A “single-pot” approach for fast preparation of hydrophobic thermally polymerized sol-gel monolithic columns for reversed-phase liquid chromatography was studied. These columns were prepared in the presence of an aqueous acid catalyst, free radical initiator, porogen, and monomers including 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (MPTMS), ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA), and octadecyl methacrylate (ODM). Alternatively, 1-octadecantiol (ODT) was used instead of ODM. The effects of ratio of MPTMS to ODM or ODT, and ratio of MPTMS to EDMA were examined by observing changes of morphology of the monoliths. The presence of the crosslinker (EDMA) proved to be necessary for attaining white opaque materials. The C18-EDMA-MPTMS and EDMA-MPTMS monolithic capillary columns exhibited enhanced retention factor for benzene, and better stability in the aqueous mobile phase compared to columns made from MPTMS alone. We also used the faster photopolymerization reaction for the preparation of monolithic columns. However, significantly reduced retention was observed compared to that found for columns prepared using thermal initiation. The “single-pot” approach demonstrated here confirms its potential applicability for the preparation of monoliths using a wide variety of monomers.

Preparation of hydrophobic thermally polymerized sol-gel monolithic columns for reversed-phase liquid chromatography using “single-pot” approach

249th National Meeting (2015)

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