Monolithic columns: A historical overview

This review article is an updated and extended version of the previous review that has been published 14 years ago . Although history does not change, its interpretation may. Therefore, I took the liberty to revisit the original work and added some of my new thoughts that could be interesting for the generation of scientists who are entering the intriguing arena of monoliths and may want to know the roots of the field. The current monolithic columns that are well applicable for efficient separations, were first described less than 30 years ago, and their advent represented the initial step to their present widespread appearance. At the beginning, the monolithic columns dominated the academic studies. However, several monolithic materials have later been materialized in commercial products. In order to stay within a reasonable size of this contribution, its focus is placed on developments achieved in the previous century. The very early reports are described in more detail since it might be difficult to find the original source.