenomenon where the peak in the chromatogram is elongated on one side, leading to a distorted peak shape. This can be caused by factors such as non-ideal interactions between the analyte and the stationary phase, resulting in slower elution. Tailing can affect the accuracy and precision of peak identification and quantification in chromatographic analysis.