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Published on: June 12, 2016
Efficiency of methacrylate monolithic columns in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separations
Yuli Huo1, Peter J Schoenmakers, Wim Th Kok
1Polymer-Analysis Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Butyl-methacrylate-based porous monoliths were prepared inside fused-silica capillaries as reversed-phase separation media for liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). During our previous research on methacrylate-based monoliths for reversed-phase separations, we noticed that a separation efficiency of up to 300,000 plates/m can easily be obtained in the CEC mode for unretained compounds. However, the efficiencies for retained compounds were much lower in reversed-phase systems, especially in pressure-driven LC. In this work methacrylate-based columns were prepared and characterized in terms of efficiency and retention in reversed-phase (pressure-driven) LC and in CEC. Much attention has been paid to the mass-transfer mechanism in the stationary phase. Factors that affect the plate heights for specific compounds have been investigated. A possible explanation for the relatively low separation efficiency of retained compounds and suggestions to improve molecular mass transfer are provided.
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