Separation of butyltin and phenyltin species by ion-exchange chromatography with complexing mobile phases

Butyltin and phenyltin species have been separated by ion-exchange chromatography using silica-based and polymer-based columns. Mobile phases consisted of methanol-water mixtures containing polyfunctional carboxylic acids, which can act as complexing agents for organotin species. The best results were achieved with a system based on a methanol mobile phase containing malic and oxalic acids and a polymer-based column, which allowed the separation of tri- and diorganotin compounds and some resolution between monobutyltin and monophenyltin.