fronting

in chromatography
Asymmetry of a peak such that, relative to the baseline, the front is less steep than the rear. In paper chromatography and thin-layer chromatography, it refers to the distortion of a spot showing a diffuse region in front of the spot in the direction of flow.
Source:
PAC, 1993, 65, 819 (Nomenclature for chromatography (IUPAC Recommendations 1993)) on page 837
Orange Book, p. 96