Nanocomposite ta-C films prepared by the filtered vacuum arc process using nanosized Ni dots on a Si substrate

Recently, structural manipulation of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) film at the nanometer scale has attracted much attention. We demonstrate a novel method to obtain a nanocomposite film where nanoscale columns of graphitic phase are embedded in a tetrahedral amorphous carbon matrix. When using a Si substrate with nanosized Ni dots on the surface, graphitic columns grew selectively on the Ni dots, while a dense ta-C film was deposited on the bare Si surface. The growth of the graphitic columns is closely related to the nanosized Ni dots that catalyze the graphitic-carbon formation in a filtered vacuum arc deposition condition.     

Preparation and evaluation of polar stabilized phase open tubular (SPOT) columns

Summary A method is described for the routine preparation of high resolution stabilized phase open tubular (SPOT) columns. A finely dispersed siliceous material (Cab-O-Sil) is treated with benzyltriphenylphosphoniumchloride and dynamically coated onto the inside wall of glass capillary columns. Additional dynamics coating with a polar stationary phase yields thermostable columns of high efficiency. The columns show favourable adsorption properties and good long term stability. The mechanical stability of the stationary phase film is explained in terms of the rheological behaviour of concentrated disperisons. The designation PLOT columns appers inapplicable, and these columns will be referred to as SPOT columns. A theoretical model, describing band spreading in SPOT columns, is proposed and compared with the experimental results. Some applications in routine use and in ultra trace analysis are presented.     

A novel method of preparing of glass capillary columns: Low-temperature plasma etching and polymerization

A novel method is described for the preparation of stable glass capillary columns (glass open tubular columns), including the etching and formation of a polymer film on the inner glass capillary surfaces. The approach used here is based on low-temperature plasma etching and polymerization. Under the influence of a field of radio frequency discharge, low pressure gases of fluoric compounds, introduced into the glass capillary tube, generate excited fluorine radicals which etch the inner surface. The plasma of organosilicone monomer in the glass capillary yields a uniform polymerized film on the inner surface. The resultant material functions as a good stationary phase for glass capillary gas chromatography (GC²). The inner surfaces treated with such a plasma, can be studied by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The flexibility of this method permits the use of various stationary phases and surface modification.     

The dependence of the properties of liquid crystals on the film thickness and surface quality of capillary columns

Summary Glass capillary columns were prepared from non-deactivated and deactivated glass and coated with (2-methyl-4-[trans-4-n-propyl-cyclohexylcarbonyloxy]-benzoic acid-[4-n-heptyloxy-phenylester]) as the liqud phase, in different film thicknesses. The columns were tested using substances of different structures and polarities. It was verified that the capacity factors, retention indices and selectivity significantly depend on the thickness of the liquid crystalline stationary phase film and the quality of the tube, particularly in the case of columns with thin films. Trasition temperatures (melting and clearing point) of the liquid crystal are also dependent on these two factors.Dedicated to Professor J. F. K. Huber on the occasion of the his 60th birthday.     

Open tubular columns prepared with very thick liquid phase film II. Investigations on column efficiency

The performance of a column prepared with an immobilized (chemically bonded) methylsilicone phase having a film thickness of 5μm is investigated in detail. Due to their high sample capacity, such columns are particularly useful when directly coupling gas chromatography with spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Thick-film columns can even be used with thermal conductivity detectors.     

Performance of open tubular columns as a function of tube diameter and liquid phase film thickness

Summary Wall-coated, open-tubular (capillary) columns prepared from different diameter tubing, with different liquid phase film thickness, are compared with each other and with packed and support-coated open-tubular columns. The comparison is based on the variation of the phase ratio and the capacity factor, and includes column efficiency (HETP, theoretical plate number), resolution, retention time, and sample capacity. Problems associated with the evaluation of the sample capacity are outlined. The influence of temperature on column performance is discussed in detail. Finally, the possibilities of short, wide-bore open-tubular columns prepared with a thick liquid-phase film are demonstrated.Parts of this paper were presented at the 35th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Atlantic City NJ, March 5–9, 1984, and at the 20th International Symposium on Advances in Chromatography, New York NY, April 16–18, 1984.     

Hypercross-linked polystyrene and its potentials for liquid chromatography: a mini-review

A recently introduced method [Biotechnol. Prog. 13 (1997) 429] for determining intraparticle mass transfer parameters in high speed liquid chromatography is considered in the present study for the case where the eluite adsorbs onto the stationary phase. The validity of the method was verified theoretically using simulated elution profiles and then applied to experimental data obtained using columns packed with either a macroporous or a gel-filled gigaporous stationary phase. For this purpose, experimental measurements were made using alpha-lactalbumin and bovine serum albumin as eluites at several retention factors. Apparent intraparticle diffusivities measured for the gel-filled gigaporous stationary phase were seen to increase with the retention factor, which indicates that for this material surface diffusion is a significant mechanism of mass transfer under retained conditions. Data obtained on the macroporous stationary phase revealed that the intraparticle diffusivity was independent of the retention factor, which suggests that pore diffusion remains the principal mass transfer mechanism even under conditions where proteins are adsorbed on the column packing.     

Quantitative analysis of apolar polysiloxane phases in large-bore capillary columns

Summary A technique is described for determination of the amount of bonded phase in commercial columns. It is adapted to the determination of the real nature and the thickness of a siloxane bonded film. Ten-centimeter samples of column are used. The method is tested for large-bore capillary columns. Applications to kinetic studies are suggested.     

Development and evaluation of gold-centered monolayer protected nanoparticle stationary phases for gas chromatography

The current status for the development of novel open-tubular gas chromatography (GC) stationary phases consisting of thin films of gold-centered monolayer protected nanoparticles (MPNs) is reported. Dodecanethiol MPNs, in which the monolayer is dodecanethiol linked to the gold nanoparticle, have shown great promise as a GC stationary phase with efficient columns having been produced in a variety of capillary i.d.'s with stationary phase film depths ranging from 10 to 60 nm, +/-2 nm at a given film depth. Stationary phase operational parameters are discussed including maximum operating temperature, sample capacity, and stationary phase lifetime and robustness. An overview of the general method employed for column production is also included. The sample capacity was determined for a 2.5 m, 250 microm i.d. column with a stationary phase film thickness of 40 nm, at 50 degrees C using anisole (k' = 1.86) as the probe analyte. The sample capacity was experimentally found to be 2.3 ng under these conditions, similar to values reported for thicker, polymer stationary phases. The efficiency of the dodecanethiol MPN stationary phase was determined with a 100 microm i.d. capillary and found to have a reduced plate height hmin value of 0.95 for octane (k' = 0.68). Areas of application illustrated and discussed utilizing the dodecanethiol MPN stationary phase include complementary separations such as two-dimensional GC (GC x GC), potential utilization within a model system for a micro-fabricated GC (microGC), as well as efficient single dimension high-speed separations. Initial development of polar stationary phases utilizing 4-chlorobenzenethiol MPNs and 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenethiol MPNs is discussed. Included is a selectivity comparison of the retention behavior of the 4-chlorobenzenethiol MPN stationary phase and the dodecanethiol MPN stationary phase.     

Effect of first-dimension column film thickness on comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatographic separation

In comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC), samples experience two-dimensional separation implemented by a modulator which helps preserve the first-dimension separation and facilitates the second-dimension separation by periodically collecting, focusing and launching the material from the primary column onto the secondary column with a different stationary phase. Column overloading in GC x GC is a considerable problem, aggravated by the fact that two columns are involved. Broad first-dimension peaks of an analyte help produce smaller fractions of the analyte in the second-dimension, reducing the chance of secondary column overloading. One of the means to generate broad peaks in the first-dimension is to use thick film primary columns. A series of primary columns of various film thickness were tested in the study, and the results indicate that when other conditions are kept constant, 1 microm film columns often provide better resolution in both first and second-dimension but at the expense of a much longer separation time; 0.1 microm is clearly inadequate for GC x GC separation; 0.5 and 0.25 microm film columns seem to be the best compromises.     

Analysis of gases containing inorganic compounds and light hydrocarbons on fused-silica open-tubular columns prepared with a thick liquid phase film

Capillary columns having a thick liquid phase film and a low phase ratio permit the separation of low molecular mass compounds which would have a very small capacity factor on columns with a classical thin film. At the same time, the increased sample capacity allows conventional hot-wire thermal conductivity detectors to be used with such columns. The analysis of natural and refinery gases, containing both inorganic compounds and light (C₁? C₇) hydrocarbons, utilizing a combination of hot-wire and flame ionization detectors, is demonstrated.     

Column selectivity in reversed-phase liquid chromatography II. Effect of a change in conditions

The isocratic retention of 67 widely-different solutes in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) has been investigated as a function of temperature and mobile phase composition (% B) for three different C18 columns. Similar studies were also carried out in a gradient mode, where temperature, gradient time and solvent type were varied. These results show that changes in retention with these conditions are similar for each of these three columns. This suggests that relative column selectivity as defined by experiments for one set of experimental conditions will be approximately applicable for other conditions, with the exception of changes in mobile phase pH-which can affect values of the column parameter C (a measure of silanol ionization). Column selectivity as a function of pH was explored for several columns.     

High-speed gas chromatography: an overview of various concepts.

An overview is given of existing methods to minimise the analysis time in gas chromatography (GC) being the subject of many publications in the scientific literature. Packed and (multi-) capillary columns are compared with respect to their deployment in fast GC. It is assumed that the contribution of the stationary phase to peak broadening can be neglected (low liquid phase loading and thin film columns, respectively). The treatment is based on the minimisation of the analysis time required on both column types for the resolution of a critical pair of solutes (resolution normalised conditions). Theoretical relationships are given, describing analysis time and the related pressure drop. The equations are expressed in reduced parameters, making a comparison of column types considerably simpler than with the conventional equations. Reduction of the characteristic diameter, being the inside column diameter for open tubular columns and the particle size for packed columns, is the best approach to increase the separation speed in gas chromatography. Extremely fast analysis is only possible when the required number of plates to separate a critical pair of solutes is relatively low. Reducing the analysis time by reduction of the characteristic diameter is accompanied by a proportionally higher required inlet pressure. Due to the high resistance of flow of packed columns this seriously limits the use of packed columns for fast GC. For fast GC hydrogen has to be used as carrier gas and in some situations vacuum-outlet operation of capillary columns allows a further minimisation of the analysis time. For fast GC the columns should be operated near the conditions for minimum plate height. Linear temperature programmed fast GC requires high column temperature programming rates. Reduction of the characteristic diameter affects the sample capacity of the "fast columns". This effect is very pronounced for narrow-bore columns and in principle non-existing in packed columns. Multi-capillary columns (a parallel configuration of some 900 narrow-bore capillaries) take an intermediate position.     

Capillary liquid chromatography and capillary electrochromatography using silica hydride stationary phases

A hydride-based octadecyl stationary phase on both 4.0 and 1.8 microm silica particles is tested in both the capillary LC and the pressurized capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) modes. These two materials are compared to standard C18 stationary phase made by organosilanization and to the hydride material packed into a convention 4.6mm I.D. column. The performance of the capillary columns is evaluated in terms of analysis times for various mixtures as well as efficiency. Of particular interest are the differences between the LC mode where only laminar flow is present and pCEC operation where a flat electrodriven flow profile is superimposed on the parabolic pressurized flow. Differences in performance between columns packed with 4.0 and 1.8 microm particle silica are also evaluated.     

Mechanism of retention loss when C8 and C18 HPLC columns are used with highly aqueous mobile phases

We describe investigations into the cause of retention losses encountered when C8 and C18 HPLC columns are used with highly aqueous (> 90% water) mobile phases. A procedure for quantifying these losses is described, involving stopping and restarting the flow. This procedure was used to study the dependence of retention loss on the pore size, surface concentration, and chemical structure of the bonded phase. Experiments were also carried out to determine how to restore the original retention of the columns by changing the composition of the mobile phase, or by increasing the pressure applied to the column. The results are shown to be consistent with a mechanism based on the theory of pore filling by non-wetting liquids, as employed in Mercury Porosimetry. The retention losses are attributed to the highly aqueous mobile phase being forced out of the pores when the flow is stopped and the pressure released. Retention is lost because the mobile phase is no longer in contact with the interior surface of the particles, where most of the surface area is located. The implications of this phenomenon for maximizing the reversed phase retention of polar analytes are discussed.     

聚硅氧烷离子液体用于快速气相色谱固定相的研究

合成了聚硅氧烷键合离子液体[PSOMIM][NTf2],并将其用作快速气相色谱柱的固定相.初步探索了采用短柱及小内径毛细管柱(3 m×75 μm i.d.)时的分离性能及固定相膜厚对分离性能的影响.与常规柱(8m×0.25 mmi.d.)相比,在不损失分离度的前提下,分离速度可提高1～6倍;当膜厚为0.056 μm时,可以将分离速度提高2～4倍.实验结果表明,聚硅氧烷键合离子液体固定相可以有效弥补由于缩短柱长所导致的分离度减小的问题,在快速气相色谱固定相方面具有较好的应用前景.     

Characterization of retentivity of reversed phase liquid chromatography columns

There are dozens of commercially available reversed phase columns, most marketed as C-8 or C-18 materials, but with no useful way of classifying their retentivity. A useful way of ranking these columns in terms of column "strength" or retentivity is presented. The method utilizes a value for ln k'(w), the estimated retention of a solute from a mobile phase of 100% water, and the slope of the plot of ln k' vsE(T)(30), the solvent polarity. The method is validated with 26 solutes varying in ln k'(w) from about 2 to over 20, on 14 different reversed phase columns. In agreement with previous work, it is found that the phase volume ratio of the column is the most important parameter in determining retentivity. It is strongly suggested that manufacturers adopt a uniform method of calculating this value and that it be made available in advertising, rather than the uninterpretable "% carbon".     

Monolithic Stationary Phases for Capillary Electrochromatography Based on Synthetic Polymers: Designs and Applications

Monolithic materials have quickly become a well‐established stationary phase format in the field of capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Both the simplicity of their in situ preparation method and the large variety of readily available chemistries make the monolithic separation media an attractive alternative to capillary columns packed with particulate materials. This review summarizes the contributions of numerous groups working in this rapidly growing area, with a focus on monolithic capillary columns prepared from synthetic polymers. Various approaches employed for the preparation of the monoliths are detailed, and where available, the material properties of the resulting monolithic capillary columns are shown. Their chromatographic performance is demonstrated by numerous separations of different analyte mixtures in variety of modes. Although detailed studies of the effect of polymer properties on the analytical performance of monolithic capillaries remain scarce at this early stage of their development, this review also discusses some important relationships such as the effect of pore size on the separation performance in more detail.     

一种非晶硅膜改性弹性玻璃毛细管交联中等极性固定相色谱柱的制备

研究了非晶硅膜改性的弹性玻璃毛细管交联ＯＶ－１７０１中等极性固定相色谱柱。在适当温度下，采用过氧化二异丙苯（ＤＣＵＰ）游离基引发交联ＯＶ－１７０１固定液，成功地制备了交联ＯＶ－１７０１柱，该柱具有柱效高、惰性好、耐溶剂、抗腐蚀和耐高温等性能，是一种新型高性能的中等极性交联柱。