Ionic liquids-assisted fabrication of silica-based monolithic columns

The mesopores of a monolithic silica column are very important and useful for chromatographic separation since they can offer sufficiently large surface area. In this paper, a novel method with the assistance of an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmin]BF₄) was developed for the preparation of a C18-modified monolithic silica column for the first time, in which, the through pores and mesopores were formed simultaneously during the sol-gel reaction. The method is effective to simplify the preparation process of the silica-based monolithic columns. The factors influencing the sol-gel process, including the content of methanol and pH, were studied. The chromatographic performance of the prepared monolithic column was evaluated by the separation of alkylbenzenes.