High temperature silylation of glass capillary columns

This paper describes the results of a study on the deactivation of the surface of glass capillary columns by high temperature silylation (HTS). The different steps, leaching, washing, dehydration and HTS were optimized. A practical procedure yielding a high percentage of very good columns is given. The influence of leaching and HTS on the temperature stability and coating efficiency of capillary columns coated with OV-1 was studied. The inertness of the glass surface after HTS is demonstrated by several examples.     

Deactivation of glass capillary columns by silylation. Part 1: Principles and basic technique

A deactivation procedure is described based on a published method using hexamethyldisilazane in the gas phase. In addition to unusually high inertia and thermostability, the method produces truly neutral columns which allow simultaneous analysis of moderately strong free acids and bases. The silylated columns show their full potential only with on-column injection. Preliminary experimental directions are given; more elaborate directions will become available after extended optimization work.     

High-temperature silylation in the production of inert glass capillary columns. From the first experiments to the chemical mechanism

This retrospective article describes the beginnings and the development of silylation methods with diverse silazanes and siloxanes at high temperatures, and stresses their role in producing modern capillary columns characterized by a high degree of thermostability and adsorptive and catalytic inertness. Particular emphasis is placed on the outstanding contributions to this field of Kurt Grob, whose persilylation techniques provided the basis for the expansion of high resolution capillary gas chromatography.     

Preparation of glass capillary columns

Summary Glass capillary column chromatography is the most rapidly growing part of gas chromatography. There are many complex new analytical tasks and they require special capillary columns. Fortunately there is a wide range of column preparation methods available, and they make the preparation of glass capillary columns a more varied job than that of packed columns. In this paper these methods are reviewed and suggestions are given for making task-oriented columns.     

Dynamic leaching of sodium-glass capillary columns

It is well known that removal of metal ions from the glass surface greatly improves both the thermal stability and the adsorption characteristics of glass capillary columns. Usually metal ions are removed from a glass surface by acid leaching; in particular, the static leaching procedure with hydrochloric acid is used very often for the preparation of glass capillary columns. This paper discusses the results of an investigation into dynamic leaching. Special attention is paid to those factors which affect the adsorption properties of the leached surface. The importance of the non-specific adsorptivity of the capillary surface due to changes of surface properties induced by the leaching process is pointed out.     

Deactivation of fused silica capillary columns with phenylhydrosiloxanes

In this work, an investigation of new organosilicon hydride reagents with phenyl functional groups for deactivation and surface modification of fused silica capillary columns is described. Different reagents were tested for their ability to deactivate the fused silica surface, and actual critical surface tension measurements were made using the capillary rise method. The deactivation procedure required lower optimum temperatures than conventional methods. Deactivated capillaries and coated capillary columns were prepared and tested for reproducibility, efficiency, and surface inertness towards basic and acidic compounds at the low nanogram level.     

Thermostable persilylated polar glass capillary columns by the ammonia-etching method

Static ammonia etching has been used to effect regular surface roughening of glass capillaries. Following such treatment, polar phases could be coated after persilylation with varioussilylation agents such as hexamethyl-, tetramethyldiphenyl-, and tetra- phenyldimethyldisilazane, respectively. This method produces columns of high thermostability, which is limited only by the maximum applicable temperature for the phase itself.     

Deactivation of small-diameter fused-silica capillary columns for gas and supercritical fluid chromatography

Summary In order to prevent plugging during deactivation of small diameter (50 m i.d.) capillary columns for gas and supercritical fluid chromatography, various high temperature deactivation methods were employed. Pure hexamethyldisilazane and hexamethyldisiloxane (a substitute for D₄) were dynamically coated on the column, while a film (0.05 m) of OV-101 was statically coated, before high temperature (450°C) treatment. Excellent deactivated columns were obtained, and no significant difference in column activity was observed using any of these three methods.Dedicated to Professor S. R. Lipsky on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Gas chromatographic separation of sugars by on-column injection on glass capillary columns

Sugars were separated gas chromatographically on short apolar glass capillary columns by using cold, on-column injection (OCI) techniques. After silylation, oligomers up to the hexasaccharides could be efficiently separated in resonable retention times. Response factors of silylated sugars were determined as a function of varying sample amounts and concentrations. The optimum injection amount was found to be 1 μl in heptane as solvent.     

Deactivation of fused silica capillary columns with cyanopropylhydrosiloxanes

A method is described for surface deactivation and modification of fused silica capillary columns with a cyanopropyl-containing reagent. The deactivation procedure involved a dehydrocondensation reaction between a bis(cyanopropyl)methylhydropolysiloxane reagent and surface silanol groups at an optimum temperature of only 250°C. Actual critical surface tension measurements were made using the capillary rise method. Excellent deactivation for acidic and basic compounds at the low ng level, and wettability for nonpolar and polar polysiloxane stationary phases were obtained. A procedure was developed to remove acidic impurities that are present in polar stationary phases.     

Persilylation of glass capillary columns. Part 4: Discussion of parameters

Persilylated glass capillary columns are the most universal GC columns available. They are relatively easy to prepare, but there is nevertheless a great need for helpful practical instructions. In the recent literature, methods and conditions for the preparation of persilylated columns have been recommended, but these might confuse the individual column maker, since they seem to originate from limited observations rather than from comprehensive investigation. They will hardly help to make column preparation safer. This paper attempts a summarized view of the present experience with persilylation and provides basic information for column makers.     

Deactivation of small diameter fused silica capillary columns with organosilicon hydrides

Small diameter fused silica capillary columns (50–75 μm i.d.) were deactivated at relatively low temperatures (250–300°C) with a mixture of polymethylhydrosiloxanes and several lowmolecular-weight organosilicon hydrides. Reproducible surface deactivations of highest quality were achieved with the polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) reagent. Deactivations performed with PMHS via dynamic coating with neat or diluted reagent were evaluated by gas chromatography. Deactivations achieved with organosiloxane mono-, tri-, and tetrahydrides were also evaluated and compared. Low-molecular-weight organosilicon hydride deactivations were less time consuming and required lower head pressures for filling and coating columns with the reagent. Critical surface tensions of capillary surfaces modified with PMHS and the low-molecular-weight organosilicon hydrides gave support to the dehydrocondensation reaction between silica surface silanols and silyhydride bonds of the reagents. Slopes from Zisman plots indicated that coverage of the surface ranged from highest for the polymer (PMHS) to lowest for the monomers (TMS and PMDS). Efficiency measurements showed the influence that surface modification had on the uniformity and stability of the coated capillary columns. Well-deactivated capillary columns permitted the chromatography of polar solutes using supercritical carbon dioxide as mobile phase.