Optimization of binary porogen solvent composition for preparation of butyl methacrylate monoliths in capillary liquid chromatography

Butyl methacrylate monolithic columns in 320 microm i.d. fused silica capillaries for reversed-phase capillary liquid chromatography were prepared by radical polymerization initiated thermally with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Polymerization mixture contained butyl methacrylate (BMA) as the function monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) as the crosslinking agent with 1,4-butanediol and 1-propanol as a binary porogen solvent. Ratio of 1,4-butanediol to 1-propanol in the porogen solvent was optimized regarding the monolithic column efficiency and performance. Total porosity, column permeability, separation impedance, Walters hydrophobicity index, retention factors, peak asymmetry factors, height equivalents to a theoretical plate and peak resolutions were used for characterization of the prepared monolithic columns. The polymerization mixture consisting of 17.8% of BMA, 21.8% of EDMA, 18.0% of 1,4-butanediol, 42.0% of 1-propanol and 0.4% AIBN generated monolithic columns of the best performance having a sufficient permeability and the lowest separation impedance. It was also demonstrated that monolithic columns of this composition exhibited good preparation reproducibility and an excellent pressure resistance when applied in capillary liquid chromatography.     

Methacrylate monolithic columns of 320 microm I.D. for capillary liquid chromatography

Monolithic capillary columns (320 microm I.D.) were prepared for capillary liquid chromatography (CLC) by radical polymerization of butylmethacrylate (BMA) and ethylenedimethacrylate (EDMA) in the presence of a porogen solvent containing propan-1-ol, butane-1,4-diol and water. The influence of the contents of the porogen solvent and EDMA in the polymerization mixture on the monolith porosity and column efficiency was investigated. The composition of the polymerization mixture was optimized to attain a minimum HETP of the order of tens of microm for test compounds with various polarities. The separation performance and selectivity of the most efficient monolithic column prepared was characterized by van Deemter curves, peak asymmetry factors and Walters hydrophobicity and silanol indices. It was demonstrated that the 320-microm I.D. monolithic column exhibited CLC separation performance similar to that observed for 100- and 150-microm I.D. monolithic columns reported in the literature; moreover, the 320-microm I.D. column was easier to operate in CLC and exhibited a higher sample loadability.     

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.     

聚十二烷基甲基丙烯酸酯整体柱的制备及其在毛细管电色谱法分离肌红蛋白酶解产物中的应用

以十二烷基甲基丙烯酸酯(LMA)为功能单体,乙叉二甲基丙烯酸酯(EDMA)为交联剂,正丙醇、1,4-丁二醇和水为三元致孔剂,以及2-丙烯酰胺-2-甲基丙磺酸(AMPS)为电渗流产生剂,制备了聚十二烷基甲基丙烯酸酯整体柱。系统考察了AMPS含量和单体-致孔剂比例对柱性能的影响。结果表明,单体溶液和致孔剂的最佳聚合溶液质量比为35:65,其中单体溶液组成为59.5%（质量分数,下同）LMA、40%EDMA和0.5%AMPS,致孔剂溶液组成为60%正丙醇、30%1,4-丁二醇和10%水。在优化的流动相条件下应用制备的整体柱采用毛细管电色谱法成功地分离了肌红蛋白酶解产物。     

A model of flow-through pore formation in methacrylate ester-based monolithic columns

The main factors affecting the porosity of methacrylate-ester based monolithic columns were investigated. We prepared 23 monolithic capillary columns with porosity controlled by varying the proportions of butyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate monomers and of 1,4-butanediol and 1-propanol as the porogen solvent in the polymerization mixtures by thermally initiated in-situ polymerization in fused-silica capillaries. Using mixture design software, we systematically varied the composition of the polymerisation mixtures to find significant factors affecting flow-through pore formation. Multivariate analysis of the experimental data obtained for the fabricated columns yielded a model for prediction of the flow-through porosity in monolithic beds as a function of the composition of the polymerization mixture used to prepare polymethacrylate monolithic capillary columns. The mean error of prediction was lower than 8% for eight columns prepared independently of the original set of 15 columns used to derive the flow-through model. The flow-through porosity increases with increasing concentration of the binary porogen solvent mixture, the concentration of 1,4-butanediol being the main factor enhancing flow-through pore formation. On the other hand, increasing concentrations of the hydrophobic monomer butyl methacrylate and increasing concentrations of 1-propanol have a negative effect on flow-through pore formation. The capillary columns prepared with a high proportion of flow-through pores and a minimum amount of mesopores can be used for fast gradient separations of both low-molecular weight compounds and biopolymers.     

光聚合法快速制备甲基丙烯酸酯类毛细管整体柱

采用甲基丙烯酸正丁酯(BMA)为功能单体, 乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EDMA)为交联剂, 正丙醇、1,4-丁二醇和水为致孔剂, Irgacure 1800为引发剂, 在毛细管内采用光引发原位聚合150 s快速制备了有机聚合物整体柱. 分别采用电色谱(CEC)、加压电色谱(p-CEC)和低压色谱(LPLC)模式对所制备的整体柱进行了性能评价, 基线分离了硫脲、甲苯、萘和联苯, 在加压电色谱(p-CEC)模式下硫脲的最低理论塔板高度达到了8.0 μm. 扫描电镜结果表明, 整体材料在毛细管柱中形成并与毛细管内壁结合紧密.     

Towards stationary phases for chromatography on a microchip: molded porous polymer monoliths prepared in capillaries by photoinitiated in situ polymerization as separation media for electrochromatography

Photoinitiated free radical polymerization has been used for the preparation of porous polymer monoliths within UV transparent fused silica capillaries and quartz tubes. These formats were used as models for the preparation of the separation media within channels of microfabricated devices. A mixture of ethylene dimethacrylate, butyl methacrylate, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid was polymerized in the presence of a porogenic solvent consisting of 1-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, and water at room temperature under UV irradiation. Modification of the porogen composition enables the tailoring of pore size within the broad range from ca. 100 to 4000 nm. Scanning electron micrographs confirmed the homogeneity of the porous structure of the materials prepared, even in a quartz tube with a diameter as large as 4 mm. Separation properties of the resulting capillary columns were tested in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) mode using a mixture of thiourea and eight aromatic compounds. Plate number as high as 210 000 plates/m were found for a capillary column with optimized porous properties. The monolithic columns were also able to separate mixtures of peptides.     

胃蛋白酶亲和有机聚合物毛细管整体柱的制备及性能考察

以热引发原位聚合方法制备了聚（甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯（glycidyl methacrylate,GMA）-乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯（ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate,EDMA））毛细管整体柱,对整体柱的性能进行了表征。结果表明,柱内部结构均匀、渗透性好;整体柱能够实现苯等中性小分子化合物的分离,具有反相色谱特征,重现性和稳定性良好。利用整体柱环氧基团的活性,采用间接法,以戊二醛为连接臂制备胃蛋白酶亲和手性整体柱。在毛细管电色谱模式下进行了柱分离性能研究,并对缓冲液pH值和运行电压等分离条件进行了考察。结果表明,亲和整体柱对4种碱性手性药物（奈福泮、氨氯地平、西酞普兰、扑尔敏）有拆分效果,奈福泮、氨氯地平、西酞普兰能达到基线分离。本文为蛋白质亲和毛细管电色谱整体柱的制备和应用提供了新的思路和方法。     

Single-step preparation and characterization of polymeric monolith for pressurized capillary electrochromatography of typical homologs

A monolithic stationary phase was prepared in a single step by in situ copolymerization of iso-butyl methacrylate (IBMA), ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA), and N,N-dimethylallylamine (DMAA) in a binary porogenic solvent consisting of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and 1,4-butanediol. As the frame structures of monoliths, the amino groups are linked to support the EOF necessary for driving the mobile phase through the monolithic capillary, while the hydrophobic groups are introduced to provide the nonpolar sites for the chromatographic retention. To evaluate the column performance, separations of typical kinds of neutral or charged homologs, such as alkylbenzenes, phenols (including isomeric compounds of hydroquinone, resorcin, and catechol), and anilines (including isomeric compounds of o-phenylenediamine and 1,4-phenylenediamine), were performed, respectively on the prepared column under the mode of pressurized pCEC. Effects of the buffer pH and the mobile phase composition on the linear velocity of mobile phase and the retention factors of these compounds were investigated. It was found that the retention mechanism of charged solutes could be attributed to a mixed mode of hydrophobic interaction and electrophoresis, while an RP chromatographic behavior on the monolithic stationary phases was exhibited for neutral solutes. Especially, basic compounds such as anilines were well separated on the monolithic columns in the "counterdirectional mode," which effectively eliminated the electrostatic adsorption of basic analytes on the charged surface of the stationary phases.     

Polymetacrylate and hybrid interparticle monolithic columns for fast separations of proteins by capillary liquid chromatography

Preparation of organic polymer monolithic columns in fused silica capillaries was aimed at fast gradient separation of proteins. For this purpose, polymerization in situ procedure was optimized, using ethylene dimetacrylate and butyl metacrylate monomers with azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator of the polymerization reaction in presence of non-aqueous porogen solvent mixtures composed of 1-propanol and 1,4-butanediol. The separation of proteins in totally monolithic capillary columns was compared with the chromatography on a new type of "hybrid interparticle monolithic" capillary columns, prepared by in situ polymerization in capillary packed with superficially porous spherical beds, 37-50 microm. The "hybrid" columns showed excellent stability and improved hydrodynamic flow properties with respect to the "totally" monolithic capillary columns. The separation selectivity is similar in the two types of columns. The nature of the superficially porous layer (bare silica or bonded C18 ligands) affects the separation selectivity less significantly than the porosity (density) of the monolithic moiety in the interparticle space, controlled by the composition of the polymerization mixture. The retention behaviour of proteins on all prepared columns is consistent with the reversed-phase gradient elution theory.     

Rapid Separation of Proteins by Capillary HPLC on a Short Polymethacrylate-based Strong Cation-exchange Monolithic Column

A polymethacrylate‐based strong cation‐exchange capillary monolithic column was prepared by in‐situ copolymerization for the fast separation of proteins. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was used as monomer, ethylenedimethacrylate (EDMA) as cross link agent and the mixture of 1‐propanol, 1,4‐butanediol and water as porogen solvent. The monolith was sulfonated using 1 mol/L Na₂SO₃ based on a ring opening of epoxides. The influences of the contents of the porogen solvent and GMA and the various concentration ratios of 1‐propanol to 1,4‐butanediol in the polymerization mixture on the morphology, porosity, globule size, stability and column efficiency were investigated. The morphology and pore size distribution of the monolith were characterized by SEM and mercury intrusion porosimetry, respectively. Using only 1.5 cm length of this monolithic capillary column, four kinds of proteins, trypsin, cytochrome C, lysozyme (egg white) and egg albumin, were successfully separated from each other in 5 min at a high flow rate of 110 mm/s.     

阴离子交换聚合物整体柱的制备及其在离子色谱中的应用

以偶氮二异丁腈( AIBN)为自由基引发剂,将甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯(GMA)单体和亚乙基二甲基丙烯酸酯(EDMA)交联剂通过原位聚合的方法,在不锈钢管柱(150 mm ×4.6 i.d.mm)中合成为具有一定机械性能和一定孔径结构的聚合物整体色谱柱;利用三甲胺动态修饰反应将整体柱改性为具有阴离子交换功能的整体型离子色谱分离柱.实验优化了制备条件和改性修饰条件,考察了相关离子交换容量、流体动力学参数和色谱性能等.采用直接紫外检测的方法,在205 nm检测波长下,常规阴离子乙酸根、溴酸根、亚硝酸根、溴离子、硝酸根均能得到较好的分离检测.结果表明,该阴离子交换整体色谱柱制备方法简便,成本较低,可以方便地与常规色谱系统进行联用,具有一定分析实用价值和较大的开发前景.     

Preparation and Evaluation of Long Chain Alkyl Methacrylate Monoliths for Capillary Chromatography

This work describes the fabrication of long chain alkyl methacrylate monolithic materials for use as stationary phases in capillary liquid chromatography. After capillary inner wall surface activation with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, monoliths were formed by copolymerization of either lauryl or stearyl methacrylate (LMA or SMA) with ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) as crosslinker, in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator and a mixture of porogenic solvents including water, 1-propanol and 1,4-butanediol. The composition of the polymerization mixture was changed in terms of monomer, crosslinker and porogen ratio composition, in order to compare the influence of these parameters. The monoliths were prepared in 320 ??m i.d. and 200 mm length capillaries. The column morphology was characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Total porosity and permeability of each column were calculated using uracil as unretained material by measuring the pressure drop across the columns as a function of linear velocity. The microglobule average size for each column was also determined using Hagen?CPoiseuille equation and compared with the SEM images. As expected, a decrease of the porogen to monomer ratio corresponded to smaller microglobules and a lower total porosity. The columns were then chromatographically evaluated; good results were obtained when these capillaries were used to separate mixtures of phenols, aromatics and drug compounds.     

反相毛细管整体柱的制备及其在多肽混合物分离中的应用

采用甲基丙烯酸月桂酯为基础功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯为交联剂,正十二醇、1,4-丁二醇及二甲基亚砜为致孔剂,在内径为75 μm的石英毛细管内制备了具有良好机械性能及化学稳定性的反相毛细管整体柱。考察了致孔剂的种类、比例以及交联剂在单体混合物中的比例对柱压和分离效果的影响;以单体15%、交联剂15%、致孔剂70%(均为质量分数)作为优化配方,在70 ℃条件下反应24 h;并对所合成的毛细管整体柱进行了电镜表征,测试了流速、柱长与柱压的关系。结果表明,毛细管整体柱的通透性良好,可通过延长柱长的方法提高分离效果。将所制备的毛细管整体柱装于纳升级高效液相色谱仪上进行牛血清白蛋白及血浆样本的胰蛋白酶酶切液的分离,获得了比较理想的分离效果。     

Monolithic column with double mixed-modes of hydrophilic interaction/cation-exchange and reverse-phase/cation-exchange stationary phase for pressurized capillary electrochromatography

A monolithic capillary column with double mixed-modes of hydrophilic interaction/cation-exchange and RP/cation-exchange stationary phase was prepared by in situ thermal polymerization and then hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid. The polymerization solution containing glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPMA), and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) in a binary porogenic solvent consisting of dimethylformamide (DMF) and 1,4-butanediol was polymerized in a fused-silica capillary pretreated with 3-(trimetoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate. The epoxy groups on the surface were hydrolyzed to diol groups with hydrochloric acid to enhance the polarity of the stationary phase. By simply altering the ACN content in the mobile phase, two mixed-mode mechanisms could be achieved on the same monolithic column in different mobile phase condition. Hydrophilic interaction (or hydrophilic interaction/cation-exchange) was observed at high ACN content, as well as RP (or RP/cation-exchange) was observed at low ACN content. The monolithic column provided good selectivity and high efficiency for separation of neutral polar analytes and basic compounds. Phenols, anilines, alkaloids, nucleic acid bases, and narcotic pharmaceuticals have been successfully separated. Effects of salt concentration and ACN content on the separation have also been investigated. High column efficiencies of up to 352 000 plates/meter were obtained by the separation of narcotic pharmaceuticals.     

混合模式毛细管聚合物整体柱的制备及应用

混合模式毛细管整体色谱柱由于保留机理多样,具有很好的应用前景。本文以[2-（甲基丙烯酰基氧基）乙基]二甲基-（3-磺酸丙基）氢氧化铵（SPE）为单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯（EDMA）为交联剂,偶氮二异丁腈（AIBN）为引发剂,正丙醇/1,4-丁二醇/水三元体系为致孔剂,制备了聚合物基质SPE-co-EDMA毛细管液相色谱整体柱。通过系统优化致孔剂和反应物种类和配比、引发剂的用量、反应时间和反应温度等因素,提高了整体柱的柱效、机械强度、渗透性和重复性。结果表明该毛细管整体柱在10 MPa内具有良好的机械强度,渗透性为2.17×10^-14 m²,而且批次内和批次间峰面积的重现性（RSD）分别为1.0%和4.6%。以极性和非极性的多种化合物评价了该毛细管整体柱的色谱性能,结果表明该柱在高有机相中具有亲水相互作用机理,在低有机相中具有反相作用机理,显示出混合模式分离特性。     

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.     

CEC with monolithic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-vinylsulfonic acid) as the stationary phase

In this study, poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-vinylsulfonic acid) monolithic columns, prepared by singlestep in situ polymerization, were first used as separation columns for CEC in which vinylsulfonic acid was employed as the charge-bearing monomer. The effects of the polymerization conditions (compositions of monomer and porogenic solvent, and polymerization time) on the chromatographic property of the polystyrene-based monolithic column were examined. Furthermore, an increase in water content of the porogenic solvent markedly altered the retention behaviors of these analytes, where the monolithic column was able to be produced in a higher ratio of vinylsulfonic acid. Finally, the study demonstrated that acidic analytes could be successfully separated by the polystyrene-based monolithic column under an acidic mobile phase.     

CEC separation of heterocyclic amines using methacrylate monolithic columns

Two methacrylate-based monolithic columns, one with a negatively charged group (sulfonic group) and another with a new monomer N,N-dimethylamino ethyl acrylate (DMAEA), were prepared and tested for the separation of basic compounds by CEC. This new monolithic stationary phase was prepared by the in situ polymerization of DMAEA with butyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate, using a ternary porogenic solvent consisting of water, 1-propanol and 1,4-butanediol. The performance of this column was evaluated by means of the analysis of a family of heterocyclic amines. Separation conditions such as pH, amount of organic modifier, ionic strength and elution mode (normal or counterdirectional flow) were studied. At the optimal running electrolyte composition, and using the counterdirectional mode, symmetrical electrochromatographic peaks were obtained, with the number of theoretical plates up to 30,000 and a good resolution between closely related peaks. The 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane-sulfonic acid column was used for CEC-MS, taking advantage of the compatibility of its elution mode (normal flow) with the MS coupling.     

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.