Thermo Solid Core Technical Compendium

Význam tématu

High‐resolution, high‐throughput liquid chromatographic separations are essential for modern analytical science. Core Enhanced Technology™ featuring solid‐core particles combines the speed of sub‐2 μm supports with the low pressure of larger beads, addressing demands in pharmaceutical, environmental and food analysis without needing specialized UHPLC systems.

Cíle a přehled studie / článku

This collection of technical notes reviews the development, characterization and practical performance of Thermo Scientific™ Accucore™ HPLC columns. It covers:

• Core Enhanced Technology design and the evolution of solid‐core vs. fully porous particles
• Pressure and efficiency comparisons among 5, 3, 2.6 and 4 μm materials
• Selectivity profiling of various bonded phases
• Method transfer strategies and scaled‐down formats
• Peak capacity, sensitivity and impedance analyses
• Column robustness under extreme pH and elevated temperature

Použitá metodika a instrumentace

Analytical work employed conventional HPLC systems equipped with UV and MS detectors. Key techniques included:

• Van Deemter plots and kinetic (Poppe) plots to evaluate HETP, optimal flow rates and impedance
• Gradient and isocratic peak capacity determination for complex mixtures
• Tanaka‐based selectivity tests probing hydrophobicity, steric, hydrogen bonding and silanol interactions
• Method transfer calculations to maintain column volume units when scaling formats
• Stability challenges: >30 000 column volumes at pH 1.8 and pH 10.5, and 70 °C endurance tests

Hlavní výsledky a diskuse

• Solid‐core 2.6 μm phases deliver efficiencies equivalent to sub‐2 μm supports at roughly half the backpressure of fully porous sub‐2 μm and double that of 3 μm columns.
• Accucore XL 4 μm columns offer 50–75 % higher efficiency vs. porous 5 μm and 3 μm, with pressure increases within conventional HPLC limits.
• Impedance measurements show lowest resistance for solid‐core phases, enabling faster separations without efficiency loss.
• Selectivity radar plots confirm wide phase options (C18, RP‐MS, PFP, aQ, Phenyl‐Hexyl, HILIC) for tailoring separations.
• Peak capacity for complex samples (e.g., green tea catechins) scales linearly with column length; shorter columns boost peaks/min productivity by 50 % with minor resolution trade‐off.
• Sensitivity (signal‐to‐noise) improves by 100–140 % on solid‐core vs. porous phases, lowering LOD/LOQ for trace analytes.
• Columns remain robust over thousands of injections, extreme pH and elevated temperature without loss of retention or efficiency.

Přínosy a praktické využití metody

• Enhanced throughput and resolution on standard HPLC instruments.
• Reduced solvent use and waste via shorter run times and narrow‐bore formats.
• Direct method transfer from 5 μm columns by simple geometric scaling.
• Improved trace detection limits for QA/QC and impurity profiling.
• Robust phases reduce revalidation burden in regulated labs.

Budoucí trendy a možnosti využití

Continued advances will focus on expanding pH and temperature ranges of solid‐core supports, integrating with UHPLC and high‐speed MS workflows, and developing novel chemistries for challenging polar and biomolecule separations. Automation and in‐line sample preparation will further exploit these high‐efficiency phases.

Závěr

Thermo Scientific Accucore columns offer a balanced solution combining sub‐2 μm performance with conventional HPLC pressure requirements. Wide phase selection, simple method scaling and proven robustness make them versatile tools for analytical chemists seeking high resolution, sensitivity and throughput.

Reference

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