Polyamide has a well-established track history in separating phenols and phenolic compounds.

Polyamide chromatography of phenols and carboxylic acids is possible due to the reversible formation of strong hydrogen bonding between analytes and eluents and the secondary amide groups on the polyamide backbone.

• For phenols the following absolute series was found
• Water > methanol > acetone > dilute sodium hydroxide solution > formamide > DMF

The high elution strength of dimethylformamide is partially due to the presence of an amide (-CO-N) group which forms strong hydrogen bonds with the phenolic substances in the form of polyamide.