PREMIER Columns with MaxPeak High Performance Surfaces - ORDERING INFORMATION

Significance of the topic

Chromatographic separations are crucial in analytical chemistry but often suffer from nonspecific interactions between analytes and metal surface sites, leading to sample loss, poor reproducibility, and sensitivity loss. This is especially relevant for metal-sensitive analytes such as lipids, acidic peptides, and phosphorylated compounds. By minimizing these detrimental interactions, analysts can achieve higher recovery, sharper peaks, and more reliable quantitation.

Objectives and Overview

This application note introduces Waters PREMIER columns, which incorporate MaxPeak High Performance Surfaces (HPS) to passivate residual metal sites within UPLC columns. The aim is to demonstrate how HPS technology reduces analyte–surface interactions, accelerates column conditioning, and enables simpler mobile phase compositions without compromising chromatographic performance. Additionally, the note outlines available stationary phase chemistries, pore size options, and application-specific column formats.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The core innovation is a proprietary surface treatment—MaxPeak HPS—applied to silica-based chromatographic particles (e.g., BEH, HSS, CSH). Key parameters include:

• Ligand density, pore size, and carbon load for each phase
• Endcapping styles and pH/temperature stability ranges
• Availability in 1.7 µm and 1.8 µm particles for UHPLC
• Integration with VanGuard FIT guard columns to maintain performance and lifetime

No specialized instrumentation beyond conventional UPLC systems is required; users select appropriate column dimensions and phases based on analyte class.

Main Results and Discussion

PREMIER columns with HPS surfaces consistently show:

• Significantly reduced equilibration and passivation times compared to standard columns
• Enhanced signal intensity and peak shapes for acidic, phosphorylated, and oligonucleotide analytes
• Robust performance across a wide pH range (pH 1–12) and temperatures up to 90 °C depending on phase
• Simplified method development through compatibility with common mobile phase modifiers (e.g., formic acid, TFA)

Application-specific data indicate that:

• Peptide separations achieve high peak capacity with BEH and CSH chemistries
• Glycan analysis benefits from BEH Amide phases and C18 AX for charged species
• Oligonucleotide methods leverage wider-pore BEH columns for large biomolecules

Benefits and Practical Applications

Analysts adopting PREMIER columns with MaxPeak HPS can expect:

• Accelerated method development and system readiness
• Higher reproducibility and confidence in quantitative data
• Reduced need for complex mobile phase additives
• Broad applicability to small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, and glycans in RP and HILIC modes

Future Trends and Opportunities

As the demand for trace-level analysis of metal-sensitive biomolecules grows, we anticipate:

• Further expansion of HPS-treated phases for novel stationary chemistries
• Integration with multidimensional LC workflows
• Enhanced guard column technologies to extend column life under harsh conditions
• Adoption in regulated environments for QA/QC of critical biomarkers and therapeutics

Conclusion

By addressing surface-related sample losses, Waters PREMIER columns equipped with MaxPeak HPS surfaces offer a robust, versatile solution for high-performance UPLC separations. Their ability to streamline method development, improve sensitivity, and maintain stability across diverse conditions makes them a valuable tool for analytical laboratories handling challenging analytes.