Simultaneous determination of cis-trans isomeric retinals by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of geometric isomers of retinal in a mixture has been developed. The method can be applied to problems such as determination of optimal conditions for the preparation of a particular isomer, or the investigation of novel photoproducts from retinal. Aprotic solvent effects on cis-trans isomerization are discussed.