Evolutions in Particle, Surface Chemistry, and Hardware Designs

Introduction

The latest issue of LCGC International (May 2024) is now available online.  The Column Watch article explores the latest advancements in liquid chromatography (LC) columns and accessories released from Pittcon 2023 to the 2024 conference. The products are classified by their intended mode of chromatography, focusing on reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC), hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC), ion-exchange chromatography (IEX), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), chiral chromatography, and preparative purposes. Additionally, a section on non-column accessories contributing to successful liquid separations is included.  Here we will focus on some recent advances in reversed-phase chromatography.  Please see the entire article for more details.

Reversed-Phase Chromatography

Charged Surface

New columns featuring superficially porous particles with positively charged surfaces bonded with functional groups have been introduced. These columns, available in various dimensions, offer improved peak shape and loading capacity for basic molecules and are particularly beneficial under low ionic concentration conditions.

Inert Hardware

Innovative columns utilizing inert hardware reduce undesirable nonspecific interactions with metal surfaces. The inert hardware ensures accurate analysis of metal-sensitive compounds, enhancing performance in applications such as drug analysis and environmental testing.

Micro-Pillar Array

New micro-pillar array columns exhibit superficially porous layers with functional groups on precisely engineered pillars. These columns offer improved resolution, robustness, and reproducibility, and are particularly beneficial for high-throughput and single-cell proteomics applications.

Monodisperse, Fully Porous

Columns featuring 300Å monodisperse, fully porous silica particles with various surface chemistries provide high efficiency, sensitivity, low backpressure, and high loading capacity. These columns are ideal for applications involving proteins, peptides, and oligonucleotides.

Oligonucleotides, Proteins, and Peptides

New columns designed for oligonucleotide analysis feature superficially porous particle technology with high pH stability. These columns offer high-resolution separation, beneficial for distinguishing full-length oligonucleotide products from closely related impurities. Columns tailored for protein and peptide separations provide unique pore sizes promoting efficient analysis, ensuring minimal variability and high consistency.

Conclusions

The 2024 advancements in liquid chromatography columns and accessories showcase significant improvements in particle design, surface chemistry, and hardware. These innovations enhance LC systems’ performance, reliability, and efficiency, addressing the evolving needs of the scientific community.

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