A singular chromatographic column breakthrough: Achieving full polarity range separations with the epoxy propanol molecular cage bonded silica stationary phase

Abstract

The epoxy propanol molecular cage bonded silica stationary phase, RCC3-GLD@silica, synthesized through the ring-opening reaction of secondary amine with epoxy propanol using RCC3-R as the scaffold unit, was successfully prepared as confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption characterization. This stationary phase demonstrated excellent separation performance in both reversed-phase and hydrophilic chromatography modes, effectively separating a wide variety of compounds including alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, anilines, sulfonamides, nucleosides, amino acids, sugars, and acids. The development of RCC3-GLD@silica benefits from the synergistic effects of its hydrophobic and hydrophilic actions, as evidenced by the U-shaped characteristic of the retention factor for nucleoside compounds with changes in the aqueous content of the mobile phase, further confirming the simultaneous presence of reversed-phase and hydrophilic chromatography mechanisms. Not only did this stationary phase successfully separate 33 compounds in reversed-phase chromatography mode, but it also separated 54 compounds in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode, showcasing its broad separation capability from weakly polar to strongly polar compounds on a single chromatographic column. This indicates a wide application prospect in the field of chromatographic analysis.