This document discusses derivatization techniques used to modify compounds to make them suitable for analysis by gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It describes how derivatization changes functional groups to alter chemical and physical properties without changing the overall chemical structure. Common derivatization methods include silylation, alkylation, acylation, and chiral derivatization. Silylation adds silyl groups to make compounds more volatile. Alkylation and acylation reduce polarity. Chiral derivatization forms diastereomers to separate enantiomers. Derivatization can occur before or after column separation in HPLC. Pre-column derivatization is manual while post-column occurs automatically via