title: A graphitized-carbon monolithic column.
abstract: The preparation of a novel carbon monolithic column for high performance liquid chromatography is described. A phenolic resin rod with embedded 10-microm silica beads was prepared by acid-catalyzed polymerization of a resorcinol/iron(III) complex and formaldehyde. This rod was carbonized and graphitized under inert atmosphere with a programmed temperature cycle from room temperature to 1250 degrees C. Subsequently, the silica beads along with iron catalysts were removed, leaving a porous carbon rod. Imaging of this monolithic rod by scanning and transmission electron microscopies revealed a highly interconnected bimodal porous structure. The porosity and pore size distribution of the mesopores were characterized by N2 absorption/desorption. Graphene sheets were found in the TEM images of the carbon rod, and the graphite index was characterized by Raman spectrum and X-ray diffraction. A monolithic column prepared with the aforementioned carbon rod was evaluated using a mixture of alkylbenzenes. It exhibited an excellent separation power and a low hydraulic resistance. The bundle-of-capillaries model was used to characterize the hydrodynamics of this monolith. Its permeability was found to agree well with the theoretical one.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1600, USA.
authors.forename: Chengdu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guiochon