Geopolymers as a New Class of High pH Stable Supports with Different Chromatographic Selectivity

Geopolymers belong to an interesting class of X-ray amorphous polycondensed aluminosilicate ceramic solids. The high mechanical strength, chemical stability in basic conditions, and water insolubility make geopolymers a unique solid support in separation science. This work describes a new straightforward synthetic procedure for making spherical porous geopolymer particles with high surface area which are amenable for chromatographic purposes. In-depth physicochemical evaluation of geopolymers is conducted via particle size distribution, porosity measurements, X-ray diffraction, pH titration, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy and compared with silica, titania, and zirconia. Chromatographic selectivity shows that the surface chemistry of geopolymers has strong hydrophilic and electrostatic character, which makes it different from 36 chromatographic columns. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography in columns packed with geopolymer particles shows different selectivity than that in silica columns, with excellent peak shapes. Phosphate or fluoride additives are not required as they are for zirconia or titania phase.