A high performance liquid chromatographic method utilizing an immobilized artificial membrane (IAM HPLC) column has been developed to separate the members of a library containing 38 aurone and thioaurone type structures and to characterise their lipophilicity. The experimental lipophilicity data (k'(IAM)) have been compared with the previously determined ones C-8(MOS) column (k'(MOS)) and with their calculated lipophilicity parameters (CLOGP). In general, good correlations between the measured and calculated lipophilicities have been found both for the IAM and MOS column. The IAM column showed higher efficiency in separation of isomeric aurones or thioaurones than the MOS one and, consequently, it showed higher potential in differentiation of their lipophilicities. Our findings proved the usefulness of the HPLC method in fast characterisation of the lipophilicity of drug candidates closely related in structure.
