Acrylic-based high internal phase emulsion polymeric monolith for capillary electrochromatography

The use of high internal phase emulsion polymers (polyHIPEs) for CEC applications has remained relatively unexplored. A few reports exist in the literature for the preparation of similar structures. In this study, polyHIPEs having high porosity, and interconnected open-cell structure, were introduced and evaluated as stationary phase for CEC. The polyHIPE monolithic columns were prepared by the in situ polymerization of isodecylacrylate (IDA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) in the continuous phase of a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). Due to its well-defined polyHIPE structure with interconnected micron size spherical voids, the columns synthesized with different initiator concentrations were successfully used for the separation of alkylbenzenes. Furthermore, the columns indicated a strong electroosmotic flow (EOF) without any additional EOF generating monomer probably due to the presence of ionizable sulfate groups coming from the water-soluble initiator used in the preparation of polyHIPE matrix. The best chromatographic performance in the separation of alkylbenzenes was achieved by using 70% ACN in the mobile phase with high column efficiency (up to 200 000 plates/m).     

Preparation and characterization of grafted imprinted monolith for capillary electrochromatography

In this paper, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coating grafted to a trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TRIM) core material for CEC was reported. The core monolith was prepared with a solution of 20% (w/w) TRIM in a mixture of porogen and a polymerization precursor, which can generate a stable electroosmotic flow due to the formation of ionizable groups after postpolymerization hydrolization. Graft polymerization took place on the resultant TRIM monolith with a mixture of template, methacrylic acid, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Strong recognition ability (selectivity factor was 5.83) for S‐amlodipine and resolution of enatiomers separation (up to 7.99) were obtained on the resulting grafted imprinted monolith in CEC mode. The influence of CEC conditions on chiral separation, including the composition of mobile phase, pH value, and the operating voltages was studied. These results suggest that the method of grafted polymerization reported here allows a rapid development of MIP monolith once core materials with desired properties are available, and is a good alternative to prepare CEC‐based monolithic MIPs.     

Adamantyl-functionalized polymer monolith for capillary electrochromatography

An adamantyl (ADM)-functionalized monolithic stationary phase was newly synthesized by a single-step copolymerization of 1-adamantyl-(α-trifluoromethyl) acrylate, ethylene dimethacrylate, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid in order to prevent the peak tailing of basic solutes in capillary electrochromatography and was compared with butyl methacrylate (BMA)-based one. The ADM structure shields the negatively charged groups on the surface of monolith from basic solutes, resulting in better peak shapes than BMA-based monolithic stationary phase. As the monomers ratio decreased, the monolithic column had lower retention and higher column efficiency which was likely due to lower phase ratio and smaller globule size of monolith, respectively. The ADM-functionalized monolithic columns exhibited a good repeatability and reproducibility of column preparation with relative standard deviation values below 9% in the studied chromatographic parameters.     

Preparation and evaluation of a lysine-bonded silica monolith as polar stationary phase for hydrophilic interaction pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A silica-based monolith as polar stationary phase was described for hydrophilic interaction pressurized capillary electrochromatography (HI-pCEC). The polar monolithic column was prepared by on-column reaction of lysine with epoxy groups on a gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethosysilane-modified silica monolith. The stationary phase yielded strong hydrophilic interaction due to the slightly polar hydroxyl groups, and the strong polar lysine ligand with amino groups and carboxylic groups contained on the surface of the monolith. In order to evaluate the hydrophilic character of lysine ligand, the chromatographic behaviors of epoxy monolith (before lysine bonded) and diol monolith (hydroxyl groups contained) were also investigated. Two groups of comparative experiment were developed in terms of the separation of typical neutral non-polar and polar compounds performed in a mobile phase of aqueous-acetonitrile solution. Results showed that the lysine monolith was much more hydrophilic than the diol monolith, which presented less hydrophobic than the epoxy monolith. For further study on its hydrophilic character, the lysine monolith was demonstrated in the HI-pCEC mode for the separations of various polar compounds such as phenols, nucleic acid bases and nucleosides.     

Preparation and evaluation of zirconia-coated silica monolith for capillary electrochromatography

Silica monoliths were fabricated inside fused-silica capillaries. Then the monolithic columns were coated with membrane-like zirconia. The zirconia-coated silica monoliths exhibited different EOF behavior comparing with that of bare silica monoliths. The magnitude and direction could be manipulated by changing the running buffers. Due to the amphoteric characteristic of zirconia, the silica monoliths with zirconia surface facilitate the separation of basic compounds. Aromatic amines and alkaloids were separated without obvious peak tailing. The zirconia surface was easily modified with octadecylphosphonic acid for the separation of neutral compounds. Column efficiency as high as 90,000 and 80,000 m⁻¹ was obtained for beberine and naphthalene, respectively. Furthermore, the zirconia coating increased the stability of the monolithic columns. Even after being exposed to severe condition, there was no apparently efficiency decrease for the test samples.     

Preparation of a neutral porous monolith and its evaluation in pressurized capillary electrochromatography with neutral and charged solutes

A neutral, nonpolar monolithic capillary column was evaluated as a hydrophobic stationary phase in pressurized CEC system for neutral, acidic and basic solutes. The monolith was prepared by in situ copolymerization of octadecyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate in a binary porogenic solvent consisting of cyclohexanol/1,4‐butanediol. EOF in this hydrophobic monolithic column was poor; even the pH value of the mobile phase was high. Because of the absence of fixed charges, the monolithic capillary column was free of electrostatic interactions with charged solutes. Separations of neutral solutes were based on the hydrophobic mechanism with the pressure as the driving force. The acidic and basic solutes were separated under pressurized CEC mode with the pressure and electrophoretic mobility as the driving force. The separation selectivity of charged solutes were based on their differences in electrophoretic mobility and hydrophobic interaction with the stationary phase, and no obvious peak tailing for basic analytes was observed. Effects of the mobile phase compositions on the retention of acidic compounds were also investigated. Under optimized conditions, high plate counts reaching 82 000 plates/m for neutral compounds, 134 000 plates/m for acid compounds and 150 000 plates/m for basic compounds were readily obtained.     

Separation of peptides by pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A pressurized electrochromatography (pCEC) instrument with gradient capability was used in this work for separation of peptides. Three separation modes, namely, pCEC, high-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresiscan be carried out with the instrument. In pCEC mode, the mobile phase is driven by both electroosmotic flow and pressurized flow, facilitating fine-tuning in selectivity of neutral and charged species. A continuous gradient elution can be carried out conveniently on this instrument, which demonstrates that it is more powerful than isocratic pCEC for separation of complicated samples. The effects of applied voltage, supplementary pressure and ion-pairing agents on separation of peptides in gradient pCEC were investigated. The effects of flow-rate of the pump and the volume of the mixer on resolution were also evaluated.     

毛细管电色谱和加压毛细管电色谱的进展与应用

毛细管电色谱(CEC)以内含色谱固定相的毛细管为分离柱,以电渗流为驱动力,既可以分离带电物质也可以分离中性物质。它结合了毛细管电泳和高效液相色谱两者的优点,兼具高柱效、高分辨率、高选择性和高峰容量的特点,同时具有色谱和电泳的双重分离机理。然而,“纯粹”的电色谱在实际应用中有着天然的弱点,即: 在电流通过毛细管柱中的流动相时容易产生气泡(焦耳热作用),从而使电流中断和电渗流停止,毛细管柱必须被重新用流动相润湿后方能再次使用。加压毛细管电色谱(pCEC)将液相色谱中的压力流引入CEC系统中,不仅解决了气泡、干柱等问题,而且实现了定量阀进样和二元梯度洗脱。CEC和pCEC作为微分离领域的两种前沿技术,满足了当前复杂样品分析和分析仪器微型化的需求,近年来获得了广泛的关注。本文综述了这两种技术近来的发展,包括仪器、色谱固定相的发展,总结了其在生命科学、药物分析、食品安全以及环保样品分析等方面的应用进展,评述了各方法的特点,并展望了CEC和pCEC今后的发展和应用前景。     

Dynamically coated silica monolith with ionic liquids for capillary electrochromatography

An ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]) was introduced as dynamic coating of a silica monolithic column for capillary electrochromatography of phenols and nucleoside monophosphates. The run-to-run and column-to-column repeatability of migration time for six phenols were satisfactory on this column with relative standard deviation values less than 0.90 and 4.31%, respectively. Anodic electroosmotic flow (EOF) was observed, which increased with the increase of [BMIM][BF4] concentration within 120 mM and when [BMIM][BF4] concentration was above 120 mM, EOF leveled off due to the saturation of [BMIM][BF4] on the monolith. Efficient separation of phenols and nucleoside monophosphates on this dynamically coated monolithic column was obtained, compared with a dynamically coated fused-silica column and unmodified silica monolithic column. The retention behavior of uncharged phenols is mainly manipulated by hydrophobic interactions due to the presence of butyl groups, and that of nucleoside monophosphates is governed by the electrostatic attraction mechanism based on the interaction between positively charged [BMIM][BF4] moieties and negatively charged phosphate groups. In addition, silica matrix also contributes to the separation resolution.     

Separation and determination of five major opium alkaloids with mixed mode of hydrophilic/cation-exchange monolith by pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A method for the separation and determination of five major opium alkaloids (narcotine, papaverine, thebaine, codeine, and morphine) in pericarpium papaveris by pressurized CEC (pCEC) with monolithic column has been developed. Under the optimum condition, linear calibration ranges of narcotine, papaverine, thebaine, codeine, and morphine were obtained as 2-85, 2-85, 5-75, 10-65, and 10-65 microg/mL, respectively. LODs of these analytes were 1.5-6.0 microg/mL. The RSD (n=7) of the migration time and peak area were 1.94-5.24 and 4.05-8.21%, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of pericarpium papaveris samples. Average recoveries of 79.0-95.9% at different fortified levels of alkaloids were achieved with RSD less than 4.6%. Meanwhile, the mechanism of the separation of the alkaloids on the monolithic column was also discussed. The result showed that the separation of alkaloids was mainly based on the mixed mode of hydrophilic interaction (HI) and cation exchange.     

Enantiomer separation by capillary electrochromatography on a cyclodextrin-modified monolith

A chiral monolithic stationary phase was prepared by packing a capillary with bare porous silica and sintering the silica bed at high temperature. The resulting silica monolith was polymer-coated with Chirasil-Dex, a permethylated beta-cyclodextrin covalently linked via an octamethylene spacer to dimethylpolysiloxane. Subsequently, Chirasil-Dex was thermally immobilized on the silica support and a chiral monolith of very high stability (30 kV, more than 400 bar pressure) was obtained. The enantiomer separation of various chiral compounds by monolithic (rod) capillary electrochromatography (rod-CEC) was feasible. This method was compared with capillary liquid chromatography (LC) in a single-column mode using unified equipment. About two to three times higher efficiency was found in the rod-CEC mode as compared to rod-LC. The influence of pressure-driven flow support on efficiency, resolution, elution time and baseline stability was investigated. The amount and nature of organic modifier strongly influences efficiency and resolution.     

Separation and determination of seven fluoroquinolones by pressurized capillary electrochromatography

In this paper, pressurized CEC was used for the separation and determination of seven fluoroquinolones (FQs). The effect of different experimental conditions, such as the concentration and pH of the buffer, the organic modifier concentration, the surfactant and ion-paring agents added to the electrolyte, and applied voltage were studied. All the seven FQs were baseline separated using mobile phase containing 27% v/v ACN, 5 mmol/L Na2HPO4 buffer (pH 4.0 adjusted using citric acid), 11 mmol/L SDS, and 0.01% TEA v/v at detection wavelength of 287 nm and at an applied voltage of -10 kV. The calibration curves were linear (r>0.9991) over a concentration range of 1.0-50.0 mg/L for norfloxacin (NFLX); 2.5-50.0 mg/L for fleroxacin (FLX), ciprofloxacin (CPFX), and lomefloxacin (LMX); and 5.0-50.0 mg/L for enoxacin (ENX), ofloxacin (OFLX), and gatifloxacin (GFLX). The detection limits (S/N = 3) for ENX, OFLX, FLX, NFLX, CPFX, LMX, and GFLX were 0.5, 0.8, 0.4, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/L, respectively. The method is simple, rapid, and reproducible. It was successfully applied to the analysis of fish muscle samples spiked with FQs. Mean recoveries ranged from 81.6 to 97.6%.     

Splitless on-line coupling of capillary high-performance liquid chromatography,capillary electrochromatography and pressurized capillary electrochromatography with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

A mixture of unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters was separated with a new splitless capillary set-up. With the employed apparatus configuration different capillary separation techniques such as capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (cHPLC), capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and pressurized capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) could be applied. The detection and identification of the sample compounds were accomplished by hyphenating these capillary separation techniques with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy using a novel configuration of the detection capillary set-up. Using modified electrokinetically driven separation techniques, the electric field was applied solely across the separation column. With this improved interface for capillary liquid chromatography-NMR on-line coupling, the stereochemical assignment of the cis and trans configuration of unsaturated fatty acids could be easily accomplished. Finally, the results of cHPLC-NMR, CEC-NMR and pCEC-NMR coupling experiments were compared.Dedicated to Professor Günter Häfelinger on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Macrocyclic polyamine-modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolith for capillary electrochromatography

1,4,10,13,16-Pentaazatricycloheneicosane-9,17-dione (macrocyclic polyamine)-modified polymer-based monolithic column for CEC was prepared by ring opening reaction of epoxide groups from poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (GMA-co-EDMA) monolith with macrocyclic polyamine. Conditions such as reaction time and concentration of macrocyclic polyamine for the modification reaction were optimized to generate substantial EOF and enough chromatographic interactions. Anodic EOF was observed in the pH range of 2.0-8.0 studied due to the protonation of macrcyclic polyamine at the surface of the monolith. Morphology of the monolithic column was examined by SEM and the incorporation of macrocyclic polyamine to the poly(GMA-co-EDMA) monolith was characterized by infrared (IR) spectra. Successful separation of inorganic anions, isomeric benzenediols, and benzoic acid derivatives on the monolithic column was achieved for CEC. In addition to hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction played a significant role in the separation process.     

新型亚微米亲水作用色谱的制备及其在加压毛细管电色谱中的应用

采用改良Stöber法合成580 nm亚微米单分散的二氧化硅微球，并以此为基质，通过"巯基-烯"点击化学反应将半胱氨酸成功键合到修饰有乙烯基团的二氧化硅微球表面，合成了一种新型亚微米亲水作用固定相（Cys-VTMS-SiO₂）。采用高压匀浆法制备了新型亚微米亲水色谱填充柱，通过不同乙腈比例、缓冲盐浓度和pH条件下对甲苯、丙烯酰胺和硫脲的分离分析揭示其亲水机理。依托加压毛细管电色谱平台，成功实现了对核苷、酚类、胺类及多肽等亲水性物质的快速有效分离，其有望应用于其他强极性和亲水性化合物的分离分析。     

Rapid “one-pot” preparation of polymeric monolith via photo-initiated thiol-acrylate polymerization for capillary liquid chromatography

A facile approach was exploited for fast preparation of polymer-based monoliths in UV-transparent fused-silica capillaries via “one-pot” photo-initiated thiol-acrylate polymerization reaction of dipentaerythritolpenta-/hexaacrylate (DPEPA) and 1-octadecanethiol (ODT) in the presence of porogenic solvents (1-butanol and ethylene glycol). Due to relative insensitivity of oxygen inhibition in thiol-ene free-radical polymerization, the polymerization could be performed within 5 min. The effects of composition of prepolymerization solution on the morphology and permeability of poly(ODT-co-DPEPA) monoliths were investigated in detail by adjusting the content of monomer and binary porogen ratio. The physical properties of poly(ODT-co-DPEPA) monoliths were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurement. The evaluation of chromatographic performance was carried out by capillary liquid chromatography (cLC). The results indicated that the poly(ODT-co-DPEPA) monolith was homogeneous and permeable, and also possessed a typical reversed-phase retention mechanism in cLC with high efficiency (∼75,000 N m⁻¹) for separation of alkylbenzenes. Eventually, the further separation of tryptic digest of proteins by cLC tandem mass spectrometry (cLC-MS/MS) demonstrated its potential in the analysis of biological samples.     

Mechanism of molecular recognition on molecular imprinted monolith by capillary electrochromatography

The recognition mechanism of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is complicated since it possesses a hybrid process, which comprises the features of chromatographic retention, electrophoretic migration and molecular imprinting. For an understanding of the molecular recognition of MIP in CEC, a monolithic MIP in a capillary with 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine (BNA) imprinting was prepared by in situ copolymerization of imprinted molecule, methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in porogenic solvent, a mixture of toluene-isooctane. Strong recognition ability and high column performance (theory plates was 43,000 plates/m) of BNA were achieved on this monolithic MIP in CEC mode. In addition, BNA and its structural analogue, 1,1'-bi-2, 2'-naphthol, differing in functional groups, were used as model compounds to study imprinting effect on the resultant BNA-imprinted monolithic column, a reference column without imprinting of BNA and a open capillary. The effects of organic modifier concentration, pH value of buffer, salt concentration of buffer and column temperature on the retention and recognition of two compounds were investigated. The results showed that the molecular recognition on MIP monolith in CEC mode mainly derived from imprinting cavities on BNA-imprinted polymer other than chromatographic retention and electrophoretic migration.     

Development and application of polymeric monolithic stationary phases for capillary electrochromatography

Monolithic columns for capillary electrochromatography are receiving quite remarkable attention. This review summarizes results excerpted from numerous papers concerning this rapidly growing area with a focus on monoliths prepared from synthetic polymers. Both the simplicity of the in situ preparation and the large number of readily available chemistries make the monolithic separation media a vital alternative to capillary columns packed with particulate materials. Therefore, they are now a well-established stationary phase format in the field of capillary electrochromatography. A wide variety of synthetic approaches as well as materials used for the preparation of the monolithic stationary phases are presented in detail. The analytical potential of these columns is demonstrated with separations involving various families of compounds and different chromatographic modes.     

One‐pot preparation of an organic polymer monolith by thiol‐ene click chemistry for capillary electrochromatography

A novel organic monolith was successfully fabricated by a one‐pot thiol‐ene click reaction of triallyl isocyanurate with pentaerythritol tetrakis‐(2‐mercaptoacetate) and mercaptopropionic acid in the presence of porogens. We investigated the effects of the ratio of monomer and cross‐linking agent, the type and ratio of porogen, and click reaction temperature on the permeability and morphology of the prepared poly triallyl isocyanurate‐co‐pentaerythritol tetrakis (2‐mercaptoacetate) monoliths. The monolith was also characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that the monoliths had continuous porous framework, good permeability, and high mechanical stability. A series of analytes with different properties such as alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, anilines, and phenols were used to evaluate the electrochromatographic performance of the prepared monoliths in pressurized capillary electrochromatography. The prepared polymer monolith showed typical reversed‐phase electrochromatographic behavior for hydrophobic substances. Moreover, the prepared monolith showed a mix of reversed‐phase and cation exchange interaction modes for basic aniline compounds. The minimum plate height of the monolith was 8.76 μm (132 100 plates/m) for propylbenzene. These results demonstrated that one‐pot thiol‐ene click chemistry can provide a simple and reliable method for the preparation of organic monoliths.     

Preparation of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes hybrid monolith via a single‐step ring‐opening polymerization for pressurized capillary electrochromatography

An organic‐silica hybrid monolith was prepared by a single‐step ring‐opening polymerization of octaglycidyldimethylsilyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS‐epoxy), polyethylenimine (PEI), and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) in a ternary porogenic solvent consisting of polyethylene glycol, 1,4‐butanediol, and 1‐propanol. The framework of POSS‐PEI hybrid monolith could offer well‐defined 3D skeleton, while β‐CD with the ability of forming a host‐guest inclusion complexes with a variety of compounds could show an ability of specific selection. The obtained hybrid monoliths were successfully applied for separation of phenols, benzoic acids, and nucleobases. Especially due to the introduction of β‐CD, positional isomers including hydroquinone and resorcinol, o‐nitrophenol and p‐nitrophenol, as well as p‐chlorophenol and o‐chlorophenol were baseline separated and the column efficiency reached 82 300 plates/m for hydroquinone.