Preparation and evaluation of surface-bonded phenylglycine zwitterionic stationary phase

4-Hydroxy-D-phenylglycine was modified with methacrylic anhydride and then immobilized on silica through thiol-initiated surface polymerization; the prepared material was applied as stationary phase for HPLC. The obtained stationary phase was characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The chromatographic performance of the packed column was evaluated in reversed-phase liquid chromatograph (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatograph (HILIC) mode; this column has shown excellent selectivity to both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic solutes. The selectivity towards polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons relative to that towards alkylbenzenes exhibited by the prepared column was higher than the corresponding selectivity exhibited by commercial C18 column, which could be explained by electronic π-π interaction between phenylglycine and electron-rich aromatic rings. On the other hand, the prepared column has also shown better selectivity for polar compounds, which was based on the multiple interaction and retention mechanisms. It was also used to separate sulfonamides and organic acid compared with a commercial C18 and HILIC column; the results show its great chromatographic performance with distinctive selectivity. All the results indicated the prepared column had potential application in a wide range.