Kinetic performance of open-tubular and packed columns in LC using the same stationary phase: Immobilized polymethyloctadecylsiloxane

Abstract

For the first time a direct comparison of the kinetic performance of narrow-bore (5–15 μm I.D.) opentubular columns (OTCs) and conventional packed columns in LC was carried out with stationary and mobile phases with identical chemical composition. The polymeric stationary phase was a polymethyloctadecylsiloxane (PMSC18) and the columns were evaluated in reversed-phase LC. In the open-tubular columns oncolumn detection was performed with laser-induced fluorescence. The observed column performance is presented in various ways, to take account of the basic differences of OTCs and packed columns. Experimental data was compared with theoretical models by use of a curve fitting procedure. The static coating method generates OTCs that perform close to theoretical predictions, and the packed columns were outperformed by the OTCs with regard to efficiency. A 6 m long and 6.3 μm I.D. OTC showed a minimum reduced plate height, hmin. of 0.5 at k′=0.27, which equals 1 900 000 theoretical plates. Also, it was established that the open-tubular columns provide higher resolution in a given analysis time. However, the importance of sufficient retention in OTCs is once again substantiated. Peak capacity plots illustrate that the k′ “window” should be optimized in order to reach maximum resolution (k′ 0–2 for OTCs and 0–5 for packed columns).