title: Efficiency of methacrylate monolithic columns in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separations.
abstract: Butyl-methacrylate-based porous monoliths were prepared inside fused-silica capillaries as reversed-phase separation media for liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). During our previous research on methacrylate-based monoliths for reversed-phase separations, we noticed that a separation efficiency of up to 300,000 plates/m can easily be obtained in the CEC mode for unretained compounds. However, the efficiencies for retained compounds were much lower in reversed-phase systems, especially in pressure-driven LC. In this work methacrylate-based columns were prepared and characterized in terms of efficiency and retention in reversed-phase (pressure-driven) LC and in CEC. Much attention has been paid to the mass-transfer mechanism in the stationary phase. Factors that affect the plate heights for specific compounds have been investigated. A possible explanation for the relatively low separation efficiency of retained compounds and suggestions to improve molecular mass transfer are provided.
authors.affiliation: Polymer-Analysis Group, Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yuli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schoenmakers
authors.forename: Wim Th
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Kok
mesh_terms: D001554:Benzene / Q000302:isolation & purification; D053801:Capillary Electrochromatography; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010539:Permeability; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D013696:Temperature; D013890:Thiourea / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D008689:Methacrylates; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011108:Polymers; C031721:naphthalene; D013890:Thiourea; D001554:Benzene; C016284:butyl methacrylate