One of the two phases forming a chromatographic system. It may be a solid, a
gel or a liquid. If a liquid, it may be distributed on a solid. This solid may or may
not contribute to the separation process. The liquid may also be chemically bonded
to the solid (bonded phase) or immobilized onto it (immobilized phase). The expression
chromatographic bed or sorbent may be used as a general term to denote any of the
different forms in which the stationary phase is used. Particularly in gas
chromatography where the stationary phase is most often a liquid, the term liquid phase is used
for it as compared to the gas phase, i.e. the mobile phase. However, particularly
in the early development of liquid
chromatography, the term '
liquid phase' had also been used to characterize the mobile phase as compared to the '
solid phase' i.e. the stationary phase. Due to this ambiguity, the use of the term '
liquid phase' is discouraged. If the physical state of the stationary phase is to be expressed,
the use of the adjective forms such as liquid stationary phase and solid stationary
phase, bonded phase or immobilized phase is proposed.
Source:
PAC, 1993, 65, 819
(Nomenclature for chromatography (IUPAC Recommendations 1993))
on page 823
See also:
Orange Book, p. 98