β-Cyclodextrin Functionalized Covalent Organic Polymer Monolithic Column for Highly Selective Capillary...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Synthesizing covalent organic polymers (COPs) with numerous active sites presents a significant challenge.
• Developing novel stationary phases is crucial for advancing separation science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized COPs using a modular strategy.
• To evaluate the performance of these functionalized COPs as a stationary phase in capillary electrochromatography (CEC).

Main Methods:

• Modular synthesis of β-cyclodextrin functionalized COPs.
• Comprehensive characterization of the synthesized materials.
• Application as a stationary phase in capillary electrochromatographic separations.
• Analysis of interaction mechanisms using experimental and computational methods.

Main Results:

• The β-CD-functionalized COP monolithic column demonstrated superior separation performance compared to unmodified columns.
• Baseline resolution (>1.5) was achieved for a wide range of analytes, including isomers and chiral compounds.
• High column efficiency (35,013 plates m⁻¹) was observed for chlorobenzene.
• Synergistic interactions (hydrophobic, π–π stacking, hydrogen bonding) were identified as key to the enhanced separation.
• The column exhibited excellent repeatability (RSD < 2.1%) and stability.
• Successful application in determining monosubstituted benzenes in wastewater samples with high linearity (R² ≥ 0.998).

Conclusions:

• β-cyclodextrin functionalized COPs offer a promising stationary phase for high-performance capillary electrochromatography.
• The developed material provides a versatile platform for separating complex mixtures, including chiral compounds.
• The findings support the potential of these COPs for practical applications in environmental analysis.