Separation is based on differences in hydrophobicity by partitioning between an apolar stationary phase and a polar mobile phase. Together with appropriate control of operational parameters such as solvent composition, pH, temperature, and flow rate, reversed phase can enable separations of many analytes with a wide range of polarities and molecular weight. Columns with C8 and C18 stationary phases on high purity silica are the most widely used.

p75, Analysis of Pesticides in Food and Environmental Samples, CRC Press, 2008, edited by José L. Tadeo