Acclaim Trinity P1 column

Importance of the topic

Modern pharmaceutical and industrial analysis requires versatile chromatography methods capable of separating ionic and nonionic species in a single run. The combination of reversed-phase and ion-exchange retention in one column streamlines workflows, reduces instrument footprint, and accelerates quality control assays.

Objectives and overview of the study

The article introduces the Thermo Scientific Acclaim Trinity P1 column featuring Nanopolymer Silica Hybrid technology. It aims to demonstrate the column's ability to:

• achieve simultaneous separation of cations, anions, and neutral compounds
• optimize selectivity through mobile phase parameters
• apply to pharmaceutical active ingredients and counterion profiling

Methodology and instrumentation

The Acclaim Trinity P1 column uses high-purity porous silica beads modified with covalently bonded reversed-phase/anionic polymer inside the pores and cation-exchange groups on the surface. This spatial arrangement allows independent control of retention mechanisms by adjusting:

• mobile phase ionic strength and buffer type
• pH
• organic solvent composition

Detection methods include:

• Corona Charged Aerosol Detection
• Evaporative Light Scattering Detection
• UV absorbance at 254 nm
• mass spectrometry (optional)

Main results and discussion

Key outcomes include:

• Baseline separation of sodium and chloride ions with sub-ppm sensitivity using Corona CAD
• Resolution of five cations and five anions in under 5 minutes via isocratic conditions
• Simultaneous separation of histidine, lysine, arginine and chloride within 4 minutes
• Co-analysis of APIs and counterions in a single run, e.g. naproxen sodium, penicillin G potassium, trimipramine maleate and pseudoephedrine HCl
• High-throughput runs with analysis times under 1 minute by increasing flow rate without loss of resolution

Results confirm the column’s ability to retain both hydrophobic drug molecules and small inorganic ions without ion-pairing reagents, ensuring sharp peak shapes and reproducible performance.

Benefits and practical applications

Practical advantages include:

• consolidation of multiple assays into one method
• reduced solvent consumption and sample preparation steps
• elimination of dedicated ion chromatography systems for common counterions
• flexible method development via simple mobile phase adjustments

This flexibility benefits pharmaceutical QC, process monitoring, and diverse analyte profiling.

Future trends and potential applications

Emerging directions may involve:

• coupling mixed-mode columns with high-resolution mass spectrometry for trace-level impurity analysis
• miniaturized and high-throughput platforms for clinical and environmental testing
• automated method scouting using machine learning to predict optimal mobile phases
• expanding applications to biopharmaceutical charge variant analysis and small molecule metabolomics

Conclusion

The Acclaim Trinity P1 column represents a significant advancement in mixed-mode chromatography, uniting reversed-phase, anion-exchange and cation-exchange functionalities. Its robust performance, ease of selectivity tuning and compatibility with multiple detectors make it a valuable tool for simultaneous analysis of pharmaceuticals and counterions, streamlining laboratory workflows and improving analytical efficiency.

Used instrumentation

The study employed:

• Acclaim Trinity P1 column 3 µm, 3.0 × 50 mm
• Thermo Scientific HPLC system with Corona CAD and ELSD detectors
• UV detector set at 254 nm
• Standard buffers of ammonium acetate in water/acetonitrile

References

Thermo Fisher Scientific. Acclaim Trinity P1 Mixed-Mode Column. Product Specification PS22083-EN.