Morphology and efficiency of poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene)-based monolithic capillary columns for the separation of small and large molecules

The morphology of organic monolithic stationary phases based on poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) was modified by changing the ratio of monomers to microporogen in order to make them also suitable for small molecule separations. The morphology of the columns was characterized by high-resolution scanning electron micrography, showing larger primary globules and larger macropores, as well as no mesopores >20 nm in the monolithic skeleton. The permeability of the modified monoliths was approximately three times higher than that of columns which have been optimized for large molecule separations, enabling operation of a 30 cm long column at pressures below 250 bar. In the isocratic separation of dansylated amino acids, plate counts of 50000–107000 m⁻¹ were achievable, which are equivalent to efficiencies obtained with 3.1 μm porous particles. The separation performance for small molecules in gradient elution was investigated using mixtures of dansylated amino acids, β-lactam antibiotics, and thyroid hormones. Finally, the modified monolithic capillary columns also proved to be highly efficient in the separation of biopolymers such as peptides and proteins, enabling peak width at half height of 3–8 s and peak capacities of 110–180 in 15–30 min gradient runs.     

Novel monolithic poly(p-methylstyrene-co-bis(p-vinylbenzyl)dimethylsilane) capillary columns for biopolymer separation

Hydrophobic organo-silane based monolithic capillary columns were prepared by thermally initiated free radical polymerisation within the confines of 200 microm i.d. fused silica capillaries. A novel crosslinker, namely bis(p-vinylbenzyl)dimethylsilane (BVBDMS), was copolymerised with p-methylstyrene (MS) in the presence of 2-propanol and toluene, using alpha,alpha'-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. Monolithic capillary columns, differing in the total monomer, microporogen content and microporogen nature were fabricated and the chromatographic efficiency of each monolith, regarding the separation of proteins, peptides and oligonucleotides, was evaluated and compared. Changes in monolith morphology were monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Porosity and specific surface areas of the supports were studied by means of mercury intrusion porosimetry and BET measurements, respectively. Pressure drop vs. flow rate measurements proved the prepared poly(p-methylstyrene-co-bis(p-vinylbenzyl)dimethylsilane) (MS/BVBDMS) monoliths to be mechanically stable and swelling propensity (SP) factors of 0.78-1.10 indicate high crosslinking homogeneity.     

Preparation and evaluation of poly(alkyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic columns for separating polar small molecules by capillary liquid chromatography

In this study, methacrylic acid (MAA) was incorporated with alkyl methacrylates to increase the hydrophilicity of the synthesized ethylene dimethacrylate-based (EDMA-based) monoliths for separating polar small molecules by capillary LC analysis. Different alkyl methacrylate–MAA ratios were investigated to prepare a series of 30% alkyl methacrylate–MAA–EDMA monoliths in fused-silica capillaries (250-μm i.d.). The porosity, permeability, and column efficiency of the synthesized MAA-incorporated monolithic columns were characterized. A mixture of phenol derivatives is employed to evaluate the applicability of using the prepared monolithic columns for separating small molecules. Fast separation of six phenol derivatives was achieved in 5 min with gradient elution using the selected poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column. In addition, the effect of acetonitrile content in mobile phase on retention factor and plate height as well as the plate height-flow velocity curves were also investigated to further examine the performance of the selected poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column. Moreover, the applicability of prepared polymer-based monolithic column for potential food safety applications was also demonstrated by analyzing five aflatoxins and three phenicol antibiotics using the selected poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column.     

Novel monolithic poly(phenyl acrylate-co-1,4-phenylene diacrylate) capillary columns for biopolymer chromatography

Monolithic capillary columns were prepared by thermally initiated free radical polymerisation of phenyl acrylate (PA) and 1,4-phenylene diacrylate (PDA) in the confines of 200 microm I.D. fused silica capillaries. Polymerisation was performed in the presence of 2-propanol and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as inert diluents (porogens), using alpha,alpha'-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. Morphology and porosity of the resulting monoliths were comprehensively studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury intrusion porosimetry and inverse size-exclusion chromatography (ISEC). The novel poly(phenyl acrylate-co-1,4-phenylene diacrylate) (PA/PDA) monoliths showed high mechanical stability and were successfully applied to the separation of proteins and oligodeoxynucleotides, employing reversed-phase (RP) and ion-pair reversed-phase (IP-RP) conditions, respectively. Maximum loading capacities for cytochrome c and d(pT)(16) were evaluated and found to be in the region of 200 fmol. Batch-to-batch reproducibility was determined for three independently prepared PA/PDA monolithic capillary columns. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) of retention time (t(R)) of 0.7-1.6% for proteins and 0.2-2.5% for d(pT)(12-18) proved high reproducibility of the PA/PDA supports.     

Influence of different polymerisation parameters on the separation efficiency of monolithic poly(phenyl acrylate-co-1,4-phenylene diacrylate) capillary columns

Monolithic poly(phenyl acrylate-co-1,4-phenylene diacrylate) (PA/PDA) capillary columns were prepared in the confines of 200 microm I.D. fused silica capillaries by thermally initiated free radical copolymerisation of phenyl acrylate (PA) and 1,4-phenylene diacrylate (PDA) in the presence of alpha,alpha'-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Variation of polymerisation parameters in terms of total monomer to porogen ratio, nature of the pore-forming agent and polymerisation temperature is shown to have a significant impact on the porous properties of the supports, which was proven by inverse size-exclusion chromatography (ISEC). Monoliths of significantly different porosity (total porosity accessible to the mobile phase (epsilonT)=0.66-0.71, volume fraction of pores (epsilonP)=0.15-0.24) and hence permeability could easily be prepared. The chromatographic efficiency of the PA/PDA monoliths regarding protein and oligonucleotide separation was studied. A correlation between porosity, retention behaviour and efficiency was derived from the obtained separations. In addition to chromatographic evaluation, pressure drop versus flow rate measurements confirmed mechanical stability. Swelling propensity (SP) factors of 0.47-0.87, moreover, indicated a high degree of crosslinking.     

Effect of ion adsorption on CEC separation of small molecules using hypercrosslinked porous polymer monolithic capillary columns

Both poly(styrene-co-vinylbenzyl chloride-co-divinylbenzene) and poly(4-methylstyrene-co-vinylbenzyl chloride-co-divinylbenzene) monolithic columns have been hypercrosslinked and for the first time used to achieve capillary electrochromatographic separations. Although these columns do not contain ionizable functionalities, electroosmotic flow was observed due to adsorption of ions from a buffer solution contained in the mobile phase on the surface of the hydrophobic polymer. An increase of more than one order of magnitude was observed with the use of both monolithic polymers. The hypercrosslinking reaction creates a large surface area thus enabling adsorption of a much larger number of ions. Alkylbenzenes were successfully separated using the hypercrosslinked monolithic columns.     

Incorporation of carbon nanotubes in porous polymer monolithic capillary columns to enhance the chromatographic separation of small molecules

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been entrapped in monolithic poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) capillary columns to afford stationary phases with enhanced liquid chromatographic performance for small molecules in the reversed phase. While the column with no nanotubes exhibited an efficiency of only 1800 plates/m, addition of a small amount of nanotubes to the polymerization mixture increased the efficiency to over 15,000 and 35,000 plates/m at flow rates of 1 and 0.15 μL/min, respectively. Alternatively, the native glycidyl methacrylate-based monolith was functionalized with ammonia and, then, shortened carbon nanotubes, bearing carboxyl functionalities, were attached to the pore surface through the aid of electrostatic interactions with the amine functionalities. Reducing the pore size of the monolith enhanced the column efficiency for the retained analyte, benzene, to 30,000 plates/m at a flow rate of 0.25 μL/min. Addition of tetrahydrofuran to the typical aqueous acetonitrile eluents improved the peak shape and increased the column efficiency to 44,000 plates/m calculated for the retained benzene peak.     

Effect of monomer mixture composition on structure and chromatographic properties of poly(divinylbenzene-co-ethylvinylbenzene-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) monolithic rod columns for separation of small molecules

Porous poly(divinylbenzene-co-ethylvinylbenzene-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) monoliths were synthesized via thermally initiated free-radical polymerization in confines of surface-vinylized glass columns (150 mm × 3 mm i.d.) and applied to the reversed-phase separation of low-molecular-weight aromatic compounds. In order to compensate for the polymer shrinkage during the synthesis and prevent the monolith from detachment from the column wall, polymerization was conducted under nitrogen pressure. The reaction proceeded at 60°C for 22 h. 2,2'-Azo-bis-isobutironitrile was used as the initiator and 1-dodecanol was used as the porogen. A series of monoliths with different monomer ratios were obtained. All the monoliths had high specific surface areas ranging from 370 to 490 m(2)/g. In the studied range of monomer mixture compositions, the mechanical stability of the stationary phase in water/acetonitrile eluents was found to be high enough and practically insensitive to the fraction of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Increasing the molar fraction of HEMA from 10.5% to 14.7% resulted in the decrease of column permeability by two orders of magnitude (from 1.1×10(-12) to 1.8×10(-14) m(2)) and led to weaker retention of alkylbenzenes. The higher HEMA content was shown to reduce the plate height of the columns in the separation of small molecules from 160-490 μm to 40-76 μm. This was attributed mainly to the decrease of the domain size of the monoliths leading to lower eddy dispersion and mass transfer resistance in the column.     

Alkylated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) monolithic columns for mu-HPLC and CEC separation of phenolic acids

Macroporous poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) monolithic columns were prepared in fused silica capillaries of 100 microm id by in-situ copolymerization of styrene with divinylbenzene in the presence of propan-1-ol and formamide as the porogen system. The monoliths were subsequently alkylated with linear alkyl C-18 groups via Friedel-Crafts reaction to improve the retention and chromatographic resolution of strongly polar phenolic acids. A new thermally initiated grafting procedure was developed in order to shorten the time of the alkylation process. The grafting procedure was optimized with respect to the reaction temperature, time, the grafting reactant concentration, and the solvent used. The type of solvent and the grafting temperature are the most significant factors affecting the hydrodynamic properties, porosity, and efficiency of the columns. While the equivalent particle diameter of the grafted column increased, the capillary-like flow-through pore diameter decreased in comparison to non-alkylated monoliths. The hydrodynamic permeability of the monolith decreased, but the monolithic column still permitted fast micro-HPLC separations.     

Preparation and evaluation of rigid porous polyacrylamide-based strong cation-exchange monolithic columns for capillary electrochromatography

A CEC monolithic column with strong cation-exchange (SCX) stationary phase based on hydrophilic monomers was prepared by in situ polymerization of acrylamide, methylenebisacrylamide, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) in a complete organic binary porogenic solvent consisting of DMSO and dodecanol. The sulfonic groups provided by the monomer AMPS on the surface of the stationary phase generate an EOF from anode to cathode, and serve as an SCX stationary phase at the same time. The monolithic stationary phase exhibited normal-phase chromatographic behavior for neutral analytes. For charged analytes, electrostatic interaction/repulsion with the monolith was observed. The strong SCX monolithic column has been successfully employed in the electrochromatographic separation of basic drugs, peptides, and alkaloids extracted from natural products.     

Hypercrosslinking: new approach to porous polymer monolithic capillary columns with large surface area for the highly efficient separation of small molecules

Monolithic polymers with an unprecedented surface area of over 600 m(2)/g have been prepared from a poly(styrene-co-vinylbenzyl chloride-co-divinylbenzene) precursor monolith that was swollen in 1,2-dichloroethane and hypercrosslinked via Friedel-Crafts reaction catalyzed by ferric chloride. Both the composition of the reaction mixture used for the preparation of the precursor monolith and the conditions of the hypercrosslinking reaction have been varied using mathematical design of experiments and the optimized system validated. Hypercrosslinked monolithic capillary columns contain an array of small pores that make the column ideally suited for the high efficiency isocratic separations of small molecules such as uracil and alkylbenzenes with column efficiencies reproducibly exceeding 80,000 plates/m for retained compounds. The separation process could be accelerated while also improving peak shape through the use of higher temperatures and a ternary mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, and water. As a result, seven compounds were well separated in less than 2 min. These columns also facilitate separations of peptide mixtures such as a tryptic digest of cytochrome c using a gradient elution mode which affords a sequence coverage of 93%. A 65 cm long hypercrosslinked capillary column used in size exclusion mode with tetrahydrofuran as the mobile phase afforded almost baseline separation of toluene and five polystyrene standards.     

Preparation and characterization of monolithic polymer columns for capillary electrochromatography

A series of micro-monolithic columns with different porosities were prepared for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) by in-situ copolymerization of butyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane-sulfonic acid in the presence of a porogen in fused-silica capillaries of 100 microm I.D. Different column porosities were obtained by changing the ratios of monomers to porogenic solvents. Columns were investigated and evaluated under both pressure-driven (high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC) and electro-driven (capillary electrochromatography, CEC) conditions. Each column exhibited different efficiency and dependency on flow velocity under electro-driven conditions. Abnormally broad peaks for some relatively bulky molecules were observed. Possible explanations are discussed. The differences in column efficiency and retention behavior between the two eluent-driven modes were studied in detail. In addition, other column properties, such as morphology, porosity, stability and reproducibility, were extensively tested.     

Ionic liquids monolithic columns for protein separation in capillary electrochromatography

A series of ionic liquids (ILs) monolithic capillary columns based on 1-vinyl-3-octylimidazolium (ViOcIm⁺) were prepared by two approaches (“one-pot” approach and “anion-exchange” approach). The effects of different anions (bromide, Br⁻; tetrafluoroborate, BF₄⁻; hexafluorophosphate, PF₆⁻; and bis-trifluoromethanesulfonylimide, NTf₂⁻) on chromatography performance of all the resulting columns were investigated systematically under capillary electrochromatography (CEC) mode. The results indicated that all these columns could generate a stable reversed electroosmotic flow (EOF) over a wide pH range from 2.0 to 12.0. For the columns prepared by “one-pot” approach, the EOF decreased in the order of ViOcIm⁺Br⁻ > ViOcIm⁺BF₄⁻ > ViOcIm⁺PF₆⁻ > ViOcIm⁺NTf₂⁻ under the same CEC conditions; the ViOcIm⁺Br⁻ based column exhibited highest column efficiencies for the test small molecules; the ViOcIm⁺NTf₂⁻ based column possessed the strongest retention for aromatic hydrocarbons; and baseline separation of four standard proteins was achieved on ViOcIm⁺NTf₂⁻ based column corresponding to the highest column efficiency of 479 000 N m⁻¹ for cytochrome c (Cyt c). These results indicated that the property of ILs based columns could be tuned successfully by changing anions, which gave these columns potential to separate both small molecules and macro biomolecules.     

Parameters affecting the separation of intact proteins in gradient-elution reversed-phase chromatography using poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) monolithic capillary columns

An experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of column parameters and gradient conditions on the separation of intact proteins using styrene-based monolithic columns. The effect of flow rate on peak width was investigated at constant gradient steepness by normalizing the gradient time for the column hold-up time. When operating the column at a temperature of 60 °C a small C-term effect was observed in a flow rate range of 1–4 μL/min. However, the C-term effect on peak width is not as strong as the decrease in peak width due to increasing flow rate. The peak capacity increased according to the square root of the column length. Decreasing the macropore size of the polymer monolith while maintaining the column length constant, resulted in an increase in peak capacity. A trade-off between peak capacity and total analysis time was made for 50, 100, and 250 mm long monolithic columns and a microparticulate column packed with 5 μm porous silica particles while operating at a flow rate of 2 μL/min. The peak capacity per unit time of the 50 mm long monolithic column with small pore size was superior when the total analysis time is below 120 min, yielding a maximum peak capacity of 380. For more demanding separations the 250 mm long monolith provided the highest peak capacity in the shortest possible time frame.     

Preparation of monolithic capillary columns for capillary electrochromatography by γ-ray irradiation

A novel approach is introduced and evaluated for the preparation of silica-based monoliths by a sol–gel technique where in situ polymerization was carried out by γ-ray irradiation within the capillary. The γ-radiation-initiated synthesis generated radicals directly on the monomer, thereby avoiding use of any initiator. The chromatographic behavior of the capillary monolithic columns was studied in the modes of CEC, p-CEC and low pressure-driven separation, all of which exhibited reversed-phase character. Various operational parameters, such as column temperature, separation voltage, acetonitrile content and buffer pH, were varied to assess their influence on column performance in the separation of a series of neutral compounds including thiourea, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, biphenyl and naphthalene. A scanning electron micrograph of a cross-section of the capillary column showed that the gel took the form of a spherical particle aggregate and adhered to the column inner wall. It provided a viable alternative to either thermally initiated or photo polymerization for the preparation of monolithic columns.     

Monolithic columns based on a poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-methacrylic acid) copolymer for capillary liquid chromatography of small organic molecules

A very simple and readily performed method is described for the preparation of poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-methacrylic acid) monolithic columns for capillary liquid chromatography. The effect of the methacrylic acid content on the morphological and chromatographic properties has been investigated. Methacrylic acid is shown to be essential for isocratic separations of small organic analytes by capillary liquid chromatography. Column efficiencies of about 28,000 theoretical plates/m have been obtained for all the test compounds. The batch-to-batch and run-to-run repeatability of the retention times is better than 1.5%.     

Organo-silica hybrid capillary monolithic column with mesoporous silica particles for separation of small aromatic molecules

Monolithic stationary phases for use in capillary electrochromatography were prepared by incorporation of mesoporous silica particles (of type MCM-41 or UVM-7) in a polymer obtained from butyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as monomers, 1,4-butanediol and 1-propanol as porogen, and azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The stability of the dispersions with varying fractions of silica particles was investigated by UV-vis spectrometry. Using continuous stirring during the capillary filling and short UV-polymerization times, polymeric beds with homogenously dispersed mesoporous particles (with contents up to 35 wt% of silica) are obtained. The resulting hybrid monolithic columns were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The chromatographic performance of these novel stationary phases was evaluated by using alkyl benzenes and benzoic acid derivatives as test analytes. The use of these polymers leads to increased retention and separation efficiency compared to the parent monolith. The column efficiency reached values of up to 140,000 plates m^?1. The resulting hybrid monolithic columns also exhibited a satisfactory reproducibility with relative standard deviations of ca. 14% (batch-to-batch).

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Graphical abstract Hybrid polymer monoliths containing large amounts of mesoporous silica-particles (MCM-41 or UVM-7) were prepared by UV initiation. The prepared monolithic columns showed higher retention times and efficiencies than parent monoliths for alkyl benzenes and benzoic acid derivatives.

     

Preparation and application of organic-silica hybrid monolithic capillary columns

Organic-silica hybrid monolithic columns have drawn more and more attention due to the ease of preparation and good mechanical stability in recent years. Many synthetic approaches have been developed and a variety of hybrid monolithic capillary columns have been prepared. The sol-gel process is well recognized in the fabrication of hybrid monolithic columns, which can be mainly classified as one-step, acid/base two-step procedures. The new approaches such as the "one-pot" and nano-scaled inorganic-organic hybrid reagent of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane used as a cross-linker have also emerged for the preparation of hybrid monolithic columns. The applications of the organic-silica hybrid monolithic capillary columns for capillary electrochromatography, micro high-performance liquid chromatography, solid-phase micro-extraction and enzymatic reactor etc. are included in this review.     

正交试验法优化制备用于小分子物质分离的聚(甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯-二乙烯基苯)型整体柱

以甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯(GMA)为单体,二乙烯基苯(DVB)为交联剂,以环己醇和正十二醇为致孔剂,过氧化苯甲酰(BPO)为引发剂,直接以50 mm×4.6 mm色谱柱为模具,通过原位聚合制备聚(GMA-DVB)型整体柱。以GMA和DVB的体积比、环己醇和十二醇的体积比以及BPO占聚合物的质量分数为三因素,以分离苯和乙苯等小分子物质时的半峰宽分离度(R1/2)为考察指标,进行三因素三水平的正交试验,通过测定整体柱的比表面积、孔径和孔容分布对其进行表征。结果表明,制备整体柱的最优配方为V(GMA): V(DVB): V(环己醇): V(正十二醇)=0.825:0.825:1.32:2.03, BPO的质量分数为0.7%。应用所制备的整体柱分离苯和乙苯等小分子物质,理论塔板数达到37000塔板/m, R1/2值达到7.14,完全达到基线分离,分离时间小于10 min。该方法制备整体柱的重复性好,柱效较高,基本满足商品化要求。     

Anion- and cation-exchange MicroHPLC utilizing poly(methacrylates)-coated monolithic silica capillary columns.

A novel method was developed for the preparation of highly efficient anion- and cation-exchange microHPLC columns using an on-column polymerization of methacrylates having amine or sulfonic acid functional groups onto monolithic silica capillary columns modified with 3-methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane as the anchor groups. The chromatographic evaluation of the columns using nucleic acids, nucleotides, and inorganic anions as samples showed the characteristics of the ion-exchange-type stationary phases. These columns exhibited higher separation efficiency when compared with the conventional particle-packed columns. A capillary column for the simultaneous anion- and cation-exchange separation could be prepared by a step-by-step functionalization. The advantages of this column preparation will include: (1) no need of column packing; (2) no need of the preparation of silane reagents possessing anion- and cation-exchange functionalities; (3) the amount of immobilized polymer could be controlled by changing polymerization conditions. These columns should be suitable for the separation of biologically active compounds by the microHPLC modes.