Hybrid Monolithic Capillary Column Research Articles

Preparation and analytical application of novel thiol-functionalized solid extraction matrices: From mesoporous silica to hybrid monolithic capillary column

A comprehensively comparative study of thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica and organic-inorganic hybrid monolithic column was reported, aiming at the separation and enrichment of inorganic arsenic. Thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica was synthesized based on the one-step co-condensation method. At the same time, a novel thiol-functionalized organic-inorganic hybrid monolithic column was synthesized using an unconventional ternary weak basic solvent system via one-step sol-gel process. The approach to prepare monolithic column through mild condition remarkably improved delamination phenomenon of thiol-functionalized hybrid monolithic column easily caused by conventional methods. As(III) can be selectively uptaken by the hybrid monolithic column and homemade syringe-based solid phase extraction device containing mesoporous silica through chelation in a wide range of pH, while As(V) cannot, and then the captured As(III) was eluted by 3% HNO3 (v/v) with 0.01 mol L−1 KIO3. Under the optimized conditions, the extraction recoveries were 91–102% and 93–103% for mesoporous silica and monolithic column, respectively. Although both two materials were ideal solid matrices for the removal and speciation analysis of As(III) in environmental waters, the monolith-based solid phase microextration protocol was more fast and reagent-saving than the other, which endued monolithic columns with more application prospects for trace elemental analysis and speciation. Even so, the exploration of mesoporous silica could efficiently pilot the synthesis of monolithic columns.

Ultrafast preparation of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-based ionic liquid hybrid monolith via photoinitiated polymerization, and its application to capillary electrochromatography of aromatic compounds.

An ionic liquid hybrid monolithic capillary column was prepared within 7min via photoinitiated free-radical polymerization of an ionic liquid monomer (1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium-bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide); VBIMNTF2) and a methacryl substituted polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-MA) acting as a cross-linker. The effects of composition of prepolymerization solution and initiation time on the porous structure and electroosmotic flow (EOF) of monolithic column were investigated. The hybrid monolith was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and FTIR. Owing to the introduction of a rigid nanosized POSS silica core and ionic liquids with multiple interaction sites, the monolithic column has a well-defined 3D skeleton morphology, good mechanical stability, and a stable anodic electroosmotic flow. The hybrid monolithic stationary phase was applied to the capillary electrochromatographic separation of various alkylbenzenes, phenols, anilines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The column efficiency is highest (98,000 plates/m) in case of alkylbenzenes. Mixed-mode retention mechanisms including hydrophobic interactions, π-π stacking, electrostatic interaction and electrophoretic mobility can be observed. This indicates the potential of this material in terms of efficient separation of analytes of different structural type. Graphical Abstract Preparation of a mixed-mode ionic liquid hybrid monolithic column via photoinitiated polymerization of methacryl substituted polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-MA) and 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium-bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (VBIMNTF2) ionic liquid for use in capillary electrochromatography.

Preparation of organic-silica hybrid monolithic columns via crosslinking of functionalized mesoporous carbon nanoparticles for capillary liquid chromatography

An organic-silica hybrid monolithic capillary column was fabricated by crosslinking (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) modified mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (AP-MCNs) with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and n-butyltrimethoxysilane (C4-TriMOS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry and inverse size-exclusion chromatography characterization proved the successful immobilization of mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCNs). The crosslinking of AP-MCNs into the hybrid monolithic matrix has significantly increased the reversed-phase retention of alkylbenzenes and chromatographic performance for small molecules separations in comparison with the neat one without MCNs. The resulting column efficiency of the mesoporous carbon nanoparticle-based butyl-silica hybrid monolithic column (MCN-C4-monolith) was up to ca. 116,600N/m for the capillary liquid chromatography (cLC) separation of butylbenzene. Enhanced performance of proteins separation was achieved on the MCN-C4-monolith in comparison with the butyl-silica hybrid monolithic column without MCN (C4-monolith). The separation of peptides from bovine serum albumin (BSA) digest was carried out on the MCN-C4-monolith by capillary liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (cLC–MS/MS) with protein sequence coverage of 81.9%, suggesting its potential application in proteomics.

One-pot preparation of a mixed-mode organic-silica hybrid monolithic capillary column and its application in determination of endogenous gibberellins in plant tissues

A newly improved one-pot method, based on “thiol-ene” click chemistry and sol–gel approach in microemulsion system, was developed for the preparation of C8/PO(OH)2-silica hybrid monolithic capillary column. The prepared monolith possesses large specific surface area, narrow mesopore size distribution and high column efficiency. The monolithic column was demonstrated to have cation exchange/reversed-phase (CX/RP) mixed-mode retention for analytes on nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC). On the basis of the developed nano-LC system with MS detector coupled to pipette tip solid phase extraction (PT-SPE) and derivatization process, we then realized simultaneous determination of 10 gibberellins (GAs) with low limits of detection (LODs, 0.003–0.025ng/mL). Furthermore, 6 endogenous GAs in only 5mg rice leaves (fresh weight) were successfully detected and quantified. The developed PT-SPE-nano-LC–MS strategy may offer promising applications in the determination of low abundant bioactive molecules from complex matrix.

Enantiomer separation of acidic chiral compounds on a quinine-silica/zirconia hybrid monolith by capillary electrochromatography

A weak anion-exchanger chiral selector, quinine-incorporated silica/zirconia hybrid monolithic (QUI-S/ZHM) capillary column was prepared by sol–gel technology. The performance of the QUI-S/ZHM column was investigated for enantioresolution of a set of acidic chiral drugs and dinitrobenzoyl (DNB)-amino acids by capillary electrochromatography in aqueous organic mobile phases composed of acetonitrile (ACN) and triethylammonium acetate (TEAA) buffer. Effects of several parameters including the ACN content, concentration and pH of the mobile phase on the chiral separation were examined. Baseline resolutions of all the compounds were obtained in the mobile phase consisting of 70:30 ACN/TEAA (10mM, pH 6) under applied voltage of −10kV at 25°C within 20min.

Enantioseparation of basic chiral compounds on a clindamycin phosphate-silica/zirconia hybrid monolith by capillary electrochromatography

An organic–inorganic silica/zirconia hybrid monolithic capillary column was prepared by sol–gel process in a fused-silica capillary by using triethoxysilylpropylcarbamate (TEOSPC) derivative of clindamycin phosphate (CLIP) as a chiral selector. A sol solution consisting of 6×10−3M of polyethylene glycol, 1M of water, 2M of acetic acid and 0.04/0.96 ratio of CLIP-TEOSPC/Zr-Bu resulted in homogeneous monolith having well defined through-pores and tightly anchored to the capillary wall. The column was employed for capillary electrochromatographic enantioseparation of eight basic chiral drugs in mobile phases consisting of acetonitrile, methanol and ammonium acetate (AA, as the electrolyte). Effects of the compositions of solvents and electrolyte in the mobile phase, applied voltage and capillary temperature on chiral separation were investigated. The highest resolution values were obtained with mobile phases consisting of 40/60 MeOH/ACN and 100mM AA (for citalopram, Tröger's base, indapamide, metoprolol, cetirizine and atropine) and 35/65 MeOH/ACN and 100mM AA (for sertraline and propranolol) using −10kV applied voltage at 25°C.

Facile one-pot synthesis of a aptamer-based organic-silica hybrid monolithic capillary column by "thiol-ene" click chemistry for detection of enantiomers of chemotherapeutic anthracyclines.

In the current study, we developed a facile strategy for the one-pot synthesis of an aptamer-based organic-silica hybrid monolithic capillary column. A 5'-SH-modified aptamer, specifically targeting doxorubicin, was covalently modified in the hybrid silica monolithic column by a sol-gel method combined with "thiol-ene" click reaction. The prepared monolithic column had good stability and permeability, large specific surface, and showed excellent selectivity towards chemotherapeutic anthracyclines of doxorubicin and epirubicin. In addition, the enantiomers of doxorubicin and epirubicin can be easily separated by aptamer-based affinity monolithic capillary liquid chromatography. Furthermore, doxorubicin and epirubicin spiked in serum and urine were also successfully determined, which suggested that the complex biological matrix had a negligible effect on the detection of doxorubicin and epirubicin. Finally, we quantified the concentration of epirubicin in the serum of breast cancer patients treated with epirubicin by intravenous injection. The developed analytical method is cost-effective and rapid, and biological samples can be directly analyzed without any tedious sample pretreatment, which is extremely useful for monitoring medicines in serum and urine for pharmacokinetic studies.

Separation of intact proteins by using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane based hybrid monolithic capillary columns

High-efficient separation of intact proteins is still a huge challenge in proteome analysis of complex biological samples by using capillary columns. In this study, four POSS-based hybrid monolithic capillary columns were prepared and applied in nano-flow liquid chromatography (Nano-LC) separation of intact proteins. It was observed that the POSS-based hybrid monolithic columns exhibit high permeability, good LC separation reproducibility and column efficiency for intact protein separation. The effects of different LC separation conditions such as flow rate, gradient steepness, column length and mobile phase additives on the LC separation efficiency of the POSS-based hybrid monolithic column were systematically examined. Finally, fast LC separation of 7 proteins mixture was realized in 2.5min by using the optimized conditions on the 100μm i.d. POSS-based hybrid monolithic capillary column.

One-pot preparation of a molecularly imprinted hybrid monolithic capillary column for selective recognition and capture of lysozyme

A molecularly imprinted inorganic–organic hybrid monolithic capillary column (MIP hybrid monolith) was synthesized by one-pot process and its application in selective recognition and capture of lysozyme (Lyz) from complex biological samples was described for the first time. Due to a combination of rigid silica matrices and flexible organic hydrogels in one-pot process, stable and accessible recognition sites in the as-prepared MIP hybrid monolith could be obtained after the removal of template protein, which facilitated the rebinding of template and provided good reproducibility and lifetime of use. The morphology, permeability, and pore properties of the as-prepared MIP hybrid monolith were characterized and a uniform monolithic matrix with high surface area and large through-pores was observed. The recognition behavior of MIP and non-imprinted (NIP) hybrid monolith was evaluated by separating template protein from unfractionated protein mixture and the result indicated that the MIP hybrid monolith has much higher affinity toward the template protein than NIP hybrid monolith. High imprinted factor (IF) and separation efficiency could be obtained. In addition, the practicality of the Lyz-MIP hybrid monolith was further evaluated by selective separation of Lyz from egg white and capture of Lyz from human serum by adopting it as an in-tube solid phase microextraction (in-tube SPME), and the good results demonstrated its potential in proteome analysis.

Cage-like silica nanoparticles-functionalized silica hybrid monolith for high performance capillary electrochromatography via “one-pot” process

A cage-like silica nanoparticles-functionalized silica hybrid monolith for high performance capillary electrochromatography (CEC) has been prepared via “one-pot” process. In this process, the polycondensation of hydrolyzed alkoxysilanes and in situ reaction of mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS) with sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate modified octavinyloctasilasesquioxane (MPS-OVS) simultaneously occurred in a pretreated capillary. The characterization and evaluation results indicated that the obtained MPS-OVS hybrid monolithic capillary column has homogeneous macroporous morphology with a permeability of 5.37×10−13m2 and strong electro osmotic flow (EOF) over a wide pH range from 2.7 to 11.2. The EOF on the MPS-OVS hybrid monolithic column reached its maximum of 0.327cm2kV−1s−1 at pH 9.7. The best theoretical efficiency of ∼470,000plates/m was obtained for 2-aminophenol in CEC. Anilines and phenols were well separated on the MPS-OVS hybrid monolithic column by CEC, indicating typical reversed-phase and cation-exchange chromatographic retention mechanisms of the column. The monolith was further applied to the separation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) tryptic digests, and the result indicated its potential in the analysis of some complex samples.

Hybrid monolithic columns coated with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl-carbamate) for enantioseparations in capillary electrochromatography and capillary liquid chromatography

A hybrid monolithic capillary column synthesized with (3-chloropropyl)-trimethoxysilane (CPTMS) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) via sol–gel chemistry was in situ coated with cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl-carbamate) (CDMPC) for enantioseparations in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and capillary liquid chromatography (CLC). Prior to coating, the prepared CP-silica hybrid monolith was straightforwardly modified with diethylenetriamine (DETA) to introduce NH2 functionalities via the nucleophilic substitution reaction, which generate the stronger EOF for CEC. The coating condition was optimized to obtain a stable and reproducible chiral stationary phase for enantioseparation. The results indicated that racemic benzoin was baseline separated on the resulting hybrid monolith coated with 30mg/mL CDMPC in CEC, while several racemates were successfully enantioseparated on the resulting CP-silica hybrid monolithic column coated with 60mg/mL CDMPC in CLC with RP and NP modes.

Facile Preparation of Zwitterionic Organic-Silica Hybrid Monolithic Capillary Column with an Improved “One-Pot” Approach for Hydrophilic-Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC)

A simple single-step thermal-treatment "one-pot" approach for the preparation of organic-silica hybrid capillary monolithic columns is described. In this improved method, the cross-linker vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) was replaced by 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MAPS), which is more active in polymerization reactions, and only one thermal treatment step was required in the preparation of hybrid monoliths. Two zwitterionic organic-silica monolithic columns were successfully synthesized by using [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (MSA) and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) as the organic monomers. The effects of the tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)/γ-MAPS molar ratio, content of monomer, composition of porogenic solvent, and reaction temperature on the morphologies of the hybrid monoliths were investigated. The MSA-silica and MPC-silica hybrid monolithic columns exhibited good permeability and good mechanical stability. The monolithic columns were used for the separation of polar compounds by capillary hydrophilic-interaction chromatography (cHILIC). A typical HILIC retention mechanism was observed at higher organic solvent contents (>50% ACN). The MSA monoliths were further investigated in the separation of various neutral, basic, and acidic analytes, as well as small peptides, by capillary liquid chromatography (cLC), and high efficiency and satisfactory reproducibility were achieved. In addition, the analysis of a tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by cLC tandem mass spectrometry (cLC-MS/MS) with an MSA monolith further demonstrated its potential in the separation of biological samples.

Synthesis of sulfo/vinyl biphasic silica hybrid monolithic capillary column and its application to on-column preconcentration for capillary electrochromatography

A novel method to synthesize sulfo/vinyl biphasic silica hybrid monolithic column in one step was developed for on-column preconcentration. In this method, sulfo-based segment is located at the inlet of capillary column, which acts as preconcentration column. It is synthesized by polymerization of 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPMA) and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) with tetramethoxysilane (TOMS). Close to the preconcentration column, a vinyl functionalized segment is formed and serves as separation column. It is synthesized by polymerization of only VTMS with TOMS. Vinyl groups on vinyl functionalized segment are modified with ligand containing sulfhydryl group, such as octadecanethiol (C18-SH for short), 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (HO-C6-SH for short), via thiol-ene click reaction. The interface between the two segments is seamless and without any dead volume. The applicability of this system is demonstrated by successful separation of closely related amines including p-phenylenediamine, aniline, p-toluidine, N-methyl aniline, N,N′-dimethylaniline, and diphenylamine. Good separation and enrichment are obtained. The proposed system is also successfully applied to complex biological samples, such as peptide, diluted BSA hydrolysate, and the results indicate that the system has a capability for preconcentration of low abundance peptides.

Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane as a Cross-linker for Preparation of Inorganic−Organic Hybrid Monolithic Columns

An inorganic-organic hybrid monolithic capillary column was synthesized via thermal free radical copolymerization within the confines of a capillary using a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) reagent as the inorganic-organic hybrid cross-linker and a synthesized long carbon chain quaternary ammonium methacrylate of N-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)-dimethyloctadecylammonium bromide (MDOAB) as the organic monomer. The preparation process was as simple as pure organic polymer-based monolithic columns instead of using POSS as the nanosized inorganic-organic hybrid blocks (cross-linker) of the monolithic matrix. The pore properties and permeability could be tuned by the composition of the polymerization mixture. The characterization and evaluation results indicated that the synthesized MDOA-POSS hybrid monolith possessed the merits of organic polymer-based monoliths and silica-based monoliths with good mechanical and pH (pH 1-11) stabilities, which may be attributed to the incorporation of the rigid nanosized silica core of POSS. Column efficiencies of 223 000 and 50 000 N/m were observed in capillary electro-driven chromatography (CEC) and mu-HPLC, respectively. Peptides and standard proteins were baseline separated by this hybrid column in CEC and mu-HPLC, respectively, as well. The separation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) tryptic digest was also attempted to show its potential application in proteome analysis.

The synthesis of chloropropyl-functionalized silica hybrid monolithic column with modification of N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecylamine for capillary electrochromatography separation

A chloropropyl-functionalized silica (CP-silica) hybrid monolithic column was synthesized within the confines of a capillary via the sol–gel process using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and (3-chloropropyl)-trimethoxysilane (CPTMS) as the precursors. The resulting CP-silica hybrid monolith inside the capillary showed homogeneous macroporous morphology and was well attached to the inner wall of the capillary. The obtained CP-silica hybrid monolithic capillary column demonstrated the inherent hydrophobic property and could be applied as a reversed-phase stationary phase in CEC directly. Due to the great chemical reactivity of the incorporated chloro groups on the hybrid silica monolithic matrix, the chloropropyl moieties on the surface of the hybrid silica monolith matrix could be conveniently further modified by a tertiary amine of N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecylamine (DMDA) via the nucleophilic substitution reaction at 70 °C to introduce a dodecyl groups (C12) onto the CP-silica hybrid monolithic matrix. The resulting C12-silica hybrid monolithic column not only demonstrated the significantly enhanced hydrophobic property in the separation of alkylbenzenes in reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography (RP-CEC), but also the strong electroosmotic flow (EOF) in a wide pH range. Five alkylbenzenes could be baseline separated in 3 min with column efficiency ranging from 189 700 to 221 000 N/m with a 70% ACN running buffer in CEC.

The performance of hybrid monolithic silica capillary columns prepared by changing feed ratios of tetramethoxysilane and methyltrimethoxysilane

The effect of a feed ratio of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) was studied to improve the performance of a hybrid monolithic silica capillary column with 100-mum i.d. in HPLC in a range MTMS/TMOS (v/v)=10/90-25/75. The domain size was also varied by adjusting the amount of PEG to control permeability (K=2.8x10(-14)-6.9x10(-14)m(2)). Evaluation of the performance for those capillary columns following octadecylsilylation proved an increase in retention factor (k) and a decrease in steric selectivity alpha(triphenylene/ortho-terphenyl) with the increase in MTMS content in the feed. The effect of the feed ratio was also observed in porosity and hydrophobic property of the C18 stationary phase from the results of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and reversed phase characterization. The monolithic silica capillary columns prepared under new preparation conditions were able to produce a plate height of 4.6-6.0microm for hexylbenzene in a mobile phase acetonitrile/water=80/20 at a linear velocity of 2mm/s. Consequently, it was possible to prepare hybrid monolithic silica capillary columns with higher performance than those reported previously while maintaining the retention factors in a similar range by reducing the MTMS/TMOS ratio and increasing the total silane concentration in feed.

Anion exchange silica monolith for capillary liquid chromatography

An anion exchange monolithic silica capillary column was prepared by surface modification of a hybrid monolithic silica capillary column prepared from a mixture of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS). The surface modification was carried out by on-column copolymerization of N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]acrylamide methyl chloride-quaternary salt (DMAPAA-Q) with 3-methacryloxypropyl moieties bonded as an anchor to the silica surface to form a strong anion exchange stationary phase. The columns were examined for their performance in liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) separations of common anions. The ions were separated using 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 6.6. Evaluation by LC produced an average of 30,000 theoretical plates (33 cm column length) for the inorganic anions and nucleotides. Evaluation by CEC, using the same buffer, produced enhanced chromatographic performance of up to ca. 90,000 theoretical plates and a theoretical plate height of ca. 4 mum. Although reduced efficiency was observed for inorganic anions that were retained a long time, the results of this study highlight the potential utility of the DMAPAA-Q stationary phase for anion separations.