Characterization of polymer monolithic stationary phases for capillary HPLC

Monolithic capillary columns have been prepared in fused‐silica capillaries by radical co‐polymerization of ethylene dimethacrylate and butyl methacrylate in the presence of porogen solvent mixtures containing various concentration ratios of 1‐propanol, 1,4‐butanediol, and water with azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator of the polymerization reaction. The through pores in organic polymer monolithic columns can be characterized by “equivalent permeability particle size”, and the mesopores with stagnant mobile phase by “equivalent dispersion particle size”. Increasing the concentration of propanol in the polymerization mixture diminishes the pore volume and size in the monolithic media and improves the column efficiency, at a cost of decreasing permeability. Organic polymer monolithic capillary columns show similar retention behaviour to packed alkyl silica columns for compounds with different polarities characterized by interaction indices, I_x, but have different methylene selectivities. Higher concentrations of propanol in the polymerization mixture increase the lipophilic character of the monolithic stationary phases. Best efficiencies and separation selectivities were found for monolithic columns prepared using 62–64% propanol in the porogen solvent mixture. To allow accurate characterization of the properties of capillary monolithic columns, the experimental data should be corrected for extra‐column contributions.     

Electrochromatographic characterization of etched chemically-modified capillaries with small synthetic peptides

In this investigation, various capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) experiments have been employed to characterize the properties of etched, chemically-modified surfaces of open tubular capillary columns with peptides as solute probes and under conditions of variable voltage, temperature and solvent composition. The separation performance of etched capillaries with either n-octadecyl or liquid crystal moieties derived from a cholesterol phase bonded to the surface were compared. With the liquid crystal bonded species, interesting and significantly different variations in retention behavior of peptides are obtained compared to those observed with the corresponding n-octadecyl modified surfaces by changes in temperature, solvent composition and field strength. These peptide separations illustrate the usefulness of this CEC approach for practical applications, where both the retention characteristics of the charged analytes as well as the selectivity differences due to the surface properties of the etched chemically-modified surfaces of open tubular capillary columns can be rationally modulated. As in HPLC, appropriate choice of CEC experimental variables, including the chemical properties of the immobilized ligand(s), represents a powerful tool for optimizing resolution.     

Surface modification of soft-glass capillaries for gas chromatography by treatment with water vapour

“Leaching” or “etching” by strong mineral acids seems to be a necessary pretreatment step for the most commonly used deactivation procedures of glass capillaries by reaction with either polyethylene glycol or silylation reagents. The acidic sites which are formed on the surface during this acid treatment cannot be completely removed by the subsequent deactivation process. This drawback can be overcome by performing the leaching with water vapour, resulting in an accumulation of cations at the surface and a decrease in the number of silanol groups. Capillaries of this type show excellent properties for the chromatography of strongly basic compounds. After the wash-out of the alkaline surface layer, the acidity of the support is suited for the chromatography of strongly basic as well as strongly acidic compounds. Due to a lack of reactive acidic sites, special deactivation procedures have to be applied to capillaries produced in this way.     

Analysis of polar compounds on PEG-40M/KF glass capillary columns

The chromatographic properties of potassium fluoride as an additive to the polyethylene glycol stationary phase were investigated. This unique base in organic chemistry was shown to succeed in yielding good results for the analysis of polar compounds, including the primary amines. Glass capillary columns of high selectivity for primary and secondary aliphatic amines were obtained by the “hexane plug” procedure by which a thin layer of KF is deposited on the inner surface of glass capillary columns. Some possible types of donor-acceptor interactions occuring within the system PEG/KF/solute were considered.     

Strongly stretched polymer brushes

Polymer “brushes” are formed when long-chain molecules are somehow attached by one end at an interface with a relatively small area per chain. Such adsorbed brushes in the presence of solvent may be used to modify surface properties, stabilize colloidal particles, etc. Strongly segregated block copolymer phases, or interfacial layers of such “polymeric surfactants” may also be modeled in terms of “melt brushes,” (i.e., brushes without solvent). In both cases, when chain attachments are crowded on the interface, the chains stretch out to avoid neighboring chains. The resulting physical state has properties markedly different from polymer solutions, gels, or weakly adsorbed polymer layers. When the chains are strongly stretched, their statistical mechanics become simpler, as fluctuations around the set of most probable conformations are suppressed. This makes possible many pencil-and-paper calculations of brush properties, including bending and compressional moduli, and detailed knowledge of the chain conformations. As a recent example, I will describe calculations of phase diagrams of strongly segregated block copolymers including bicontinuous double-diamond phases. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A microscopic model for calculations of chemical processes in aqueous solutions

A new microscopic model for calculations of chemical processes in aqueous solutions is presented. The model, referred to here as the “surface constrained soft sphere dipoles” (SCSSD) model avoids the problems of the continuum models by explicitly including the solvent molecules. Each solvent molecule is represented as a point dipole attached to the center of a soft sphere. The solvation energy is evaluated by minimizing the solute-solvent energy with respect to the orientations and positions of those dipoles while constraining the surface dipoles to have the orientations and positions of the bulk solvent. The model is demonstrated by calculating the energetic of charge separation in aqueous solution and evaluating the corresponding dielectric constant. The SCSSD model can be used for quantitative studies of ionic reactions in solutions. This is demonstrated by calculation of the potential surface for the dissociation of formic acid in aqueous solution.     

Rapid analysis of trace organics in aqueous solutions by enrichment in uncoated capillary columns

Summary A novel technique has been developed for the analysis of trace organics in aqueous solutions. Concentration of organics is effected by passage of the solution being analysed through uncoated plastic or metal capillaries as reported. The concentrated organics are then desorbed from the capillary using an organic solvent, and the desorbed solution is subsequently analysed by gas chromatography. Organics trapped inside a variety of columns have been recovered by solvent desorption in this manner using a number of different solvents, mixed solvents, different solvent volumes, different solvent flow rates through the capillary column and at different desorption temperatures, and the effects of these variables on the efficiency of desorption are discussed.     

Impact of surface forces on wetting of hierarchical surfaces and contact angle hysteresis

The influence of the long-range surface forces on the wetting of multi-scale partially wetted surfaces is discussed. The possibility of partial wetting is stipulated by a specific form of the Derjaguin isotherm. Equilibrium of a liquid meniscus inside a cylindrical capillary is used as a model. The interplay of capillary and disjoining pressures governs the equilibrium of the liquid in the nano- and micrometrically scaled pores constituting the relief of the surface. It is shown that capillaries with a radius smaller than a critical one will be completely filled by water, whereas the larger capillaries will be filled only partially. Thus, small capillaries will show the Wenzel type of wetting behavior, while the same liquid inside the large capillaries will promote the Cassie-Baxter type of wetting. Consideration of disjoining/conjoining pressure allows explaining of the “rose petal effect”, when a high apparent contact angle is accompanied with a high contact angle hysteresis.     

In‐situ photopolymerized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane‐derived monolithic capillary columns with quinidine functionality for enantioseparation by nano‐liquid chromatography

The successful fabrication of monolithic capillary columns for enantiomer separations was achieved within vinylized fused silica capillaries via fast “one‐pot” photo‐initiated free radical polymerization reaction. A mixture consisting of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, O‐[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethylcarbamoyl]‐10,11‐dihydroquinidine was copolymerized in the presence of n‐butanol, ethylene glycol and photo‐initiator 2,2‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenylacetophenone. The morphology of the resultant polymeric hybrid inorganic‐organic material and its permeability as well as porosity can be controlled by adjusting the composition of the monomers and binary porogenic solvent. The chromatographic characteristics of the columns have been investigated. Separation factors of N‐acetyl‐phenylalanine (Ac‐Phe) and dichlorprop dropped with decrease of chiral functional monomer. Permeability was better when the macroporogen ethyleneglycol was present at higher concentrations during the polymerization. In general, the chiral compounds were well separated (dichlorprop: α = 1.53, R_s up to 4.14; Ac‐Phe: α = 1.36, R_s up to 2.69) by nano‐HPLC with an optimized enantioselective monolithic capillary column which can be prepared within a few minutes.     

Streaming potential in open and packed fused-silica capillaries

The surface properties of novel stationary phases in packed and open tubular columns for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) were examined by measuring the streaming potential in a home made apparatus. The surfaces investigated include materials such as porous styrenic sorbents and octadecyl-silica as well as fused-silica tubing, in both raw and surface modified forms. Functionalization of the surface was carried out, for instance, by reductive amination or organosilane grafting on to capillary inner wall. The dependence of the streaming potential on pH was examined with aqueous solutions in the pH range from 2.5 to 9.0. Electrokinetic properties of 50 microm I.D. fused-silica capillaries have been determined by both streaming potential and electrosmotic flow measurements. Both methods gave similar pH profiles of the zeta-potential and the isoelectric points. This confirms the viability of our approach to evaluate the specific charged groups of the packing which is one of the important factors influencing electrosmotic flow (EOF) velocity and protein adsorption during a chromatographic run. In addition to bare silica capillaries, styrenic monolithic columns with different surface functionalities, which have been extensively used in our laboratory for CEC separation of peptides and proteins, were employed for comparison of two methods. Plots of zeta potential as a function of percent ACN show a complex behavior, indicating that zeta potential cannot be predicted simply from binary mixture solvent properties. It is demonstrated that the evaluation of the zeta potential by the streaming potential method is nondestructive, relatively fast, without untoward effects introduced by Joule heating and yet another means for the characterization of the surfaces under conditions employed in CEC.     

Modification and optimization of a 50 MHz inductively coupled argon plasma with special reference to analyses using organic solvents

The torch and nebulizer of an existing argon ICP system were modified and the system was (re-) optimized for aqueous and organic liquids. The paper describes the design considerations and construction of(1) a new, streamlined torch including a torch base used in this study, where a demountable rather than a prealigned version of the torch was preferred;(2) a cross-flow pneumatic nebulizer with adjustable teflon capillaries including a spray chamber with flow spoiler, concentric aerosol pick-up tube, and “U” tube with unequal legs to smooth the flow of wasted liquid to the drain.The (re)-optimization of the ICP system for analysis of aqueous solutions with inorganic matter or with both inorganic and organic matter is discussed in the light of earlier work in this laboratory regarding the selection of “compromise conditions” and the choice of representative spectral lines and measurement criteria for establishing such compromise conditions. In this context the authors consider the concepts of norm temperature and “hard” and “soft” lines, as well as recent results of measurements of spatial distributions in ICPs. The authors further describe experiments aimed at the optimization of the operating conditions of an “organic ICP” using methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) as organic solvent. Trends of net line and background signals and signal-to-background ratios with the ICP parameters (power; outer, intermediate and carrier gas flow; observation height; liquid feed rate) are reported, and a rational choice of compromise conditions for the ICP is argued.Performance characteristics of the modified ICP system, such as detection limits, precision and interference level, achieved under compromise conditions, have been communicated in a previous report [Spectrochim. Acta36B, 1031 (1981)] to demonstrate the capabilities of the system for analysis of aqueous solutions. Detection limits in MIBK and oil diluted in MIBK are reported in the present work as an illustration of the performance of the system when used for organic liquid analysis.     

Potential of microbore HPLC within a multiresidue method for the trace analysis of plant-protective substances in water

The performance of microbore HPLC as a “measurement channel” within a true multiclass/multiresidue method for monitoring plant protectants in raw and potable water is demonstrated. The method has a modular design and consists of a non-selective sampling and preparation line generating 250 μL of an “extract” from a 100-mL water sample; this extract can be introduced to up to four measurement channels, as required by the analytical task. The microbore HPLC channel can be used to quantify 34 plant protectants in the 0.1 μg L^–1 concentration range by use of diode-array detection at seven different wavelengths. A solvent change is necessary to link sample preparation to microbore HPLC; this uses 50 μL of the “extract” and is accomplished directly in an autosampler vial. Performance characteristics were evaluated for tap water spiked at 0.2 μg L^–1. Average recoveries were between 65 and 100% and method detection limits were 0.07 μg L^–1 or better. The ability to provide comparable and accurate results was proven by participation in an interlaboratory comparison trial. The procedure for preparing microbore columns from 750 μm i.d. PEEK tubing is described in detail to enable the reader to prepare his own columns. The reproducibility of this preparation procedure was proven by an analysis-of-variance test.     

Understanding the role of near-surface solvent in electrochemical adsorption and electrocatalysis with theory and experiment

Predictive (electro)catalyst and electrode design requires a quantitative understanding of the effect of solvent close to the catalyst or electrode surface. Complicating a fundamental understanding of this “near-surface” solvent is that while solvent behavior in “bulk” solution far from a surface is fairly well understood, evidence from both experiment and theory suggests the behavior of many solvents close to a surface is different from that of the solvent far away. In this perspective, we will review how ab initio computational modeling can be directly compared to detailed experimental measurements to quantitatively understand the effects of this near-surface solvent. From this quantitative comparison, the various approximations which have been developed to treat the behavior of near-surface solvent can be benchmarked and rules for their use or improved modeling methodologies can be developed.     

Comparison of monolithic silica and polymethacrylate capillary columns for LC

Organic polymer monolithic capillary columns were prepared in fused-silica capillaries by radical co-polymerization of ethylene dimethacrylate and butyl methacrylate monomers with azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator of the polymerization reaction in the presence of various amounts of porogenic solvent mixtures and different concentration ratios of monomers and 1-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, and water. The chromatographic properties of the organic polymer monolithic columns were compared with those of commercial silica-based particulate and monolithic capillary and analytical HPLC columns. The tests included the determination of H-u curves, column permeabilities, pore distribution by inversed-SEC measurements, methylene and polar selectivities, and polar interactions with naphthalenesulphonic acid test samples. Organic polymer monolithic capillary columns show similar retention behaviour to chemically bonded alkyl silica columns for compounds with different polarities characterized by interaction indices, Ix, but have lower methylene selectivities and do not show polar interactions with sulphonic acids. The commercial capillary and analytical silica gel-based monolithic columns showed similar selectivities and provided symmetrical peaks, indicating no significant surface heterogeneities. To allow accurate characterization of the properties of capillary monolithic columns, the experimental data should be corrected for extra-column contributions. With 0.3 mm ID capillary columns, corrections for extra-column volume contributions are sufficient, but to obtain true information on the efficiency of 0.1 mm ID capillary columns, the experimental bandwidths should be corrected for extra-column contributions to peak broadening.     

The modelling of solvent structure in the electrical double layer

A Civilized Model electrolyte is one in which the ions and solvent molecules are regarded as distinct molecular species and treated on an equal basis. Recent efforts to use a Civilized Model to study the effects of solvent structure in the properties of the electrical double layer are discussed. By modelling the electrolyte as a simple ion-dipole mixture, it is possible to gain valuable insight in areas such as: 1) the successes and limitations of the Gouy-Chapman-Stern picture; 2) the derivation as opposed to a postulation of the Stern layer; 3) the influence of the charged surface on the magnitudes of the apparent Stern capacities (e.g. the “low” capacitances of the mercury/solution interface vs. the “high” capacitance of inorganic oxides); 4) the effect of solvent structure on the potential profile in the diffuse layer; 5) the interpretation of the electrokinetic potential; and 6) the role of solvent orientation on the x potential.     

Behavior of fused silica capillaries subjected to gamma radiation. Part 1: Chromatographic performance

Fused silica capillaries deactivated with D₄ and coated with OV-1 were subjected to cobalt-60 gamma radiation in order to elucidate the effect of incident radiation on column performance. The chromatographic performance of these open tubular columns in which OV-1 was polymerized in situ was found to be dependent on the dosage of radiation and was evaluated before and after the irradiated columns were rinsed with solvent. Of the radiation dosages employed, 3 MRad produced superior chromatographic performance coupled with very favorable residual surface activity.     

Novel fused silica capillary columns: Surface modification through controlled doping of the preform-tube

A method has been developed for fabricating fused silica capillary columns which have specific surface properties but still retain the excellent strength, flexibility, and resilience of pure fused silica. By using the Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition process (MCVD), typically used for the production of optical fiber lightguides, inorganic dopants such as Al, Nd, Ge, and P can be introduced into the preform-tube by MCVD. Doped columns have a wide range of specific surface properties, and columns with undoped fused silica prepared by MCVD are more chemically inert and less acidic than columns prepared by conventional methods. This paper describes the method for fabricating capillaries and the initial studies to characterize them.     

Preparation of monolithic columns with target mesopore-size distribution for potential use in size-exclusion chromatography

The main factors affecting the mesopore porosity of methacrylate-ester based monolithic columns were investigated. We prepared 40 monolithic capillary columns with porosity controlled by varying the proportions of butyl methacrylate (BMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) monomers and of 1,4-butanediol (BUT) and 1-propanol (PROP) as the porogen solvent in the polymerisation mixtures by thermally initiated in situ polymerisation in fused-silica capillaries. Using mixture design software, we systematically varied the composition of the polymerisation mixtures to find significant factors affecting mesopore formation. Multivariate analysis of the experimental data obtained for the fabricated columns yielded a model for prediction of the mesopore porosity in monolithic beds as a function of the composition of the polymerisation mixture used to prepare polymethacrylate monolithic capillary columns. The mean absolute deviation of predicted porosities is 0.029 for most of the columns, with only eight columns showing deviations exceeding 0.050. The main factor affecting the mesopore porosity proved to be the combination of the concentration of hydrophobic monomer (BMA) and the concentration of the less-polar solvent, 1-propanol, in the porogen mixture. The proportion of mesopores in the monolithic capillary columns increases with increasing concentration of 1-propanol and with decreasing concentration ratios of the cross-linker (EDMA) to monomer (BMA) and of BUT to PROP porogenic solvents.