with the exact point of increased retention depending on the solute and the organic component of the mobile phase. A true ANP stationary phase will be able to function in both the reversed phase and normal phase modes with only the amount of water in the eluent varying. Thus a continuum of solvents can be used from 100% aqueous to pure organic. ANP retention has been demonstrated for a variety of polar compounds on the hydride based stationary phases. Recent investigations have demonstrated that silica hydride materials have a very thin water layer (about 0.5 monolayer) in comparison to HILIC phases that can have from 6–8 monolayers. In addition the substantial negative charge on the surface of hydride phases is the result of hydroxide ion adsorption from the solvent rather than silanols. Features An interesting feature of these phases is that both polar and nonpolar compounds can be retained over some range of mobile phase composition (organic/aqueous). The retention mechanism of polar compounds has recently been shown to be the result of the formation of a hydroxide layer on the surface of the silica hydride. Thus positively charged analytes are attracted to the negatively charged surface and other polar analytes are likely to be retained through displacement of hydroxide or other charged species on the surface. This property distinguishes it from a pure HILIC (hydrophilic interaction chromatography) columns where separation by polar differences is obtained through partitioning into a water-rich layer on the surface, or a pure RP stationary phase on which separation by nonpolar differences in solutes is obtained with very limited secondary mechanisms operating. Another important feature of the hydride-based phases is that for many analyses it is usually not necessary to use a high pH mobile phase to analyze polar compounds such as bases. The aqueous component of the mobile phase usually contains from 0.1 to 0.5% formic or acetic acid, which is compatible with detector techniques that include mass spectral analysis. References J.J. Pesek, M.T. Matyska, LCGC, 24 (2006) 296 C. Kulsing, Y. Nolvachai, P.J. Marriott, R.I. Boysen, M.T. Matyska, J.J. Pesek, M.T.W. Hearn, J. Phys. Chem B, 119 (2015) 3063-3069. J. Soukup, P. Janas, P. Jandera, J. Chromatogr. A, 1286 (2013) 111-118 Chromatography