How does High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) primarily function?

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) functions primarily by separating different components of a mixture based on their interactions with a stationary phase. In HPLC, a liquid mobile phase carries the sample through a column packed with stationary phase material. The various components of the sample interact differently with the stationary phase due to differences in polarity, size, or other chemical properties. These differential interactions cause the components to travel through the column at different rates, leading to their separation as they exit the column at different times.

This method allows for high resolution and sensitivity, making HPLC a powerful technique for analyzing complex mixtures in fields such as pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, and biochemical analysis. The stationary phase plays a crucial role in determining the selectivity and efficiency of the separation process, which is a fundamental principle behind the operation of HPLC.