ABSTRACT
When developing a derivatization procedure for a certain compound, the influence of all reaction conditions (e.g., solvent, temperature, reaction time, concentration of reactants and catalyst(s), and substituent effects) must be thoroughly investigated in order to obtain the optimal reaction conditions. This chapter seeks to aid in performing derivatization reactions, as the necessary adjustments for optimization of a certain procedure can be derived from the theoretical backgrounds. It discusses the important derivatization reactions in LC as well as the factors that may affect the reaction rate. A great number of derivatization procedures in combination with chromatographic separations have been described. Most of these methods are based on nonspecific alkylation and acylation reactions. A well-known procedure is the reaction of the analyte in a polar aprotic solvent with an alkyl halide in the presence of an alkali carbonate. The choice between organic or inorganic base strongly depends on the reaction solvent.
