Continuous-Bed Columns Containing Sol-Gel Bonded Packing Materials for Capillary Electrochromatography

Abstract

Sol-gel bonded packing materials in continuous-bed columns have been prepared for capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Three packing materials were investigated: small-pore Spherisorb ODS1 (3 μm, 80 Å) with octadecyl as stationary phase, small-pore mixed-mode Spherisorb ODS/SCX (3 μm, 80 Å) with octadecyl and propyl sulfonic acid as stationary phases, and large-pore Nucleosil ODS (7 μm, 1 400 Å) with octadecyl as stationary phase. The characteristics of these columns were compared in terms of electroosmotic flow, efficiency, inertness, and retention factors. In contrast to columns containing sol-gel bonded ODS, columns containing sol-gel bonded mixed-mode ODS/SCX generated nearly pH independent electroosmotic flow (EOF) over pH 2–9. Columns containing sol-gel bonded large-pore ODS produced nearly three times lower reduced plate height than those containing small-pore ODS. Efficiencies of 220,000 plates per meter and 175,000 plates per meter were obtained from columns containing sol-gel bonded 7 μm, 1 400 Å ODS and columns containing sol-gel bonded 3 μm, 80 Å ODS, respectively, which are among the highest reported efficiencies for continuous-bed columns. In CEC, over one million plates per meter and pH independent EOF are expected from continuous-bed columns containing sol-gel bonded 1.5 μm particles with large pores and mixed-mode stationary phases.